Our ancestors didn't have IQ tests, but they had their own tried and tested method of testing how smart each person was. Give him a few easy and one or two difficult riddles and you already know who is standing opposite. To deal with popular questions, you need knowledge, experience, and an agile mind, because most of them contain misleading clarifications or slippery allegories.
From entertainment for previous generations, riddles have become one of the most valuable folklore treasures of Bulgaria, and that's why we at Vezba decided to tell you a little more about them.
Riddles (riddles, riddles - depending on which part of Bulgaria you are in) are one of the most complex genres of folk art. They are short, poetic reflections in which objects or phenomena are figuratively described, which must be guessed by the interlocutor. The questions are allegorical, and some of them often include an anecdote. Guessing requires imaginative and logical thinking. Riddles cover a wide variety of objects and phenomena, everyday life and human life. She draws images from family life, agriculture, animal husbandry and generally fromthe material culture of a village .
According to researchers, riddles are one of the oldest folklore genres, the origin of which lies in prehistoric times. These short reasonings have served people to explain the phenomena of the world around them more easily by likening them to something familiar. It helped the generations to pass on their knowledge, because then there was no writing yet.
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Riddles were originally associated with some superstitions and fortune-telling. This is evident in the spiritualization of many earthly and heavenly bodies. This is how the riddle was created for the Sun : "One God's cow filled the whole world". The riddle also provides knowledge about the surrounding world through metaphors, allegories and similes . For example, this is how the River is described: "Long Yana curvy, there is a head, there is no shadow". Or the wind: "You hear it, but you don't see it?".
In the riddle, our people show their wit, talent, intelligence and observation. The moon or the Moon is: "A puffy baicho that hangs above the water". And Heaven is: "A blue pool that has no bottom". The eyes are: "Two wells open during the day, closed at night".
Our Renaissance writers knew that riddles are one of the best means of raising and teaching children, as well as a way to preserve tradition, love for folk art and the native language. That is why there were also their zealous collectors, and the biggest of them was Petko R. Slaveikov. Some of the Bulgarian writers use riddles in their personal work, and others write riddles for children - such as Tsani Ginchev, Asen Raztsvetnikov and Asen Bosev.
Riddles are also the prototype of folk proverbs and sayings, which are also an important part of the Bulgarian folklore heritage and carry the spirit of our ancestors. However, we will tell you about them another time...
Until then, every week you will be able to find riddles on our Facebook profile to train your mind and test your friends. Vezba strives to preserve Bulgarian traditions and customs, and riddles are certainly one of the funniest among them.
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