Christmas Riddle 2009

This topic has 256 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 1 month ago by Theobald.

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October 24, 2009 at 8:13 pm #7517
Barliman
Participant
And about time too.
October 25, 2009 at 11:17 am #7526
hsf62
Participant
November the 15th. Good, I’m back from Melbourne and back online!:cool:
October 25, 2009 at 2:35 pm #7529
Theobald
Participant
Huoommm … you see, Master Hsf62 I try to consider everything about this … rhuoommm … though I didn’t know about your absence because of that stay in that Melbourney town … rhuoommm … so by then our Elf will also be back …. rhuoommmhuoommm …
is there anybody else being interested and not being able to read my riddle on Nov.15 ? … maybe we could skip this and let it be a 2010 Christmas riddle … rhuuoommm … sorry, just joking … huom … I’ll do as it might please you … at least I try … rhuoommm
October 25, 2009 at 6:09 pm #7537
ddaines
Participant
Well I’m away 22 Nov – 7 Dec, but as I don’t do that well anyway with riddles, it shouldn’t affect my chances of winning
November 6, 2009 at 5:15 pm #7704
Theobald
Participant
That’s alright, Master Ddaines. So you will not be excluded from the riddle. So I fix the dates for the three riddles.
Nov. 15
Nov. 29
Dec. 13
(every two weeks on Sunday)
Then I will have to announce a time-zone for the start of each riddle, from which that 24-hours limit could be counted, right?
I need that week in between the riddles to find out about your agreement about the points, as I do not want to leave the impression that I try to cheat.
You see, it’s complicated. But I’m sure there will be a fair solution, as this year’s riddle will in the ENT be a bit different than those of 2008 or 2007.
Now I will have to think about a prize for 2009 … rhuoommm …
I cannot haste everything, you know … huom
November 6, 2009 at 7:07 pm #7705
Barliman
Participant
Of course, the simple solution would be to tell me that I’ve won now, and save yourself a lot of trouble…
No? Ah well, it was just a thought.
November 6, 2009 at 11:16 pm #7709
Theobald
Participant
Rhuooommm … strange thought that is, Master Barliman … huomm .. you might better keep your thoughts for the riddle, methinks … why should I save troubles? I always try to get rid of them …. rhuooommm ….
November 7, 2009 at 11:31 am #7714
hsf62
Participant
Just be always the first with the right answer Master Barliman and you will win the riddle.:cool:
November 7, 2009 at 11:53 am #7717
Barliman
Participant
Really? Is that how it works?
November 7, 2009 at 3:25 pm #7722
Theobald
Participant
rhuoommm … time-zones … it’s a mess ….
So, the riddle on Sunday, Nov. 15 will be placed here at 16.00 CET (central European time). Which is not BMP or GMT or UTC, you know. Well, I don’t want to confuse you more than I am. You might get help via http://www.timeanddate.com
Does anybody know why time is so hard to handle?
November 7, 2009 at 5:42 pm #7723
Barliman
Participant
I blame the sun. It keeps moving.
November 8, 2009 at 8:27 am #7739
twrich
Participant
WOW, I just woke up, and see that I am still able to guess at Master Tree’s riddles . . . this is a good thing. Count me in.
November 15, 2009 at 2:59 pm #7844
Theobald
Participant
Well, to start this first part of this year’s riddle, let me say that that 2009 so far has been a riddle to me.

There will be three major riddles, so I will pass on the first one now. As usual this is the easiest of those three. Ahemmm …hmmm … [now citing]

His croket kembd and thereon set
A Nouche with a chapelet,
Or elles one of green leves
Which late com out of the greves,
Al for he sholde seme freissh;

And thus he looketh on the fleissh,
Riht as an hauk which has a sihte
Upon the foul ther he schall lithe,
And as he were of faierie
He scheweth him tofore here yhe.

Now I would like to ask you three questions:

– Who is described here ?
– Who wrote this?
– What has this got to do with J.R.R.Tolkien?

You are asked to give correct answers, only one answer is allowed for each of the three questions for each riddler. I will find out if someone tries to cheat …. huoommm …
November 15, 2009 at 3:06 pm #7845
Theobald
Participant
As we agreed before there will be 24 hours for your answers. Each correct answer will get one point. But, as I pointed out before, this one’s easy. But you should think a bit before answering immediately.
November 15, 2009 at 3:27 pm #7847
regalrick
Participant
I believe this was written by the English poet John Gower as an early description of an inhabitant of elf land.I think Tolkien refered to this in his study on fairy-stories. Fairies being compared to the equivalent to elves.
November 15, 2009 at 3:43 pm #7848
Theobald
Participant
Yes, Master Regalrick, Master Gower wrote this some time ago.

You said “I think” … does it mean you know? Right is that Master Tolkien referred to this in what I would rather call an essay than a study. Is there any title of that essay?
As for comparing fairies with elves Master Gower couldn’t know about this as the word elf did not exist when he wrote the poem.
Well, what was the intention of the man Gower described in his poem?
You see, once you start asking a question more of them do arise …
Anyway, that was a good and fast answer, Master Regalrick. But we have to be patient and await other entries. There still are some hours left for that.
November 15, 2009 at 4:16 pm #7849
protozeus
Participant
Alas, I do not seem to grasp the rules of the riddle. Would it not make more sense that everyone sends you answers in private, so everyone has the chance within the 24 h, without the danger of repeating earlier statements of others?
November 15, 2009 at 4:40 pm #7850
Gildor
MMP Elder
indeed that this was written by John Gower, JRRT talks about this in an essay about “Fairy Stories”.
Actually it describes a young gallant who seeks to bewitch the hearts of the maidens in church.
The word “Fairy” (derived from “faierie” in the text) did not exist before this poem, this poem is the first quotation of the word in the Oxford dictionnary (the only one before A.D. 1450)
November 15, 2009 at 4:41 pm #7851
Theobald
Participant
I do understand your concern very well, Master Protozeus.
As for sending answers privately, that I will not accept, as I want to have this riddle and its answers being published here, so that everybody can witness.
And as for the points for the answers I thought we could all agree on that here – together. I said before that I thought of this 24-hour-limit as being something complicated. I simply gave in to that.
On the other hand you might believe me that I did spend some thoughts on how to release this riddle. That’s why I thought of the third part as being something like a lottery. I really did not want to cause any anger with this, you know. So if there’s more (senseful) criticism as yours, Master Protozeus, I can cut this short and start the third riddle right away, leaving out the second one. It won’t be a problem at all. I also can set a fixed time for the third riddle, not regarding time, space and place – saying first correct answer will get the point. That’s how I handled it the last two years. (And if you remember it took some time until the horses of that chariot were identified last year… they never were.)
So, if anybody could help me please out of this mess …. sorry.
November 15, 2009 at 4:59 pm #7852
Theobald
Participant
See, Master Regalrick was right with referring to J.Gower.

Then Master Gildor was more than exact about the man being described in the poem and also about the first entry in the Oxford dictionary. – Though he did not mention the title of the essay, he just called it :
essay about “Fairy Stories”
The time is absolutely correct as correct it could be: before 1450.

“a young gallant who seeks to bewitch the hearts of maidens in church” Tolkien wrote.
So Gildor is very correct with this.

So what now?
As far as I can see Master Gildor repeated Master Regalrick’s answer about the poet but additionally provided a detailed answer about the character described in that poem. He also was right about where the word ‘Fairy’ can be derived from.

Should I keep on or rather cut this short?

Rhuooommm … how was that essay titled later on?
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