Beschrijving
The Princess who Cannot Solve the Riddle. (Including the previous Types 851A and 876.) A princess is offered in marriage to whoever can pose a riddle that she cannot solve [H342, H551]. A man (prince, stupid boy, shepherd) makes a riddle based on unusual circumstances which he has witnessed (experienced) [H565]. (She marries him at this point and the tale ends here.)
She sends her maidservants and then goes herself to him at night to learn the answer. He keeps her nightdress (braid) as proof [H81.2, H117]. In court, she answers his riddle but permits him to ask another. It refers to her night visit, and rather than answer it, she agrees to marry him.
Different riddles are used, for example: (1) I ride on my father and wear (carry) my mother – he has sold his parents and bought a horse and clothes (gun). (2) I ate (am) the unborn [H792] (cf. Type 927) – a fetal animal (he was cut from his mother’s womb). (3) I drank water from neither heaven nor earth – horse’s sweat (condensation from a lamp). (4) One killed three and three killed twelve [H802] – his horse was poisoned, birds ate it, thieves ate the birds, and all died.
In Turandot the princess herself is the one to set riddles for her suitors to answer [H540.2]: riddle of the sun [H762], of the ocean [H734] of the year [H721.1]. If they are not able to find the solution they will be punished by death. (Previously Type 851A, an Oriental literary tale.)
She sends her maidservants and then goes herself to him at night to learn the answer. He keeps her nightdress (braid) as proof [H81.2, H117]. In court, she answers his riddle but permits him to ask another. It refers to her night visit, and rather than answer it, she agrees to marry him.
Different riddles are used, for example: (1) I ride on my father and wear (carry) my mother – he has sold his parents and bought a horse and clothes (gun). (2) I ate (am) the unborn [H792] (cf. Type 927) – a fetal animal (he was cut from his mother’s womb). (3) I drank water from neither heaven nor earth – horse’s sweat (condensation from a lamp). (4) One killed three and three killed twelve [H802] – his horse was poisoned, birds ate it, thieves ate the birds, and all died.
In Turandot the princess herself is the one to set riddles for her suitors to answer [H540.2]: riddle of the sun [H762], of the ocean [H734] of the year [H721.1]. If they are not able to find the solution they will be punished by death. (Previously Type 851A, an Oriental literary tale.)
Motief
H342
H551
H565
H81.2
H117
H792
H802
H540.2
H762
H734
H721.1
Combinaties
This type is usually combined with episodes of one or more other types, esp. 570, and also 300, 314, 400, 507, 900, 930, 992A, and 1681B.
Oorspronkelijk Verhaaltype
851
Subgenre
sprookje