The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-08-03
RIDDLES OF ANCIENT TIMES.
Anagrams and Acrostics Have Been known
Since tho Days OF the Psalmist.

<>AA<>8KaA hHu ACrOBtlCS Have Been known
Since tho Days OF the Psalmist.
1t seems ridiculous that the people
who lived hundreds and hundreds of
wears ago were moro interested in puz-
zles than you and are today. This is
true nevertheless. The puzzles I refer to
are those in writing, although tho an
clients probably occupied some Of their
spare time with strange and puzzling
devices of wood and metal, as we do.
What pleasure it is to solve the prob
lems in our favorite magazines or news
papersl 1t is very good exercise for ones
brains, too, and where prize is offered
to the fortunate boy or girl who first
solves the puzzles Of different kinds the
work is more pleasant still in the an
tlolpation of proving oneself little
oleverer than tho others and Of receiv-
Ing the gift. We find that the acrostio
10 the most ancient form of puzzling
mankind Acrostic is Greek for a num-
Der of verses, the first letters of which
form word-sometimes q name and
sometimes sentence. The final letter
may form word, or, as Addison tells
us, the letters will even run down the
center OF tho verses as n seam. The He
brew poets often made their verses run
over the entire alphabet. Twelve of the
psalms arc written on this plan, the
most notable being the one hundred md
nineteenth. This has 20 divisions Of
stanzas, corresponding to the 90 letters
OF the Hebrew alphabet. Each stanza is
formed Of eight couplets, and the first
line Of each couplet i'll the first stanza in
the original Hebrew begins with the
letter aleph, the second commences with
beth, the third with gimel and SO Oh
through the alphabet The English di-
visions of the psalms arc called after
the Hebrew letter that began the coup
let's 1t was also customary to compose
verses on sacred SUBJECTS after the fash
ion of Hebrew acrostics. This was done
with view to aid memory, and such
pieces were called abcedarian hymns.
The riddle is also Of ancient origin.
The Proverbs of the Bible, or sayings
attributed to Solomon, are often in the
form of riddles Was it not the Queen
of Sheba who proposed riddles to Solo
mon? The Koran, the scriptural book Of
the Mohammedans, also contains rid
dies, as do somo books now in existence,
written i'll Arabic and Persian. Tho an
cient Egyptians also propounded rid
dies, and one of the seven wise men of
Greece, who lived in tho sixth century
b. c., was celebrated for his riddles in
verse Homer, the Greek poet, accord
ing TO n statement i'll Plutarch, died of
yexatlon at not being able to solve q
riddle. In tho middle ages riddles were
encouraged for amusement Oh winter
nights in the baronial hall and also in
tho monastery. In later days some Of
tho most brilliant men Of letters contrib
uted to the list of riddles.
The anagram, or transposition Of the
letters in words or sentences, was much
in vogue i'll Greece in the olden times
The Cabalists, or Jewish doctors.
thought that the anagram always point
ed out mans destiny, and if his name
written backward or transposed in any
way spelled word with meaning they
firmly believed it q revelation. The fiat
terers Of James 1 of England proved his
right to tho British monarchy as the de-
scendant of the mythical King Arthur
from his name Charles James Stuart.
which becomes 'claims Arthur's seat I"
The best anagrams are those which have
In the now order of letters some signifi-
cation appropriate to that from which
they are formed. When plato asked,
"Quid est vcritas?" (What is truth0,
no probably had no idea that his ques-
ton answered itself But it did. The
transportation made it, "Est vir qui
adest" ct is the man who is herel An
agrams were written as early rs $50 b.
c., and their name comes from the
Greek words ana, backward. and gram
ma, writing philadelphia Press.