Neck riddle facts for kids

A neck riddle is a special kind of riddle. It's used by a person, often a hero in an old story, to get out of a really tough spot. The trick is that the riddle is impossible for anyone else to answer! Only the person who asks it knows the answer.

What is a Neck Riddle?

A neck riddle is a question that only the person asking it can solve. Imagine you're in a difficult situation, and someone says you'll be set free if you can ask a riddle that no one else can guess. That's exactly what a neck riddle is for! The person asking the riddle "saves their neck," meaning they escape a very serious punishment or danger.

How They Work in Stories

The idea of a neck riddle often appears in old folk tales. These stories sometimes feature a hero who is in trouble, perhaps facing a judge or an enemy. To escape, the hero challenges them with a riddle. If the judge or enemy can't guess the answer, the hero wins their freedom. This is why it's called "saving your neck"—it's about avoiding a bad fate by being super clever.

Famous Neck Riddles

One of the most famous neck riddles comes from the book The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Bilbo's Clever Riddle

In The Hobbit, the hobbit Bilbo Baggins meets a creature named Gollum deep inside a mountain. They play a game of riddles. If Bilbo wins, Gollum will show him the way out. If Gollum wins, he gets to eat Bilbo!

Bilbo asks a riddle that Gollum simply cannot answer: "What have I got in my pocket?"

Gollum tries his best, guessing things like "Handses?" or "Knifes?" But he can't possibly know what Bilbo has in his pocket because only Bilbo knows! This riddle saves Bilbo's life and helps him escape.

Odin's Unsolvable Questions

Another example comes from old Norse myths. The god Odin, who is known for his wisdom, sometimes uses neck riddles.

• Once, Odin asks a giant named Vafþrúðnir a riddle: "What did Odin whisper in Balder's ear before Balder was cremated?"
• Later, Odin, disguised as a traveler named Gestumblindi, asks King Heidrek the same riddle.

No one but Odin himself could possibly know the answer to what he whispered. These riddles show how powerful and clever Odin is, as they are truly unanswerable by anyone else.

Neck riddles are a fun way to show how smart and quick-witted a character can be, especially when they are in a tight spot!