"Time and J.R.R. Tolkien's "Riddles in the Dark"" by Marie Nelson

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Article Title

Time and J.R.R. Tolkien's "Riddles in the Dark"

Authors

Marie Nelson, (emerita) University of FloridaFollow

Abstract

Close reading of the two riddle games in The Hobbit—the first between Bilbo and Gollum, and the second a three-sided game where both Smaug and the reader try to decode Bilbo’s riddling self-references. Discusses “priming” in riddling, how riddles work as a speech act, and the sources of riddles used in these games. Includes a translation of Bilbo’s riddles to Smaug into Old English.

Recommended Citation

Nelson, Marie (2008) "Time and J.R.R. Tolkien's "Riddles in the Dark"," Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: Vol. 27 : No. 1 , Article 7.
Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol27/iss1/7

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