Trüffel und Eichbaum & Rüde und Wölfin

Using selected examples of conundrum poetry from the 7th century, this study examines the tradition of German riddles handed down in old English manuscripts. In the Middle Ages, riddles that can be traced back to the same sources as those in old English texts also appear in German anthologies, as proven by the conundrum of the wine barrel found in the Codex Vercellensis. The study establishes a connection with ancient Latin riddles, which is proven by Symphosius’s collection of riddles from as early as the third century AD. However, these Latin riddles are not the source of old German conundrum poetry, as has been falsely assumed.