Synopsis
In the earliest surviving version of the song, Inter diabolus et virgo, "between the devil and the maiden" (mid-15th century), the "foul fiend" proposes to abduct a maiden unless she can answer a series of riddles. The woman prays to Jesus for wisdom, and answers the riddles correctly.
In later versions, a knight puts a woman to test before he marries her (sometimes after seducing her), or a devil disguised as a knight tries to carry her off. The woman knows the answers, and thus either wins the marriage or is free of the devil. In the latter case, the last riddle is often "what is worse than woman?" (the devil).
The riddles vary, but typical ones include
- What is longer than the way? -- love
- What is deeper than the sea? -- hell
- What is louder than the horn? -- thunder
- What is sharper than a thorn? -- hunger
- What is whiter than milk? -- snow
- What is softer than silk? -- down
Read more about this topic: Riddles Wisely Expounded