Enigmatic Concepts: On the History of Riddles in China and the West

Schmiedl, Anne Kathrin

Research article (journal) | Peer reviewed

Abstract

In this article, I contribute to the understanding of conceptual boundaries in the Chinese context by discussing the rift between “old” and “new” concepts as well as “inside” and “outside” perspectives on these concepts. To address these problems, I analyze one aspect in the field of literature, the concept of riddle. My article shows that riddle is conceptually linked to folklore, orality, and play in modernity. It juxtaposes these observations with two different literary phenomena, yinyu and mi, and their conceptual development in the imperial Chinese tradition. Finally, my article proves that “modern” observers often struggle with defining yinyu and mi, because of the way riddle is conceptualized in modernity.

Details about the publication

JournalContributions to the History of Concepts
Volume18
Issue2
Page range28-48
StatusPublished
Release year2023
Language in which the publication is writtenEnglish
DOI10.3167/choc.2023.180203
Keywordsfolklore; imperial China; mi; riddle; yinyu

Authors from the University of Münster

Schmiedl, Anne Kathrin
Junior Professorship of Literature and Culture of Modern China (Prof. Schmiedl)