This Riddle From The 1800s Has Still Never Been Solved

A riddle that was first devised in the 19th century has recently resurfaced - and has got people scratching their heads all over again… 

Devised by Church of England Bishop Samuel ‘Soapy Sam’ Wilberforce, the brainteaser is considered to be one of the hardest riddles in the world. What is more, as it was discovered among some of his literary papers after he’d died - no trace of the answer has ever been found!

Who was 'Soapy Sam' Wilberforce?

Considered to be one of the greatest orators of his era - 'Soapy Sam' debated Charles Darwin himself on the subject of evolution in 1860 - and also held the posts of both Bishop of Oxford from 1845 to 1869 and Bishop of Winchester. 

Famed for his public speaking, as well as being an outspoken anti-slavery campaigner, it’s thought that his nickname derived from a hand gesture that he would make while talking that looked as if he was washing his hands. You can see it captured in a popular cartoon from the time here:

But enough about Soapy Sam, let’s get back to the riddle… Devised some time before 1873, in the 150 years since, nobody has figured it out… Reckon you could be the first?

Here it is:

I'm the sweetest of sounds in orchestra heard, yet in orchestra never was seen.

I'm a bird of gay plumage, yet less like a bird, nothing ever in nature was seen.

Touch the earth I expire, in water I die, in air I lose breath, yet can swim and can fly.

Darkness destroys me, and light is my death, and I only keep going by holding my breath.

If my name can't be guessed by a boy or a man, by a woman or girl it certainly can.

On the Reddit thread where it’s resurfaced, a few people have had their say on what the answer could be.

One suggestion is that it could be a shuttlecock, but it really doesn’t tick many of the boxes does it? Someone else suggested it could be a musical note, but again I’m not really feeling that…

It could refer to a whale, as one Redditor suggested as it makes a sweet sound, swims, and can't survive outside of the water, yet requires oxygen to breathe.

It’s not bad but doesn’t really tally with the “If my name can't be guessed by a boy or a man, by a woman or girl it certainly can,” clue and also whales can’t fly can they?

The obvious kicker in this is that we’ll never know for sure what the correct answer is! Although having learned a little bit about it’s author maybe that was his game all along, and he’s having a good old laugh from beyond the grave… 

What is the hardest riddle in the world?

There’s no definitive answer, however the ‘Harvard Riddle’ is in with a shout of being the hardest riddle in the world - so named because 98% of students from the prestigious Ivy League university can’t solve it!

Also referred to as the ‘I Turn Polar Bears White’ riddle, it goes like this:

I turn polar bears white and I will make you cry.

I make guys have to pee and girls comb their hair.

I make celebrities look stupid and normal people look like celebrities.

I turn pancakes brown and make your champagne bubble.

If you squeeze me, I’ll pop. If you look at me, you’ll pop.

Can you guess the riddle?

If you’re done scratching your head - and you’re anything like me - the answer is going to leave you feeling a little annoyed… The key to solving this riddle is in the last line - when you’re directly asked ‘Can you guess the riddle?’ forget all the filler words meant to distract you - the answer is simply ‘No’. Infuriating right!?

Fancy solving some more riddles?

If you want something that is maybe a little bit easier, here’s some more for you to have a go at - answers below!

1. You measure my life in hours and I serve you by expiring. I’m quick when I’m thin, slow when I’m fat and the wind is my enemy. What am I?

2. I have cities but no house, mountains but no tress and water but no fish - what am I?

3. You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk, but when you look again not a single person remains - why?

4. What word in the English language does the following: The first two letters signify a male, the first three letters signify a female, the first four letters signify a great, while the entire word signifies a great woman. What is the word?

Ready for some answers?

1. A candle

2. A map

3. They got married

4. Heroine