Riddles in Fantasy

One of the most iconic chapters in The Hobbit is "Riddles in the Dark," in which Bilbo and Gollum engage in a battle of wits with Bilbo's life on the line. This has been noted as a very intriguing and memorable scene from the novel, and has rivaled even the action-saturated scenes of warfare and violent suspense to become one of the most famous moments in the book.
   
Why is this particular scene so exciting to read time and time again? Is it the cleverly written riddles? The novelty of the character Gollum? The suspense in not knowing whether or not Bilbo will make it out?

Is there something especially intriguing about riddles that piques curiosity? Personally, I don't think this scene would be as memorable if Bilbo and Gollum had engaged in a fist fight, or arm wrestled, or raced. This game of intellectual strength and quickness is much more of an interesting read. Not all exciting battles in literature are fought by physical means. Some of the most famous examples of riddles in the literary world are from fantasy novels. Here are a few examples:

Q: "First think of the person who lives in disguise,
Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies,
Next tell me what's always the last thing to mend,
The middle of middle and end of the end?
And finally give me the sound often heard,
During the search for a hard-to-find word.
Now string them together, and answer me this,
Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?"

A: A spider.

- from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Q: "Why is a Raven like a writing desk?"

This riddle, told by the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland, is never supplied with an answer. My favorite suggestion, however, is Sam Lloyd's answer "Poe wrote on both."

Riddles pop up in literature anywhere from The Bible to Shakespeare, to Austen, but no matter what text they come from, they are always memorable. Though some would not call the use of riddles as lively as an action sequence, they usually move the plot along just as well, and I find it more thrilling to know that a character can stand up to a Sphinx as well as a dragon.