GJËEGJËZAT DHE KONTEKSTI KOHOR I TYRE
ENIGMAS AND THEIR TIMELY CONTEXT

Summary/Abstract: Enigma as a short form of oral creative work, engaged in treatment of various objects, hiding them behind descriptive elements of things or objects that are close to them, or which are in their function. Enigmas comprise considerable resources of oral creative work. Although they don’t have wideness of explication, as some other genres, they again are peculiar for their attractive way of artistic treatment of the object and also for their educative influence. As one of the oldest genres, enigmas in their earlier phase, they had mythological character. We could get information for this from various data, on the basis of which we could conclude that in ancient times enigmas were in function of imagination of various natural phenomena and the events around them. In the course of time, enigmas were in function of rituals, for the fact that they were told during various ceremonies, festivals and rituals. Later on, enigmas took the function of betting and in many cases for the solution of enigmas were given various prizes which the looser had to pay to the winner. From this we get the information that the function of enigmas in the course of times has changed and their function was conditioned from the cultural development of people (mankind) and from characteristic peculiarities of enigmas. In the first place their short form and also their accented rhythm have influenced enigma to be slowly separated from myths and rituals and to be formed as a special kind of oral creative work. In some cases, enigmas, in their essence bear the traces of myths. The evidence for enigma’s early connection with myths, we can see in its structure of questions and answers. But when we have to do with the myths, man puts a question to nature and its phenomena, on the other hand as far as enigma is concerned, man puts a question to another man, who should find a solution (an answer). This way enigma has gradually lost its mythic and ritual function and has got the function of present days, i.e. the function of a play (sport) and of entertainment, mainly for children. By means of enigma there is developed the logic and brightness of thinking. As such, they have an educational importance, and hence the enigmas are now present in our everyday life, especially they are important for children because of their pedagogical and entertaining function.

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