# Help with a riddle **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 29, 2003, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551 "2003-12-29T07:58:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trillionaire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Trillionaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trillionaire)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/1 "2003-12-29T07:58:51Z")
A friend has emailed me a riddle, and I was wondering if anyone out there could help me. It’s pretty strange. I thought I had a reasonable grasp of biblical matters, but nothing I can think of seems to fit. My best guess so far is that it’s a star, but that doesn’t fit all the clues neatly enough, and anyway it isn’t five letters long. (I apologise if this is in the wrong forum by the way; hopefully someone can give me the answer straight away, if not then it may turn into a IMHO) Here is the riddle: God made Adam out of the dust But thought it best to make me first; So I was made before the man, According to God’s Holy plan. My whole body God made complete Without arms or hands or feet. My ways and acts did God control, But in my body He placed no soul. A living being I became, And Adam gave to me a name. Then from his presence I withdrew For this man Adam I never knew All my Maker’s laws I do obey And from these laws I never stray Thousands of me go in fear But seldom on the earth appear Later, for a purpose God did see, He placed a living soul in me. But that soul of mine God had to claim, And from me took it back again. And when this soul from me had fled, I was the same as when first made Without arms, legs, feet or soul, I travel on from pole to pole My labors are from day to night, And to men I once furnished light Thousands of people young and old Did by my death bright lights behold No right or wrong can I conceive; The Bible and its teachings I can’t believe The fear of death doesn’t trouble me Pure happiness I will never see And up in Heaven I can never go Nor in the grave or Hell below. So get your Bible and read with care; You’ll find my name recorded there. The answer is one word, five letters long. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/2 "2003-12-29T08:04:09Z")
Well, “snake” seems ot fit **parts** of the riddle. But I’m not sure… Any mythologies that claim fire was given to man by a snake? Dani ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/3 "2003-12-29T08:05:13Z")
Don’t bet the farm, but I’d say Satan (the snake) ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/4 "2003-12-29T08:08:47Z")
to clarify, Hell wasn’t in existence till Lucifer was kicked out of Heaven, thereby he couldn’t be sent to Hell by God. It didn’t exist at the time I can’t wait to see the tangent this thread will produce. ---
**Author:** ![Trillionaire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Trillionaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trillionaire)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/5 "2003-12-29T08:09:05Z")
I initially thought Satan as well, but it doesn’t fit with: “And up in Heaven I can never go Nor in the grave or Hell below” ---
**Author:** ![Paladud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Paladud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paladud)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/6 "2003-12-29T08:16:21Z")
Satan was an initial thought for me as well. “Ghost” may work perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/7 "2003-12-29T08:16:38Z")
Trillionaire (can I get a loan?), Satan was an angel before being booted from Heaven, thereby causing him to open Hell. (Try the chicken). He was an angel, so the grave is out, but since he opened Hell on a whim, he couldn’t have been sent there. I’m more a WWII buff, though Catholic, but my Priest is sleeping so can’t cite anything. Just seems logical. Somebody agree or debunk me! I won’t be able to sleep till I know ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/8 "2003-12-29T08:41:38Z")
It’s could be “Earth”, “Ocean” or “Water”. As support for these notions, I give you: > [@](#): > > God made Adam out of the dust > But thought it best to make me first; > So I was made before the man, > According to God’s Holy plan. The earth (and the heavens), are created in Genesis 1:1. The “waters” are mentioned in Genesis 1:2. Both are well before Adam. > [@](#): > > My whole body God made complete > Without arms or hands or feet. > My ways and acts did God control, > But in my body He placed no soul. Well, the earth has a body, but no arms, hands, feet or (presumably) a soul. It’s easy to believe the “ways and acts” are under God’s control, if you believe God controls the weather and makes earthquakes and whatnot. This can also apply to water, if you squint. > [@](#): > > A living being I became, > And Adam gave to me a name. > Then from his presence I withdrew > For this man Adam I never knew Well the name “earth” is man-made, I guess. Arguably, the Earth is “alive”, covered with teeming vegetation and animal life and volcanoes and such. The ocean is arguably also “alive” with sea creatures. The “withdrew” part escapes me, though. > [@](#): > > All my Maker’s laws I do obey > And from these laws I never stray Laws on physics can’t be broken, I presume, by the earth or by the ocean. > [@](#): > > Thousands of me go in fear > But seldom on the earth appear Dunno, unless it’s water, and it’s an obscure reference to rain and floods. > [@](#): > > Later, for a purpose God did see, > He placed a living soul in me. > But that soul of mine God had to claim, > And from me took it back again. I seem to vaguely recall some water-based aspects of the Lilith myth. > [@](#): > > And when this soul from me had fled, > I was the same as when first made > Without arms, legs, feet or soul, > I travel on from pole to pole The ‘pole-to-pole’ reference cliches it for me as a geographical riddle, though “earth” and “ocean” (or even “water”) could apply, since all stretch (roughly) from north to south pole. > [@](#): > > My labors are from day to night, > And to men I once furnished light > Thousands of people young and old > Did by my death bright lights behold Well, many people have drowned in the ocean, and light from the sun, moon and stars is reflected off the surface. It’s a stretch, I’ll admit. > [@](#): > > No right or wrong can I conceive; > The Bible and its teachings I can’t believe > The fear of death doesn’t trouble me > Pure happiness I will never see > And up in Heaven I can never go > Nor in the grave or Hell below. > So get your Bible and read with care; > You’ll find my name recorded there. The fact that Hell is specifically mentioned as a place the subject can never go rules out Satan, as far as I’m concerned. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/9 "2003-12-29T08:45:18Z")
Whoops, looks like I misread the “by my death bright lights behold” part. Oh, well… ---
**Author:** ![gluteus\_maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@gluteus\_maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gluteus_maximus)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/10 "2003-12-29T08:55:10Z")
Comet. ---
**Author:** ![Trillionaire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Trillionaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trillionaire)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/11 "2003-12-29T08:58:04Z")
Comet seems to fit best out of everything so far, but it’s still not without its problems: “Later, for a purpose God did see, He placed a living soul in me. But that soul of mine God had to claim, And from me took it back again.” And are comets mentioned in the bible at all? ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/12 "2003-12-29T09:01:46Z")
How about the whale? Whale oil lights, no ‘hands’ or ‘feet’, etc. Travels from pole to pole, only the oceans do that… ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/13 "2003-12-29T09:03:09Z")
The ‘living soul’ was Jonah. I’ll go with Whale as the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Trillionaire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Trillionaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trillionaire)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/14 "2003-12-29T09:04:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Danalan \* > \*\*How about the whale? Whale oil lights, no ‘hands’ or ‘feet’, etc. Travels from pole to pole, only the oceans do that… \*\* Well I read somewhere that whales never cross the equator, but I **REALLY** don’t want to get into that here. ---
**Author:** ![Trillionaire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Trillionaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trillionaire)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/15 "2003-12-29T09:06:27Z")
Whale does seem to fit pretty well though ---
**Author:** ![gluteus\_maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@gluteus\_maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gluteus_maximus)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/16 "2003-12-29T09:14:26Z")
Yeah, “comet” is right out. “Whale” it is. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Philosopher)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/17 "2003-12-29T14:47:27Z")
Whale seems to fit most of the clues. Although how do whales ‘furnish light’ to thousands of men when they die? ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/18 "2003-12-29T14:59:32Z")
by stipulating in their will that they want their blubber to be used in oil lamps. ---
**Author:** ![LemonThrower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@LemonThrower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LemonThrower)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/19 "2003-12-29T15:45:43Z")
I vote for whale. Satan doesn’t work because he has hands and feet (I think). ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551/20 "2003-12-29T16:05:56Z")
Regarding “So get your Bible and read with care; You’ll find my name recorded there.” The word “whales” appears as early as Genesis 1:21, beating the creation of man by five verses. Sounds okay to me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-a-riddle/221551.md?page=2)