Performance, Structure and Functions of Riddle Game in Həba Community

Abstract

The Həba (Kilba) people live in northern Adamawa State of Nigeria. Həba is the people, while nya Həba is the language.  The people have many rich verbal arts which include folktales, songs, proverbs and riddles. This study aims to examine the performance, structure and functions of riddle game as one of the genres of oral literature. The data for the study was obtained through recording of riddles performed in natural settings. Also, the people older than the researchers were interviewed in order to gather information the functions of riddle game in Hǝba community. Descriptive survey was employed for the study in order to interpret, describe, explain and discuss the data in its natural state.  Qualitative method was therefore adopted for the analysis of the riddles in the corpus of the study. The result showed that the Həba folk riddles have some peculiar organizational and syntactic structures. The organizational structures include invitation to play riddle game, challenging, unraveling, penalising, and turn-taking. The analysis of the syntactic structure of the riddles revealed that the riddle acts are highly standard expressions that permit little or no variations. The art of riddling constitute part of the ancient educational and recreational systems of the Həba people. As a community art, riddle telling enhances cognitive development, promotes social cohesion and unity among the children. This paper therefore aims to examine peculiarity of the performance, the structure, and the functions of riddle as verbal art in Hәba community.