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French scholar traces origins of newspaper puzzles from 17th-century enigmas to modern Sudoku
🇨🇭 Switzerland /Culture & Society

French scholar traces origins of newspaper puzzles from 17th-century enigmas to modern Sudoku

From Le Temps · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • A new book by Timothée Léchot explores the origins of popular newspaper puzzles like Sudoku and anagrams.
  • The research traces these word and number games from 17th-century French periodicals to 20th-century crosswords.
  • Léchot highlights the anthropological dimension of these games, linking them to ancient gods and the human desire for mystery and intellectual challenge.

In an erudite essay, Timothée Léchot invites readers to explore the origins of popular newspaper puzzles such as Sudoku, mysterious words, and anagrams. Published alongside "Summer Games" in Le Temps, Léchot's work traces the evolution of these intellectual diversions from the 17th century to the 20th.

Inventing enigmas, puns, logogriphes or acrostiches, is to indulge in a frivolous and serious practice, gratuitous and demanding that goes back to the gods of writing, exchanges or commerce – Thot, Hermes and Mercury.

— Timothée LéchotLéchot discusses the anthropological dimension of word and number games.

His research begins with the "Mercure galant," the first periodical to feature enigmas, charades, and riddles in verse. It culminates in the 20th century with the invention of crosswords. Léchot's scholarly examination of early modern French press also considers the anthropological significance of number and letter games. He posits that inventing riddles, puns, or acrostics connects to ancient deities of writing, exchange, and commerce like Thoth, Hermes, and Mercury.

the transversal notion of clarity forms in the classical age an ideal that is at once grammatical, philosophical and aesthetic

— Timothée LéchotLéchot points out the paradox of clarity ideals alongside mystery games in early modern press.

Léchot highlights a paradox: while the classical age idealized clarity, early modern French press widely published games relying on mystery and hidden meanings. Publications like "Mercure galant," "Mercure de France," and "Mercure suisse" mixed political, cultural, and social news with enigmatic verse. This participatory journalism fostered reader engagement, with the "virality" of enigmas rivaling today's social media trends.

the "virality" of enigmas has nothing to envy to that experienced today by graphic rebuses on social networks.

— Timothée LéchotLéchot compares the engagement of early modern readers with puzzles to modern social media trends.

The author has compiled nearly 7,000 enigmatic poems published between 1677 and 1799 on his website, "Les Enigmes de Mercure." His book rigorously analyzes the literary engagement of this production during a period of "crisis" in poetry. He reveals the debates, political opinions, humor, and freedom these games fostered. One chapter explores enigmas as "waking dreams," stimulating the reader's imagination and leading to an "inner wandering" between dream and rational thought.

waking dream

— Timothée LéchotLéchot describes the effect of enigmas on the reader's imagination.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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