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I have a riddle. Problem is I don't know the answer. Whoever answers it right will be awarded best answer. The deadline is the end of the month. If no correct answer is given before then, I will close this question (or ask for it to be closed). Here is the riddle:

To the Northeast we stand,
Ancient natives of the new world,
Proud though no longer tall.
Worn by age we still watch over the land,
Still more noble than our cousin hills,
Tell us our name.


1 word, no punctuation

I can input the answer and see if it is right or wrong. But the site has nothing to do with the riddle. It is a random riddle basically.

The answer has nothing to do with religion. It may also have something to do with geography/maps. It is likely talking about the north eastern USA. That is what I know.

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  • $\begingroup$ I would have added "Night Watch" in Game of Thrones as the answer but then I read the last sentence. :( $\endgroup$
    – manshu
    Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 18:42
  • $\begingroup$ The riddle suggests more than one of whatever it is. It could be a tribe of people, a forest, or even a mountain range. Or anything with multiple things in it. $\endgroup$
    – Christian Sirolli
    Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 18:51
  • $\begingroup$ Night Watch also contains many people but it is not a single word (as the question need). $\endgroup$
    – manshu
    Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 18:53
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    $\begingroup$ You say you don'the know the answer but based on comments to the answer you do have a way to check answers. Can you provide some context about where you found the riddle? It might provide another clue. $\endgroup$
    – Regan
    Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 19:07
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    $\begingroup$ Everything needed is in the riddle, I am told. It likely has something to do with geography. $\endgroup$
    – Christian Sirolli
    Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 19:17

1 Answer 1

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Thanks to question_asker for improvement in the answer

Pretty sure the answer is

Adirondacks. (The Adirondack Mountains)

To the Northeast we stand, Ancient natives of the new world,

The Adirondacks are in the northeast of North America.

Proud though no longer tall. Worn by age we still watch over the land,

The Adirondacks are one of the oldest extant mountain ranges, which is why they're not terribly high compared to newer mountain ranges like the Himalayas.

Still more noble than our cousin hills,

Not sure about this one; I think this may refer to other remnants of the Central Pangean Mountains such as the Scottish Highlands and the Anti-Atlas range. The Scottish Highlands aren't as high and the Adirondacks and the Anti-Atlas Mountains aren't as well-known as the Adirondacks, at least in Anglophone culture.

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  • $\begingroup$ Um, pretty sure that in British literature, art, and culture spanning hundreds of years you'll find many references to the Scottish Highlands. $\endgroup$
    – Paul Evans
    Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 18:20
  • $\begingroup$ @PaulEvans Yeah, I'm really not sure about the interpretation of that line; I edited it to rework my reasoning. It could also reflect an America-centric asker. $\endgroup$
    – DylanSp
    Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 18:23
  • $\begingroup$ Okay Appalachians didn't work. It is not the answer. Nice try though! $\endgroup$
    – Christian Sirolli
    Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 18:27
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    $\begingroup$ I was thinking "Adirondacks" with the same reasoning you used (and similarly unsure of the "hills" bit) $\endgroup$
    – question_asker
    Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 19:15
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    $\begingroup$ I think you might be trying to read too much into the last line. I think "more noble than our cousin hills" is referring to a general class not a specific instance. It's saying the answer is something more than just hills. aka the answer is a mountain range; not that it's not the most eroded segment of the chain. $\endgroup$
    – Dan Is Fiddling By Firelight
    Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 21:19

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