Solving the Riddle of Humpty Dumpty (Topic: Religion, God)

This is based on a revised article I wrote a few years ago. Enjoy.

As time passes, I will post my favorite blog articles from my past archives that are no longer published. This is one I wrote after reading the book, Through the Looking Glass by James Dodgson (Lewis Carroll). Enjoy.

Charles Dodgson, better know as Lewis Carroll, wrote the infamous novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. From my perspective, the secret to the Humpty Dumpty Riddle is contained within this work. This article represents my attempt to solve a riddle that has plagued me since my time in the crib. Am I correct? You decide. If not, it was fun trying and you can leave me a few comments (But play NICE!). And yes I know, he's an egg.

Humpty Dumpty (EGG/DNA) sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King’s horses and all the King’s men could not put Humpty back together again.

To understand this riddle fully, you need to recognize that the origin of Humpty is likely in the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages is also where we find the Knights Templar and the search for the elixir of life (fountain of youth) and the Philosopher’s Stone (Gold from mercury). Charles Dodgson likely a Freemason, a devout Roman Catholic and a highly skilled mathematician.

Throughout the novel, Dodgson reveals these three facts about his life and clarifies Humpty in a dialog with Alice. This curious exchange between Alice and Humpty in chapter 6 helps us understand the riddle further:

`And only one for birthday presents, you know. There's glory for you!'

`I don't know what you mean by "glory,"' Alice said.

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. `Of course you don't -- till I tell you. I meant, "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!"

`But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument,"'Alice objected.

`When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, `it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less.

`The question is,' said Alice, `whether you can make words mean so many different things.'

`The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, `which is to be master - - that's all.'

Alice was too much puzzled to say anything, so after a minute Humpty Dumpty began again. `They've a temper, some of them -- particularly verbs, they're the proudest -- adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs -- however, I can manage the whole of them! Impenetrability! That's what I say!'

Verbs are proud (men) and actively seeking knowledge. Adjectives are easy to influence. Verbs are hard to manage, but God can manage them all.

I purposely lead you down this rabbit’s hole slowly to let you solve the rest of the riddle for yourself. The glory of man (above) is the birthday present when he is created, but the key to the riddle is in understanding what the word impenetrability means. This is a mathematical reference to the fact that two bodies cannot occupy the same space. In other words, evil and good cannot occupy the same space. God made man good, not evil. Regaining the former glory is impenetrable through the efforts of mankind alone. You can draw further inferences by studying the history of Free Masonry and reading some of Dodgson’s poetry.

A final metaphor that relates to this riddle is found in the Genesis story of the fall of man in the garden of Eden. There were two trees in the garden: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan tempts man with knowledge to get to the keys of the tree of life, using man’s potential as his conduit of choice. He lies to man and tells him he can live forever. God then says a curious thing: "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."

This is then the key to understanding the rest. Remember that Dodgson was a devout believer, a Mason and a mathematician. He understood the connection between Freemasonry and the biblical story of the garden. Now, reread the story as it is in literal terms:

Man sat on the wall of choice when he was vulnerable like an egg on a wall.

Man took knowledge and used it before he was ready (before the egg hatched), and had a great fall (from God’s grace). If he had just waited, he would have become his potential by hatching.

All of the King’s tools (technology) and all of the King’s men (Alchemists/Scientists/Mathematicians) could not put man back in his place of glory again.

You see, the riddle is actually a lament of what was lost.

Now that you see the riddle as I do, consider the sequencing of DNA and the Human Genome Project. Most people might stop here and be satisfied. I’ll carry it further. DNA contains the equivalent of 12 encyclopedias full of encoded language with three million characters and is in a four bit cipher that man cannot crack. Reread God’s words from the garden in a completely new light:

"The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."


If you think this is interesting, read the words of God from the Tower of Babel when all of mankind spoke one language. Notice what happens when they stretch out their hand to take what is not theirs to take:

Genesis 11

6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is (are) one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do; and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

The question is, are we now ready to hatch or are we traveling down the rabbit's hole in error?

According to Dodgson, it’s impenetrability. As for me, I just have fun thinking about it.

I hope you have enjoyed my muse. You may think I'm living in a fantasy world like Alice and my rabbit's hole is slightly too deep, but you can't blame me for trying. It's Humpty Dumpty after all!

On more thing to consider if you wish to go further down the rabbit's hole.

Aleph (Strong) Bet (House) is the Hebrew word Father.

Bet (House) Nun (Seed) is the word Son.

The Alphabet writes the Word (Son of God).

John 1

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

[link to www.AlephBetForum.org]