ÆNEID, the name of Virgil's epic poem, in celebration of the settlement of Æneas in Italy. See VIRGIL.
ÆNIGMA denotes any dark saying, wherein some well-known thing is concealed under obscure language. The word is Greek, Ἀνίγμᾱ, from ἀνιγγεῖν, obscure innuere, to hint a thing darkly (αὐτὸς, a tale, saying, or proverb). The popular name is riddle; from the Belgic raeden, or the Saxon aræthan, to interpret.
Painted ÆNIGMA is a representation of the works of nature or art, concealed under human figures, drawn from history or fable.
A Verbal ÆNIGMA is a witty, artful, and abstruse description of any thing. In a general sense, every dark saying, every difficult question, every parable, may pass for an ænigma. Hence obscure laws are called ænigmata juris. The alchemists are great dealers in the ænigmatic language, their processes for the philosopher's stone being generally wrapt up in riddles: e.g. fac ex mare et femina circulum, inde quadrangulum, hinc triangulum, fac circulum, et habebis lapidem philosophorum.