The white bird is a snowflake landing on the wall. Lord John is the sun: he owns no land, has no hands and needs no horse, and he takes it away by melting it.
A white bird without feathers flew down from Paradise and landed on the castle wall. Along came Lord John, who had no land, and took it up without hands, and rode away without a horse to the king’s white hall. What was it?
Give me a hintThe hint
The bird comes down in winter.
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Snow, melted by the sun
Source: International folk riddle, first written down in the Reichenau riddles, early 10th century