riddle

[murff576]

It can't be seen, it can't be felt. It can't be heard, it can't be smelt. It lies under hills, and behind stars. It empties holes it fills. It comes first, and follows after. It ends life, it kills laughter. What is it?

[woofgang]

darkness

[football]

God fills the criteria. Darkness does not end life nor kill laughter.

[woofgang]

I don't know about your God, mine certainly doesn't kill laughter. This is a traditional riddle and the traditional answer is darkness or so I wqas told last time I heard it

[incitatus]

it is darkness. this is one of the riddles gollum asks bilbo in the hobbit. also god doesnt lurk under hills, does he? or empty holes?

[chrisbailey]

Well... You can't see, feel, hear or smell God. He is (supposedly) everywhere, so that would include under the hills and behind the stars. It ends life, and kills laughter - yep God does that (killing laughter - war, babies dying, poverty - yep, God causes these things) and as for coming first and following after... who knows. But yes, God does fit as the answer. The only thing is that darkness exists, whereas God... well... who knows.

[Roxy]

If god is everywhere all the time how does he "come first" and then "follow after", which seem like something that DARKNESS does when it;s dark, then day comes then it's dark again. I suppose he is there before you're born and will be ther after you die, but i still think it's darkness

[agnabeya]

This sounds like the riddle Gollum asks Bilbo in 'The Hobbit' - Bilbo thinks Gollum is going to throttle him - and shouts out 'Time!' - meaning he needed more time to think of the answer. He unwittingly gave the correct answer. I'm not too sure about how it covers all of it - but it seems to fit.