Examples of Kenning

Examples of Kenning

Examples of Kenning

A kenning is a figurative expression that replaces a name or a noun. Often it is a compound of two words and the words are hyphenated. Kennings are usually associated with Old Norse, Icelandic, and Anglo Saxon poetry.

Examples of Kenning

Modern Examples of Kennings

•Ankle-biter = a very young child

•Bean counter = a CPA or accountant

•Bookworm = someone who reads a lot

•Brown noser = person who does anything to gain approval

•Fender bender = slight car accident

•First Lady - wife of the president

•Four-eyes = someone who wears glasses

•Head twister = owl

•Hot potato = something no one wants

•Mind-reader = A person who knows what you are thinking

•Motor mouth = person who talks a lot and/or fast

•Pencil pusher = person with a clerical job

•Pig-skin = a football

•Postman chaser = dog

•Rug rat = toddler or crawling baby

•Show-stopper = performance receiving long applause

•Tree hugger = an environmentalist

•Tree swinger = monkey

•Tummy slider = penguin

Kennings Related to Weather

•Boreas’s burning = snow blindness

•Elf-glory = the sun

•Feather’s fall = falling snow

•Frozen road = ice-covered river

•Northern kiss = cold wind

•Ship of night = the moon

•Sky-candle = sun

•Sky’s black cloak = nightfall

•Thor’s laughter = thunder

•Weather of wolves = harsh winter

•White death = killed by an avalanche

•Winter’s blade = cold wind

•Winter’s blanket = snow

•Winter spear = icicle

Kennings Related to Battle

•Battle metal = weapons

•Battle-sweat = blood

•Black song = reaver’s war cry

•Blood-ember = axe

•Bone-beak = axe

•Dew of slaughter = blood

•Feeding the eagle = killing enemies

•Light-of-battle = sword

•Mind's worth = honor

•Toast of ravens = blood

•Traveling the Hel road = dying

•War needles = arrows

•Weather of weapons = large-scale battle

•Wound-hoe = sword

Kennings Related to People

•Bear shirt = berserker (Norse warrior)

•Bringer of rings = chieftain or king

•Children of battle = soldiers

•Feller of the life-webs = slayer

•Feeder of eagles/ravens = warrior

•Fire beater = smith

•Forseti’s favored = diplomat

•Girl of the houses = wife

•Lord of laughter = composer, poet or Norse god Loki

•Ring giver = chief

•Rune caller = wizard

•Shield-gnawer = berserker (Norse warrior)

•Slayer of giants = Thor

Miscellaneous Kennings

•Balder’s gift = mistletoe

•Bane of wood = fire

•Branches of fjord = ship

•Dragon’s bile = poison

•Draught of giants = sudden realization

•Forseti’s failure = unjust decisions

•Frigg’s lapse = mistletoe

•Lindworm claws = skates

•Mimir’s warning = prophecy of doom

•Mind's worth = honor

•Odin’s furrows = runes

•Ribs of Ull = skis

•Ring-rich = a generous person

•Serpent's lair = gold

•Sindri’s gift = wealth

•Strong brew = mistletoe as an ingredient

•Uncut thread = destiny to be fulfilled

•Wind racers = horses

•Wolf’s joint = wrist

•Ancestor’s watch = a stone circle

•Green clearing = shaman’s gathering place

•Swan-road = the sea

•Valley-trout = serpent

•Wave-swine = ship

•Whale-road = the ocean

•Whale-way = the sea

As you can see from these examples, kennings have been used, and are still used, as a form of verbal shorthand.