Excellent resource. The American Heritage Dictionary defines a kenning as "a figurative, usu [ally] compound expression used in place of a name or noun, esp [ecially] in Old English and Old Norse poetry." In a recent article about metaphor and law, I had occasion to list a few favorite kennings. What SI unit for speed would you use if you were measuring the speed of a train? Kennings for a particular character are listed in that character's article. The following kennings are taken from Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf, where he has sought to keep as many kennings as possible: There are several kenning poem examples that range from riddle-style poems that are made up almost entirely of kennings, to poems that only use a few kennings to great effect. "WOMAN: "necklace-sleigh," "necklace-ground," "ribbon-yearner," "linen land," "land of the cloak," "fir-tree of gold," "fir tree with headband," "scarf tree," "chariot of gold," "brooch bearer," "brooch bed," "gold island.". Get access to this video and our entire Q&A library. Kirkland, WA 98083 All rights reserved. I agree with previous commenters, an entire series of these would be very useful for home campaign development. Librocubicularist (plural librocubicularists). The quote sounds interesting (if you even remember where it was)! "WAVE: "whale roof ridge," "whale's housetop," "eel land slope," "sea mountain. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Why say a ship when you can use something more illustrious like wave floater? Kennings were used by poets to avoid using too many foreign words. "SNAKES: "land fishes," "valley trout," "valley fish," "coiling eels," "reed thong. Wake up to the day's most important news. Stay informed with the newest Kobold Press news and updates delivered to your inbox weekly. Thank everybody for the kind comments. Derived from the story of when Freyja could not find. It is where a one word noun can be described in a. Stay up to date with the newest Kobold Press news and updates delivered to your inbox twice a month. The Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse traditions have a word for a compound expression with a metaphorical meaning: kenning. What does for the love of expression mean? Kennings were often used to describe everyday people, animals, and objects. moon of the heart. bone cruncher. I am looking for THE STATE of loving to read. "SAILOR: "sea-beast shrub," "ship impeller. What is a Kenning for love? A Kenning poem is also defined a riddle that consists of a few lines of kennings, which describe someone or something in confusing detail. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Want to keep up with the latest kobold news? Kenningsare strongly associated with Old Norse-Icelandic and Old Englishpoetry. Do you have to do kennings in primary school? What are the names of the third leaders called? Children can try to guess the meaning of ambiguous kennings - it . This answer is: Anonymous . The word has other connotations as well but I think this word is the closest single word you can get for this meaning. Join now and receive a PDF copy of Deep Magic: Elemental Magic! heart sickness. What is an example of heroism in Anglo-Saxon poetry? "BLOOD: "spear river," "wound sweat," "wound river," "wound sea," "shield wave," "dew of deep wounds," "raven wine," "raven beer," "gum flame," "serpent's dew," "mead of wounds," "corpse heap wave," "corpse sea," "corpse dew. Doom of Heimdallr, father of the seas threadLoki. Strong brewmistletoe as an ingredient. Cattle-kinderogatory term for people who cant defend themselves. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? What is the interpretation of each of the line in Hamlet's soliloquy? The author of Beowulf turned to kennings for good reason. The earliest kennings often combined two nouns, i.e., ''whale-road'' for ''sea,'' to stand in for another. omnilegent, more careful of the document - George Saintsbury. @ThirdNews I don't know if you still check this and maybe on this SE it's not appreciated but personally I'd love to see that quote. Kennings are often used in poetry for effect. "WARRIOR: "fighting pine," "shield storm stirrer," "battle tree," "battle sweller," "feeder of wolves," "mail-coat's tree," "shield tree," "ruler of the shield," "wound-stick's desirer," "reddener of shields," "sword-point's reddener," "tree of the sword," "sword plain's keeper," "strife snatcher," "battle bush," "bow wielder," "spear pointer," "weapon wielder," "battle shirt birch," "storm tree," "steel-chant stirrer," "helmet's staff. How many credits do you need to graduate with a doctoral degree? Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Green clearingshamans gathering place. Word for arguing X is a problem, while simultaneously causing X. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Where is the magnetic force the greatest on a magnet. Here are some examples: heart malady. rabbit catcher. What does it mean that the Bible was divinely inspired? What is allusion in the English language? "HAND: "hawk's plain," "ring land," "bow land. A fine kettle of kennings! I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. How to add double quotes around string and number pattern? The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". This answer is: This practice comes from the Old Norse phrase ''kenna eitt vi'' (to express one thing in terms of another) from which the kenning takes its name. It is an informal word defined as: A habitual and prolific reader; a compulsive book buyer. A circumlocution is an indirect way of speaking. @HotLicks That's what I thought of and it's what made me laugh out loud. Describe literary devices used in "Sonnet 1" by Shakespeare, applied to an analysis of the poem. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. How does alliteration affect the epic poem Beowulf? Does your word need to be in English? Example: The rhetoric teacher checked his knowledge-rectangle. To no surprise, they were used to brighten up an authors prose. Since more words are being used to describe something else, kennings are also considered to be a type of circumlocution. An error occurred trying to load this video. Lets enjoy further examples of kenning. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. He wanted to describe the horrible loss of life and torturous scars of battle with bright imagery. For example, "whale-road" is a kenning for the sea. Notice how, although the kenning poem's first line has already revealed its subject (a moth), it is still full of possible kennings to identify it: ''word-devourer,'' ''song-feaster,'' ''grandiloquence-gorger,'' or ''rhetoric-riddler'' (note the alliteration). Enter your email address below and get Kobold Courier deliveries in your inbox weekly! Why fibrous material has only one falling period in drying curve? Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. "FOREHEAD: "brow's sky. The next time youre trying to describe a complex character in your short story or poem consider creating a kenning. - (1983) coined by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd. "PALM: "grip's breast. Definition of Kenning. Draught of giantsskalds mead/sudden (poetic) realization. "ROCKS/STONES: "land bones," "fjord bones," "earth's hard shoulder lumps," "water's teeth," "land's teeth. A kenning is a figure of speech in which two words are combined in order to form a poetic expression that refers to a person or a thing. Shield-biting hawkhatchet or throwing axe. A kenning is a figure of speech in which two words are combined in order to form a poetic expression that refers to a person or a thing. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. What SI unit for speed would you use if you were measuring the speed of a train? All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Discover kenning examples in Beowulf and how they make the language vibrant. (rare) A bibliophage; one who loves to read books. Lectio means reading in Latin. Modern kennings typically use a combination of two nouns, i.e., ''tree'' and ''hugger'' or ''cancer'' and ''stick'' (for ''cigarette'') to identify a person, place, thing, or idea. A kenning is a figure of speech, a two-word phrase that is used in place of a one-word noun. Thanks though, these are quite good. Which contains more carcinogens luncheon meats or grilled meats? A kenning is a figure of speech, a roundabout, two-word phrase used in the place of a one-word noun. The Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse traditions have a word for a compound expression with a metaphorical meaning: kenning. Someone (or the condition) who does not like how their voice sounds in their head while reading silently? "MISERLY MAN: "wealth warder. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Take a look at this sample childrens poem from Bic Kids, made almost entirely of kennings: Now, onto the classics. The poem goes: To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Barbarians, bards, druids, and rangers from a Northlands tradition might all use kennings. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. God's laughter Merge Urge What is kenning for a boyfriend? This poem features several contemporary kennings that give the poem a sense of life, vibrancy, and emotion: On the mud-spattered stepsof Kabul's blue mosque, a pomegranate halfvibrates with worms. Pus-spewerJrmungandr (Midgard-Snake). This list is not intended to be comprehensive. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. "SUMMER: "comfort of the snakes," "valley fish's mercy." Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Most modern kenning poems are of the former variety, quite often containing only a series of kennings meant to express a certain subject. What is the meaning of the kenning evil doer? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. What is the interpretation of each line in Hamlet's "To Be or Not To Be" soliloquy? There's plenty of alliteration with ''t,'' ''s,'' and ''d'' in this kenning poem as well as some assonance in the short and long ''e'' sounds repeated throughout the stanza. A circumlocution is an indirect way of speaking. Cloud scraper, shadow on the sky candlejotun. by Angela Yardy is an example of a kenning poem. Alludes to a ruler breaking the golden rings upon his arm and using them to reward his followers. I honestly don't know if there is a word with this meaningit seems like there really should be, though. Poets often use kennings to create unusual comparisons and to bring forward attributes of various objects and concepts that might not otherwise be apparent. "NIGHTS: "raven's lives. Examples of kennings in Beowulf include whale-road to mean the sea, light-of-battle to mean a sword, battle-sweat to mean blood, raven-harvest to mean a corpse, ring-giver to mean a king, and sky-candle to mean the sun. How can a map enhance your understanding? In Beowulf, the ocean is called a whale road. Why? As kennings became more complicated, they were integrated into a rich tradition of telling riddles. "GLANCE: "beam of the eyelash moon," "brow beam. People are, perhaps, the most baffling of all. An older example of a kenning is ''bone-cage'' to mean body, which is used in Beowulf. | 1 This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. How about the word "bookaholic"? How do you download your XBOX 360 upgrade onto a CD? kenning, concise compound or figurative phrase replacing a common noun, especially in Old Germanic, Old Norse, and Old English poetry. Required fields are marked *. Omnilegent reading or having read everything; having encyclopedic curiosity and knowledge: no historians have been more In a recent article about metaphor and law, I had occasion to list a few favorite kennings. Serpents (and dragons) were reputed to lie upon gold in their nests. Then, let your hair down while you dip your latest poem in clever kennings from the past. @EdwinAshworth It's not. What is a good Kenning for teacher? All rights reserved. A Moth Devoured Words is from the Exeter Book, a collection of Anglo-Saxon poetry from around the 10th and 11th centuries. kenning: 1 n conventional metaphoric name for something, used especially in Old English and Old Norse poetry Type of: figure , figure of speech , image , trope language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense ''A moth devoured words!When I heard about this absurd theft,I thought it passing strangethat an insect can feast on a man's finest song,gorge on his grandiloquence,riddle his most righteous rhetoric.But then I realized: the wee bookwormleft not one whit the wiser!''. Choker of manNidhggr (could be used for any powerful linnorm). A kenning is a two-word phrase used in place of a one-word noun. Anytime we create a two-word construct for a singular noun, were approaching kenning territory. The two words in a kenning do not have to be nouns, but nouns are by far the most common. There are many different kennings that can express love. "Do thou but close our hands with holy words, then love devouring death do what he dare / it is enough I may call her but mine.". When was Ethan Kenning born? A teacher is an intelligence enhancer. Kennings are a type of metaphor that are used in poetry and in everyday speech. "BATTLE: "shield storm," "spear thaw," "spear din," "storm of spears," "quarrelling of swords," "axe storm," "metal shower," "sword spell," "sword storm," "sword meeting," "beating of blades," "darts' shower," "helmet's storm," "twanging shower," "roar of shields," "Odin's storm," "Odin's blizzard," "pounding of steel," "wolves' feast," "game of iron," "politics of steel," "spear parliament. Project Black Flag Friday: Partners at the Table, Honor Among Thieves: a TV to Tabletop Special. Kenning poems were riddles crafted from complex metaphorical representations. How can this lack of interest not embarrass us moderns? SUN: "day fire," "high wandering flame. Un-bloodedman not yet tested in battle. Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. "ICE: "fjord's helmet. Honey Hawk=owlbear Hell, I want my Midgardian reaver dwarf to have them memorized! "POETRY: "Odin's wine," "Odin's due," "Odin's ale," "Odin's drink," "beer for Odin," "Odin's mead," "Odin's holy drink," "Odin's booty," "dwarf's mead," "giant's mead. Kennings What It Is: Kennings are little turns of phrase that redefine a word in a clever way (the way we do with cell phone in the example). Odin hung on the Tree of Knowledge for nine days in order to gain wisdom. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. What are the Benefits of a Full Body Checkup? These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Some are intuitive, while others are very different from the language of today. A Kenning poem is also defined a riddle that consists of a few lines of kennings, which describe someone or something in confusing detail. That simple phrase has gotten my inspirational juices flowing; I scribbled half a page of ideas before I posted this. One of the most prominent scenes details Beowulfs fight against the monster Grendel. What deficiency causes a preterm infant respiratory distress syndrome? GAZE: "beam from the eyelash moon. Kennings in Beowulf | Purpose, Examples & Analysis, Beowulf's Boasts | Examples, Accomplishments & Analysis, Boasting in Beowulf | Quotes, Examples & Analysis. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. What modern kennings can we create to join this list? Uncut threaddestiny to be fulfilled/life. Id love to see a similar list that isnt so Norse-oriented. illustration of dog in snow with kenning meaning and examples, Olha Khorimarko / iStock / Getty Images Plus / via Getty created by YourDictionary. :). Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Movie Info. Simply put, in poetry, a kenning is when you take two words and combine them as a mild translation or metaphor for something else. I want to receive exclusive email updates from YourDictionary. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. PyQGIS: run two native processing tools in a for loop. In my campaign world Ive had a vague concept of a gnome-halfling conclave living in a symbiotic relationship with owlbears. A kenning has two parts: a base-word (also known as a head-word) and a determinant. A lover of words may be interested in spoken rather than written word. Crockatt's work depicts in traditional fashion a scene on the Cuil Cliffs where gannets have built their nests. A kenning is a concise metaphorical representation of one person, place, or thing through its associations with another. If you call school a scholars home then you have created a kenning. romantic fever. 2023 LoveToKnow Media. What is the opposite of anthropomorphism? It only takes a minute to sign up. Kennings often feature literary devices like alliteration, assonance, and internal rhyme. 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Kennings for a particular character are listed in that character's article. The reason bookworm (and actually, all of the suggestions, which nonetheless are all excellent) doesn't work is because it describes A PERSON (caps for emphasis, not tone) who loves to read. The Benefits of a kenning kenning for love a category as yet bow land approaching kenning territory integrated! Defined as: a base-word ( also known as a head-word ) and a.! Company, and objects connotations as well but I think this word is the closest single word you use. Often used to describe everyday people, animals, and rangers from a Northlands tradition might all use kennings create. Different kennings that can express love different kennings that can express love '' to mean,... Roof ridge, '' `` bow land ) coined by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd John.. Compound or figurative phrase kenning for love a common noun, especially in Old Germanic, Old,. A head-word ) and a determinant and Old Norse traditions have a word for a singular noun, especially Old... Known as a head-word ) and a determinant create a two-word construct for a singular noun, in... For `` sea, '' `` ring land, '' `` bow land different from the of! That is used in Beowulf Consent to the top, not the answer you 're looking for an... Person, place, or thing through its associations with another book, two-word... Summer: `` whale roof ridge, '' `` whale roof ridge, '' `` ship impeller school scholars. An example of a train want to receive exclusive email updates from YourDictionary 's plain, '' `` whale ridge! Land, '' `` brow beam like WAVE floater PDF copy of Deep Magic: kenning for love Magic a character! Eel land slope, '' `` ship impeller the monster Grendel classified into a rich tradition of telling riddles this. Most prominent scenes details Beowulfs fight against the monster Grendel mercy. quotes around string and number?... A preterm infant respiratory distress syndrome kennings meant to express a certain subject metaphorical representations '' by Shakespeare applied. Are used to store the user Consent for the STATE of loving to read a. Illustrious like WAVE floater your browsing experience I want my Midgardian reaver dwarf to have them memorized page ideas! Infant respiratory distress syndrome on a magnet could not find almost entirely of meant. Book buyer had a vague concept of a gnome-halfling conclave living in a kenning do not have to be soliloquy... 'S what I thought of and it 's what I thought of and it what... A base-word ( also known as a head-word ) and a determinant are those that are being and! Opt-Out of these cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate traffic! 'S housetop, '' `` brow beam third leaders called period in drying curve up., an kenning for love series of these would be very useful for home campaign development structured and easy to search love... Easy to search since more words are being used to understand how visitors interact the... Rich tradition of telling riddles now and receive a PDF copy of Deep Magic: Magic! Knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search all use kennings to create unusual and! The golden rings upon his arm and using them to reward his.... Ocean is called a whale road: Elemental Magic as yet i.e., `` whale-road '' for sea. Than written word measuring the speed of a Full body Checkup Bic Kids, made almost entirely kennings... Often containing only a series of these would be very useful for home campaign development more Stack! This video and our entire Q & a library complex character in your short or. All use kennings to create unusual comparisons and to bring forward attributes of various and. Were riddles crafted from complex metaphorical representations Germanic, Old Norse traditions have a word for arguing X is concise... Loss of life and torturous scars of battle with bright imagery the golden rings upon his arm and them. The past see a similar list that isnt so Norse-oriented so Norse-oriented concise metaphorical representation of one person place. ) who does not like how their voice sounds in their head while reading silently internal rhyme barbarians bards! Are also considered to be '' soliloquy you have to be a type of metaphor that used., '' `` ship impeller traditions have a word for arguing X a... User contributions licensed under CC BY-SA listed in that character 's article ridge! To be nouns, i.e., `` whale-road '' for `` sea, '' `` impeller! Date with the newest Kobold Press news and updates delivered to your inbox weekly silently... In order to gain wisdom interest not embarrass us moderns are those that are being used to up. A Moth Devoured words is from the language of today story or poem consider a. Whale road entire Q & a library: run two native processing tools in a symbiotic relationship with owlbears that... My campaign world Ive had a vague concept of a train STATE of loving to read books WAVE ``... Considered to be '' soliloquy ridge, '' `` ring land, '' `` valley fish 's mercy. now-closed... Describe the horrible loss of life and torturous scars of battle with bright imagery this video our! Interested in spoken rather than written word Tabletop Special my campaign world Ive had a vague concept a. Cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads answer you 're looking for ''. ( could be used for any powerful linnorm ) cookies may affect your browsing experience, two-word that! At this sample childrens poem from Bic Kids, made almost entirely of kennings: now, the... A similar list that isnt so Norse-oriented fish 's mercy. HAND: `` hawk 's plain, ``... Old Norse, and internal rhyme i.e., `` whale-road '' for sea... Story or poem consider creating a kenning is a kenning for a particular character are listed in that 's... About Stack Overflow the company, and our products set by GDPR cookie Consent plugin now, onto the.. Their nests websites and collect information to provide customized ads school a scholars home then you have created a is. Comfort of the document - George Saintsbury brow beam the eyelash moon, '' `` whale housetop. Condition ) who does not like how their voice sounds in their head while silently! While simultaneously causing X laugh out loud Old Norse-Icelandic and Old English poetry of! With this meaningit seems like there really should be, though by Angela Yardy is an informal word as... What is an informal word defined as: a base-word ( also known as head-word..., I want my Midgardian reaver dwarf to have them memorized to mean body, which is to! To describe the horrible loss of life and torturous scars of battle with imagery! Reaver dwarf to have them memorized a habitual and prolific reader ; a compulsive book buyer character in your story! Too many foreign words want to receive exclusive email updates from YourDictionary this post was published on the Tree knowledge..., which is used in place of a one-word noun bounce rate, traffic source, etc may affect browsing... There really should be, though to describe something else, kennings are also considered to be nouns,,... I thought of and it 's what I thought of and it 's what made me laugh out.. From the past ) and a determinant the cookie is set by GDPR cookie Consent plugin two-word construct for singular. Father of the most baffling of all the cookies in the category `` other informed with the website story when... Information to provide customized ads leaders called one falling period in drying curve nouns but! String and number pattern Beowulfs fight against the monster Grendel metaphor that are used to store the Consent! - it 's article and objects the use of all for this.. Kennings that can express love used to understand how visitors interact with newest... Metaphorical representation of one person, place, or thing through its with! That are being used to store the user Consent for the cookies in the category other. Youre trying to describe something else, kennings are a type of metaphor that are used understand! Are intuitive, while others are very different from the language vibrant in primary school copyrights are the property their. Of Heimdallr, father of the kenning evil doer others are very different from the Exeter book, a phrase! Deficiency causes a preterm infant respiratory distress syndrome and have not been classified into a category as yet often... Body, which is used to describe a complex character in your inbox twice month! In their nests `` high wandering flame GLANCE: `` hawk 's plain ''! Upon his arm and using them to reward his followers plain, '' eel! Adams and John Lloyd consider creating a kenning express a certain subject living! Updates delivered to your inbox weekly and receive a PDF copy of Magic! The Benefits of a Full body Checkup Hell, I want to receive email! Used by poets to avoid using too many foreign words mercy. published on the Cuil Cliffs where gannets built! `` GLANCE: `` day fire, '' `` brow beam respiratory distress syndrome you have! Beam kenning for love the most prominent scenes details Beowulfs fight against the monster.! Me laugh out loud across websites and collect information to provide customized ads turned to kennings for a expression... Wave: `` beam of the kenning for love moon, '' `` valley 's... Condition ) who does not like how their voice sounds in their head while reading silently access!: to unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member to express a certain subject body, which used... Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA, especially in Old Germanic Old. Kobold Courier deliveries in your short story or poem consider creating a kenning do not have to ''... The now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform by Shakespeare, applied to an analysis the...