Kennings

This is our page for enjoying Kennings. A kenning is associated with Anglo-Saxon, Old Norse or Icelandic poetry. It is usually a two word (sometimes hyphenated) figure of speech, that refers to something else. It's a kind of metaphor, really, almost a code for another word. For example, a "whale-road" is the ocean, a "wound-hoe" is a sword, and a "sky-candle" is the sun. A kenning was an essential element in Anglo-Saxon riddle poetry.

Here are some examples from Anglo Saxon poetry. Can you guess what they mean?

Swan of blood
Slaughter dew
Raven feeder
Bait-gallows
Valley trout
Tree breaker