Since I wrote my first blog post about Old English I’ve been meaning to do some more studying, so I can continue sharing facts about this interesting language.

Finally last week I skimmed Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf to make a list of Old English kennings.

Kennings are metaphoric terms used in place of nouns. They are common in Old Norse, Icelandic, and Old English (Anglo-Saxon) poetry, and usually use either a hyphen (e.g. “ring-giver” as a term for king) or a possessive (e.g. “swan’s road” as a term for sea).

In Beowulf you find many kennings for king, including:

• Ring-giver
• Treasure-giver
• Gold-giver
• Homeland’s guardian
• Guardian of the ring-hoard
• Gold-friend to retainers
• Shepherd of people

The first monster that Beowulf slays is named Grendel, who is referred to as:

• Hall-watcher
• Corpse-maker
• Shadow-stalker
• Hell-brute

Next Beowulf has to face Grendel’s mother, a creature called:

• Hell-bride
• Hell-dam
• Tarn-hag
• Swamp-thing from hell
• Terror-monger

Later in the epic poem Beowulf fights a dragon, who is known by many colourful kennings:

• Harrower of the dark
• Scourge of the people
• Guardian of the hoard
• Hoard-guardian
• Hoard-guard
• Sky-winger
• Sky-plague
• Sky-roamer
• Poison- breather
• Barrow-dweller
• Treasure-minder

Throughout the poem, many other kennings are used.

• Armour is called battle-dresses or battle-outfits.
• Deserters are called battle-dodgers and tail-turners.
• People are called earth-dwellers and children of men.
• The ribcage is called either breast-cage or bone-cage.
• The sea is referred to as whale-road and swan’s road.

I’ll end with some miscellaneous kennings that I came across:

• Battle-seat = saddle
• Battle-torch = sword
• Bone-house = body
• Bone-lappings = joints/ligaments
• Carrier of tales = singer
• Earth-gallery = (dragon’s) den
• Heather-stepper = deer
• Heaven’s candle = sun
• Peace-pledge between nations = queen
• Ruler of mankind = God
• Sea-shawl = sail
• Shield-clash = battle
• Treasure-seat = throne
• War-board = shield
• Water-ropes = icicles
• Word-hoard = vocabulary

I’m sure there are many kennings that I missed.
Do you have any to add to my list?