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.

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