Kennings Anglo-Saxon Metaphors
Kennings Anglo-Saxon Metaphors
Kennings Anglo-Saxon Metaphors
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<strong>Kennings</strong><strong>Anglo</strong>-<strong>Saxon</strong><strong>Metaphors</strong>
Defining the Literary Term• A kenning is a special kind of metaphorused in <strong>Anglo</strong> <strong>Saxon</strong> poetry.• It is a compound word or phrase thatdescribes an object or person in terms ofsomething else, but which sayssomething important about the essentialnature of the entity.
• The <strong>Anglo</strong>-<strong>Saxon</strong>s usedthe kenning brightsweetness to describemead.• With the mead-hall atthe center of the <strong>Anglo</strong>-<strong>Saxon</strong>s incredibly socialcommunity, mead was acrucial symbol offellowship for thesepeople.• The kenning brightsweetness thatcompares this honeybrewedbeveragepositively to color andflavor conveys theessential nature ofmead for <strong>Anglo</strong>-<strong>Saxon</strong>s.
Types of <strong>Kennings</strong>1. open compound(wakeful sleeper = ghost)2. hyphenated compound(gold-friend = king)3. possessive(grave’s embrace = death)4. prepositional phrase(Warden of men = God)
• arrow aimer• terror of dust• antique printer• tickle-tool• fowl’s fashion• These kennings all describe a feather—but eachconveys a different aspect the entity.• Think about what each kenning emphasizes aboutthe feather and in what different contexts thesekennings might be effectively used.• Notice also that the last two kennings employalliteration as well.
Kenning Creation TaskCreate a kenning for eachof the following nounsthat highlight one aspectof the entity's essentialnature: friend, parent,school, tree. Keep in mindthat there are four differenttypes of kennings, and try tocreate kennings in thedifferent forms.
FriendSecret-keeper is ahyphenated compoundkenning that describesa friend and highlightsthe essential quality oftrustworthiness. Whatother kennings can youcreate to represent thenoun friend?
TreeSquirrel's playground is apossessive kenning thatdescribes a tree andhighlights its role as anenvironment forwildlife. Umbrella of natureis a prepositional kenningthat also metaphoricallydefines a tree andemphasizes it shape andprotectiveness. What otherkennings can you create todescribe a tree?
StarGuider of ships is aprepositional kenning andheavenly compass is aopen compound kenning--both of which describe astar and its ability to helpboats to navigate. Whatother qualities does a starpossess? What kenningscan you create to revealthese qualities?
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