List of kennings

{{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= Template:Ambox }} A kenning (Old English {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, Modern Icelandic {{#invoke:IPA|main}}) is a circumlocution, an ambiguous or roundabout figure of speech, used instead of an ordinary noun in Old Norse, Old English, and later Icelandic poetry.

This list is not intended to be comprehensive. Kennings for a particular character are listed in that character's article. For example, the Odin article links to a list of names of Odin, which include kennings. A few examples of Odin's kennings are given here. For a scholarly list of kennings see Meissner's {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1921) or some editions of Snorri Sturluson's {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.

Source language abbreviations

• OE – Old English
• D – Danish
• G – Germanic
• Ic – Old Icelandic
• N – Norse
• ON – Old Norse
• S – Swedish

List of kennings

Primary meaning	Kenning translated	Original kenning	Explanation	Source language	Example
axe	blood-ember	lang}}		N	lang}} 7
battle	spear-din			N	lang}}
blood	dead-slave			N
blood	battle-sweat		lang}}. As Beowulf is in fierce combat with Grendel's mother, he makes mention of shedding much battle-sweat.	N	lang}}
blood	wound-sea	lang}}		N	Eyvindr Skillir, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 7.
chieftain or king	breaker of rings		Alludes to a ruler breaking the golden rings upon his arm and using them to reward his followers.	OE	lang}}
death	sleep of the sword			OE	lang}}
death	flame-farewelled		An implicitly honorable death.	N
fire	bane of wood	lang}}		ON	lang}} 36
fire	sun of the houses	lang}}		ON	Snorri Sturluson, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 36
gold	seeds of the Fyris Wolds	lang}}	Hrólf Kraki spread gold on the Fyris Wolds to distract the men of the Swedish king.	N	Eyvindr Skáldaspillir, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 8
gold	serpent's lair		Serpents (and dragons) were reputed to lie upon gold in their nests.	N	lang}}
gold	Sif's hair		Derived from the story of when Loki cut off Sif's hair. In order to make amends for his crime, Loki had the dwarf Dvalin make new hair for Sif, a wig of gold that grew like normal hair.	N	lang}}
gold	Kraki's seed		Hrólf Kraki spread gold on the Fyris Wolds to distract the men of the Swedish king. Can also be used to imply generosity; q.v. Hrólf Kraki.	N	lang}}
gold, sometimes amber	Freyja's tears		Derived from the story of when Freyja could not find Óðr, her husband, the tears she shed were gold, and the trees which her tears fell upon were transmuted into amber.	N
Harald Fairhair	lord of the northmen	lang}}		ON	lang}}
honour	mind's worth	lang}}		OE	lang}}
hook	bait-gallows			Ic	lang}}
kill enemies	Feed the eagle		Killing enemies left food for the eagles.	S	Gripsholm Runestone
Loki	wolf's father		An allusion to Loki's fathering of Fenrir.	N	lang}}
Loki	father of the sea thread		Loki was the father of Jörmungandr, the Midgard serpent.	N	lang}}
mistletoe	Baldr's bane		The kenning derives from the story in which all plants and creatures swore never to harm Baldr save mistletoe, which, when it was overlooked, Loki used to bring about Baldr's death by tricking Hodur.	N
Mjollnir, Thor's hammer	Hrungnir's slayer		Hrungnir was a giant whose head was smashed by a blow from Mjollnir.	N	lang}}
Odin	Lord of the gallows		See the separate page List of names of Odin for more Odin kennings.	N
Odin	Hanged god		Odin hung on the Tree of Knowledge for nine days in order to gain wisdom.	N
person	voice-bearer	lang}}		OE	lang}}
poetry	Grímnir's lip-streams		Grímnir is one of the names of Odin.	N	lang}}
raven	swan of blood		Ravens ate the dead at battlefields.	N
the sea	whale-road	lang}}		N,OE	lang}} 10: "In the end, each clan on the outlying coasts beyond the whale-road had to yield to him and begin to pay tribute"
the sea	sail road	lang}}		OE	lang}} 1429 b
the sea	whale's way	lang}}		N,OE	The Seafarer 63 a; {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
serpent	valley-trout			N	lang}}
shield	headland of swords	lang}}	lang}} meaning subject to public ridicule/failure/shame, i.e. "the failure/shame of swords", not only "where the sword first hits/ headland of swords" Kennings can sometimes be a triple entendre.	shield	battle-linden	Shields were often constructed from this sturdy wood	N	Þorbjörn Hornklofi, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 3
ship	wave-swine	lang}}		N
ship	sea-steed	lang}}		N	lang}} 27; {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
sky	Ymir's skull	lang}}	According to one of the creation accounts, sky was created from the skull of Ymir, the ancestor of all jötnar.	N	Arnórr jarlaskáld, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 19
the sun	heaven-candle	lang}}		OE	Exodus 115 b
the sun	heaven's jewel	lang}}		OE	The Phoenix 183
the sun	glory of elves	lang}}	lang}} ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), meaning "glory-of-elves" refers both to the chariot of the sun goddess Sól and to the rider (the sun herself).	N	lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
sword	blood-worm			N
sword	icicle of blood			N
sword	wound-hoe	lang}}		N	Egill Skallagrímsson, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 8
sword	leek of battle	lang}}		N	Eyvindr Skáldaspillir, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 8
Thor	slayer of giants	lang}}	lang}} is a compound kenning. Literally feller of the life webs ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) of the gods of the flight-edges, i.e. slayer of giants, life webs ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) is a kenning in its own right since it refers directly to the operations of the Norns in severing lives, flight-edges ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) being the high and dangerous places inhabited by eagles and hawks, i.e. the icy mountains of Jotunheim.	N	lang}}
war	weather of weapons			N	lang}}
warrior	feeder of ravens	lang}}	"feeder of war-gull" = "feeder of raven" = "warrior" Ravens feed on dead bodies left after a battle.	N	Þorbjörn Hornklofi, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
warrior	destroyers of eagle's hunger	lang}}	"destroyers of eagle's hunger" = "feeders of eagle" = "warrior" Eagles, also, feed on dead bodies left after a battle.	N	Þorbjörn Þakkaskáld, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 1
waves	Ægir's daughters		Ægir had nine daughters called billow maidens who were personifications of the waves.	N
wind	breaker of trees			N
wolf	Gunnr's horse		Gunnr is a valkyrie.	S	Rök Stone