Welcome poets, today I thought we should learn about kennings. A kenning is a very brief metaphoric phrase or compound word and it means “to know” (derived from Icelandic, but exist in many other languages like Swedish and German). It was used extensively in Old Norse (later Icelandic) and Anglo Aaxon poetry as a mean of adding both color, and better meter to the skaldic songs. For instance “whale-road” was used as a kenning for the sea in Beowulf, and “wave-stead” replaced ship in Glymdrápa.
It could be formed around a genitive or directly as a compound word in English we can use a hyphen, and it’s normally done by combination of nouns. In Nordic languages compound words are freely formed by writing them together. It’s actually still used in many languages to form new words. Consider for instance “fernseher” for television in German (meaning view from afar), or “couchpotato” for a lazy person watching too much TV. A language that evolves, constantly need new words.
Today I want you, dear poets, to create new kennings and use it in your poetry. The process is simple, just consider something you want a new word for and create one or several kennings for this. It can then form an ode, a riddle poem or any type of other poetry. There are examples to find at several places in the internet. But before doing that, I can give you an example I wrote a few weeks ago, where I at least partially used the process of kennings to write a poem celebrating International women’s day (March 8).
Sweet moon-dancer
and the meal-creator
Our garden’s friend,
and diamond-bearer,
lullaby-singer
honey-whisperer
Our decision-maker
and unpaid laborer.
The butterfly-charmer
and home’s defender.
Today is women’s day,
like every day should be
Usually you start with a base word, that have some relation to what your meaning and then you add a descriptive word. Let yourself associate freely and include all your fantasy in the creation and don’t hesitate to mix senses (Viktoria’s article on Synesthesia and Brian’s on the blind poet can be further inspiration if you missed them). Also the use of Mythology could be a good way to create association (Thor-hammering would for instance be thunder). The combination of two words become a kenning. For instance “butterfly-charmer” for woman. If you want more tips, you can also use the tools suggested by Tony in his article on the Nerudian Ode. Just remember to keep the metaphors to only two words. Rather add many kennings to create your complete imagery.
- Write a poem and post it to your webpage.
- Enter a link directly to your poem and your name by clicking Mr Linky below
- There you will find links to other poets, and more will join
- Read and comment on other poet’s work, we all go here to have our poems read
- Promote your site and poetry you like on social media of your choice
A notable challenge, brother, driving me in to ten kinds of frenzy. I will post in a few minutes, & then soon thereafter do the recitation.
Nice.. I will be back after listening to Beethoven’s seventh
Hello poets and happy equinox – I’m at a concert but right now it’s a break.. Hope you are all great
ha. hows the concert going?
Concert’s just finished.. Soon I’ll be reading too
I love the idea of this… I’m not sure I got it right, but I gave it a shot! Definitely something to keep practicing…
I’ll look forward to read 😉
Hey Bjorn! this prompt challenged me and is a total 360 from my usual method – really enjoyed writing for this. It’s a bit of a busy day for me, so I’ll be making my rounds later…just wanted to make sure I was here to say hi at opening. smiles.
Hi Anthony, it was quite a challenge for me too.. But you did a great piece
whattup anthony….i hear you….have a class i am tutoring that starts in about 10 minutes….so grabbing the early ones….whats go you busy?
Sup Brian! well, shopping and did have other plans but they got cancelled so I’m here now… gotta see if I’m still having trouble with my comments not showing on wordpress… tried commenting on someones a few days ago and it wasnt working out for me, still. ugh
how weird man….
def some fun trips through the kenning out there…
it’s all good now… left one on Claudia’s with no probs.
That was a fascinating challenge, Bjorn. I had never heard of kennings before, so it was fun to do a little ‘playing’ with them. I will enjoy reading what others come up with. Hope everyone is having a good (spring-like) week! Happy First Day of Spring to All.
Spring left – we have winter finally.. I started to think about the process of creating new words with Kennings
Thanks so much Bjorn ~ A very interesting challenge & I learned something new ~
Am still in the office and will be making my rounds later ~ Happy thursday to all ~
Glad to see you Grace.. Now I’m heading in for Beethoven
I read your poem hurriedly a few minutes after you had posted it and rapidly wrote some few lines… came back to read your piece carefully only a while back. I don’t know what I’ve done is right or wrong, but it is an interesting tool definitely. Would try to use it more “lucidly” sometime again. Thanks for the info. 🙂
i think you did a great job….tight and with some grit…
i got your piece…def fun to play….
fun stuff bjorn….even squeezed a made up word in mine…might try a second one just to get a little more crazy and lose the hyphens….smiles…
be around shortly…
Brian… I expected you and Claudia to ace in this.. fun to put a name for something you do all the time… 🙂
smiles…ha…yeah, had that happen a few times…
guess we are not as original as we thought eh? smiles.
You should look up the poet Snorri Sturlulson..
alright…on my way to do just that…smiles.
Great idea Bjorn – I enjoyed it very much, I think Claudia does more experiment on this usually.
How was your concert?
Definitely Claudia does a lot.. The concert is just finished.. And I think it was really good
Could be saga, or a languid Ode, or a hoary epic, for your incredible kennings prompt propelled me into the undiscovered country of Norse mythology, and word combinations I have never employed before; God help me, I used over 90 kennings before the creative sap ebbed; thanks for the fantastic fun, the electrified prompt.
Ah.. I read it on the subway home.. a great piece Glenn
Hi, Björn! I enjoyed this challenge and creating kennings, of which I had never heard either.
Another tool to add to our poetry toolbox… that’s how it should be — fun
Exactly!
good evening everyone… sorry… i’m way late…marathon meetings and business dinner… will be out on the trail in a minute…
what a cool prompt björn… love to play with words a bit and create something new…
Ha.. for you this is so natural..
I am pondering this, the live-knowing and heart-words needed…I like this. LOTS!
I look forward to it soo much.. I might have to spend some time in Morpheus’ meadows first.
it is a good place to rest…and I hear it is spring there!
I have mine up, and will read and visit from the last two prompts this weekend…been a busy week at work! 🙂
Loved this challenge, Bjorn. Thank you for teaching us something new. I love finding out links between European languages too.
I find this a fascinating thing.. especially as we are such a diverse community…. we can always learn from each other…
i find it fascinating as well… and so much to learn… very cool
oh – and how was beethoven?
It was one of the best performances of Beethoven I’ve seen.. very good.. the no 7 was exquisite…
Indeed we can. I remember watching a documentary a British comedian, Eddie Izzard presented a few years ago, where he investigated the links between European languages. He was able to go to a remote part of Holland and speak to a farmer in Middle English, and be understood. It was fascinating.
When I was a kid I travelled in Scotland with my parents, at one bed-and-breakfast the old lady could talk to us kids in her ancient Scottish. and we understood perfectly… but to my parents she had to speak English.. fascinating…
Wow! How interesting! Some words in Welsh are similar (in pronunciation) to French, which surprised me when I first learned a little bit of Welsh last year.
Fascinating! I did not get to metaphor, but some duets allow each word to modify the other like diphthongs alter vowels. I will be trying this again so guide me, please.
its cool how one word will modify another in sound when put together…that is for sure…i may need to pay more attention to that if i try it again susan.
Some kennings are comprised of words that have never mingled before, and they conjure up fresh, exciting imagery; puts me in mind of using nonsense made-up words that look they mean something, so they do. Thanks for a grand comment over at my site; smiling & blushing here, brother.
nonsense words are cool…i am pretty sure we wrote on them at some point….
what a zesty prompt !
Zesty .. Yes that’s maybe true 🙂 I find it interesting that a 1000 year old concept can feel so avant-garde.
It’s in touch with the human spirit
Thank you, Bjorn…this was a fun assignment. I wrote mine hastily late tonight…but it is what it is. Will have to do most visiting tomorrow after work. Can’t wait to see what everyone came up with!
Sometimes writing hastily makes for more interesting kennings,
Kennings you say…looks around, oh right them..smiles… Nope still haven’t heard of them, will give a try later if I can, thanks for the interesting prompt BR.
Ha.. Yes there are always new things to learn.
Thanks, Bjorn, for the neat prompt; the term sounds familiar…believe I read about kennings before but never tried it. My effort was written from a cue from a remark someone made on a TV program this evening 😉 I will post and read in a bit
The term is maybe unfamiliar but the concept we try every now and then. It’s almost like being a child to play with words like this.
Thanks for the education on Kennings..and oh how i love to compound words to make new metaphors for meaning…
The great thing about making new words…like ‘supercultural’ that i will link here..is that when the free verse..or whatever form of poetry is done..in Google Blogger..the Google search algorithm..will pick up the new word..so when i enter supercultural in a search..i see my little creation..standing tall before me in ..results…
One day i might compile all these Kennings i have developed along the way of my blogging journey..and call ’em fredisms..or whatever..;)
BUT anyway.. thanks for the great prompt..and i’ve been on a bit of a creative rampage..since the Equinox and Spring is approaching..flowering out and all of that2…;)…
like to make the effort to comment on the beautiful work of so many people here….:)..
And my wife’s sister has developed cancer..so i’m gonna have some more time alone..while she takes care of her sister..to do a little more creativity..myself…while she is away…hopefully my brain will not explode..;)or such as that….:)
sorry to hear about your wife’s sister… hope that she will heal quickly…
Thanks for the kind thought..Claudia..well.. while my wife’s matriarchal side of the family ain’t got much money..what they do have is love..it’s a lot like ‘Steel Magnolias’..if you’ve seen that movie…:)
Indeed – the creation of words is so interesting.. Sorry for your sister in law…
Thanks 2..Bjorn..for the kind thought..and Yes..i love creating..in general..and what better way i think..than to love language and communication enough ..to change it..and create anew…
good morning… cup of coffee and out on the trail to catch up..
nice… enjoyed my morning round… didn’t manage to read everyone and need to leave for work now…but will be back in the evening to catch up….
Soon heading to work myself.. A little catching up before I leave.
Synchronicity again because in a conversation with someone yesterday I came up with two such ‘words’ and so have put them to poem.
Great, look forward to read it.. Just came to work so it will be later when I get home 😉
Very interesting concept.
I find it most interesting.. and even more so after reading through the poems.. it’s like bringing 1000 years old ideas into avant-garde.
The scottish have a phrase, ‘ do ye’ken? ‘which I’ve always understood to mean, ‘ do you understand ‘ (as it does).But your information on kennings has just opened a whole richness of language that has been condensed and full meaning lost….thanks for the thought food
Indeed, The word exist in many languages…
Why, you thought-prompter you! German does lend itself rather well to these kind of creations, but they are very enlightening in English too.
Ah.. this was indeed lots of fun.. I want to get home and read all the poems..
So an evening in front of the fireplace and lots of great poetry to read 🙂
fireplace and poetry sounds nice… we had 26 C here today… though they forecast rain and cooler for the weekend
Ah.. we had 10 and sunshine..but on Sunday I go down to Bucharest.. guess it will be warmer there..
romania – nice…heck…you do a lot of traveling…
Just a day of meetings then back again… we’ll see it might be more later…
Phew!! finally yep! hopefully some justice but it was fun!! 🙂 ll be back to read others….
Ah.. good you made it.. soon there to read.
smiles… glad you made it… mackerel(ed) dew…nice… smiles
Bjorn – I apologize for not having posted anything as the day has run away with more than the spoon. Hours seem to be yanked out from beneath me since I’ve come home. It’s all up to me, so getting work done, talking to people, and fulfilling other functions take me away from the writing time I had when I lived at the beach. Every time I think I am going to get back in the groove, something happens.
I loved this article and have been giving thought to creating kennings…as yet haven’t figured out a poem to put them in. I shall and soon. Perhaps for the next upcoming OLN. So sorry; you are always so good to have something ready for me. Hopefully soon things will settle down. I did get my taxes done, my bills paid, my lawn cleared and cleaned, and all the usual as well. Maybe next week I can join in as I should.
I thank you and everyone else for being so diligent and dedicated!
Gay.. thank you so much for your kind words. As said before the article is here.. a good archive and it can be combined with other prompts maybe too..
Wow this is amazing, Bjorn. Thanks for suggesting the other posts which I didn’t get to read before, they also helped with the writing this morning which I just polished and linked up.
Hopefully I didn’t break too many rules with the Kennings..smiles. I had fun writing.
Looking forward to reading others’ poems tonight.
heya…be heading over in a few to catch up with you…
just got home from work….
Thank you for the lovely feedback, Brian (:
Well done.. really liked your poem.. and that closing will stay with me..
That means a lot, thank you Bjorn.
I was so excited when I read this post and couldn’t wait to try it out! And, yeah, it didn’t turn out like I thought it would. I’m definitely going to try this again later.
oh, i think you got it right…smiles…
Thank you Brian 🙂
🙂
I was too late to link up, but I did add kennings to my recent poem. This was a great prompt and I hope you re-visit the topic again in the future. 🙂
There are kennings here if y’all are interested. It was a lot of fun! http://blogitorloseit.com/2014/03/22/uptown-free-verse/
Great stuff dVerse–I have written a novel, one of my characters being Viking and while I have read numerous fantasy works set in Viking times, I have never seen someone use kennings–why I could never quite understood–I couldn’t help but make ample use of such in my work as well as playing around with Old Norse grammar to embody as best I could a Viking worldview. Cheers.
I was too slow to link up here Bjorn, but I found this article on kenning very interesting, and I did give it a try. Thanks very much.