1. Kennings
english-translation

2. A kenning is …
Where a two-word phrase is used in the place of a one-word noun.
Kennings were first used in Anglo-Saxon and Norse poetry. The famous Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf uses many kennings, for example:
Body – bone-house
Sword – battle-light
Ship – wave-floater
Sea – whale-road

3. Kennings are sometimes metaphorical
For example, looking at the kennings on the previous slide, the body is not really a house, but it does provide a ‘house’ for bones;
a sword is not really a ‘light’, but it reflects the light so appears like one;
the sea is not really a ‘road’, but it is something that whales need to travel, so acts like a road for them.
Kennings can be used to describe everyday people, animals, objects:
Baby: noise-maker
Computer: data-giver

4. Your turn …
Write a poem, but first think of as many kennings as possible.
So, create a spider diagram with the topic (e.g. moon) in the middle.
Write as many words around the outside relating to the noun/topic as you can think of, for example: sends us to sleep in the evening, helps animals to wake up, cool but bright, casts shadows, eerie, makes us afraid, makes us want to stay indoors, etc
Turn these ideas into kennings – see next slide

5. Turn these ideas into kennings
Write as many words around the outside relating to the noun/topic as you can think of, for example: sends us to sleep in the evening, helps animals to wake up, cool but bright, casts shadows, eerie, makes us afraid, makes us want to stay indoors, etc
Sleep maker
Animal stirrer
Shadow lengthener
Fear feeder

6. Now use these ideas in your poem
Sleep maker
Animal stirrer
Shadow lengthener
Fear feeder