Often used in anglosaxon poetry and especially in beowulf, a kenning provides powerful imagery that would help the audience focus on the words of the scop or poet telling. Noun kenning sentence a teacher a bus driver firemen television babysitter police oreos music love computer. These clues in turn suggest the anglosaxonold norse kenning, reminding us that morgan was a fine translator of beowulf. You may listen to music after roll has been called as long as your substitute approves. See how many of the following modern kennings you can identify. Kennings one of the popular literary devices popular in the anglosaxon old english poetry tradition is the kenning. I can research almost any subject, delve into it more deeply if i wish, and begin studying at a deeper. Write 5 complete sentences which each incorporate the use of kennings to achieve a. The kenning, a metaphorical compoundword or phrase, is a descriptive standin for a noun. As beowulf is in fierce combat with grendels mother, he makes mention of shedding much battlesweat. Beowulf, son of edgetho and nephew to king higlac of the geats, has heard of the woes of the danes and as he is the mightiest warrior of the geats, he pledges to help the danes. Examples of kennings in beowulf include writing battle sweat to describe blood, sword sleep for death and raven harvest for a corpse. Kennings helped the old poets to remember their songs, but also allowed the poets to speak using alliteration, a common technique used by anglo saxon poets. Kennings for a particular character are listed in that characters article.
Rather than being an adjective, like an epithet, a kenning is a descriptive phrase or compound word that substitutes for a noun. Get an answer for what are the kennings used during beowulf s battle with grendel. What common object do all of the following kennings describe. People, things or places that were honored or valued in beowulf some examples of kennings used in beowulf how kennings give a view into the daily beliefs and actions of the people of that time. Beowulf was so humble, he wouldnt have wanted that beowulf s body has been cremated. Kennings are used often in anglo saxon poetry, but they are also still used in speaking and writing today. Sep 29, 2008 does anyone know examples of the following kennings. Simply put, in poetry, a kenning is when you take two words and combine them as a mild translation or metaphor for something else. Get an answer for in beowulf, what are some examples of kennings and personification. Well then, that just shows you that kennings are not the only effective epithets appellations. A kenning is a figurative, usually compound expression used in place of a name or noun, especially in old english and old norse poetry. Aug 20, 2018 kennings are names given to object in norse poetry. In britain, it is the driver on a driveronly bus very common nowadays.
Lesson fully explained in powerpoint on anglo saxon poetry more generally linked into beowulf, with a focus on kennings. Homework activity uses modern kennings poem as a model and lets them have a go at writing their own. Aug 22, 2012 what is cool about kenning is, that when people read a short story or poem, the feelings and pictures that described in kennings are not directed shown to the readers. A kenning is a metaphorical phrase, or compound word used to name a person, place or thing indirectly. So, if a driver can take my friends and me to wherever we want to go. Activities from cathy bishop at calhoun high school, calhoun, georgia and jackie laba at randolph high school. Look back through beowulf, and find 5 examples of a kenning. Adds depth and emphasis to important situations andor characters. If bus driver is the name of something like a cafe or hotel or bar then it is capitalized eg i meet you at the bus driver bar at 8 tonight.
The bold scylding the poet associates beowulf with the scyldings, perhaps out of respect for his loyal service, even though the champion is a geat. Commonly used kennings in old english and norse poetry include whaleroad for sea, seahorse for ship, and ironshower for the rain of spears or arrows during a battle. Think of all the words that are related to police 1st word. We use figurative language all of the time in daily life. Anglosaxon kennings and riddles free english learning and teaching resources from varsity tutors. Kennings homework kennings one of the literary devices. I used with year 7 but could be extended to year 8. Jun 03, 2016 kennings are not simply nouncompounds, they are metaphors.
Kennings a kenning is a figurative, usually compound expression used in place of a name or noun, especially in old english and old norse poetry. List of kennings a list of 50 kennings drawn from norse literature. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. In poetry, kenning is when you take two words and combine them as a mild translation or metaphor for. Line 71 this is when beowulf and others are discussing grendels mothers lair.
Figurative language is any language that is not literal. Get an answer for whats an example of a kenning in beowulf. It has been pointed out to me that the next example is not really a kenning at all, because it is a metaphor similarity of two different things and not a metonym a portion or attribute of something representing the whole thing. Look at the examples in the chart below and write down. Kennings make literature more beautiful because the words used are for the readers to imagine and connect it to the right object or idea that the author attended to illustrate.
Kenning definition is a perceptible but small amount. Beowulf kennings the possessive kenning prepositional kenning almightys enemy referring to grendel line number. Kennings in beowulf woodland hills school district. Contact the seller opens in a new window or tab and request a postage method to your location. A kenning is a figurative, compound expression used in place of a name or noun, especially in old english or old norse poetry. List of kennings list of kenningsprimary meaning kenning translated original kenning explanation source language example axe bloodember n battle speardin n snorri sturluson skaldskaparmal blood slaughterdew n blood battlesweat one reference for. A kenning is a literary device in which a poetic phrase substitutes for a noun.
In the best kennings, one element of the phrase will create a striking, unexpected comparison. Kennings were commonly used in anglosaxon and norse poetry to rename and describe something or. How do kennings add to the poetic beauty of poem such as beowulf. Do this worksheet silently during the class period. One of the literary devices popular in the anglo saxon old english poetry tradition is the kenning.
For example, if i say to you, i am burning up, you probably know that i am overheated and do not think that i have burst into flames. A kenning can be almost like a puzzle or riddle, because its purpose is to show the item in an unusual way. Battleflame is a kenning for sword because a sword is not usually on fire. The kinds of kennings in beowulf include words to replace battle words, god, grendel, and the sea. Usually kennings are composed of two words to describe a oneword noun.
Kennings became so popular in their early stages that about onethird of the text of beowulf is composed of them. Kennings and other elements definitions, identifications, and explanations of terms in the passage characters. He is a good license, everyone can get onto his bus and ask him taking you to places where you cant go by yourself. Kennings can sometimes be like riddles, at times very hard to comprehend. Kennings are names given to object in norse poetry. Early kennings were basically synonyms that scops used so that they could maintain the alliteration of a line of poetry. A kenning for boyfriend is boy toy, object of affection, significant other, and love of ones life. A noun phrase which describes a wellknown, familiar noun in a new and more descriptive way. Take a stab at this delightfully metaphorical way of speaking, writing, and thinking. A conventional poetic phrase used for or in addition to the usual name of a person or thing, especially in icelandic and anglosaxon verse. In beowulf, kennings provide imagery that would help the audience focus on. Kennings one of the literary devices popular in the anglo saxon old english poetic tradition is the kenning read the definition below and ready yourself to take a stab at this delightfully metaphorical way of speaking, writing, and thinking. Transit bus driver job description and information about becoming a transit. After this lesson, youll understand what a kenning is, the purpose of a kenning, and examples of kennings in beowulf.
Take up this quiz and see if you will earn the title of hero of the internet after defeating this beowulf kennings quiz. A bus driver knows his way around all the streets and all the. Kennings became so popular in their early stages that about onethird of the text of beowulf is. In beowulf, we are able to see many kennings, such as whale road, as in the road that whales travel. Kennings are used prolifically throughout beowulf, one of the oldest. Background to beowulf beowulf is an epic poem written in old english. In the series beowulf there is countless kenning for different objects. So, ringgiver is not a kenning for king because a king is a giver of rings. If you tell your friends that your parents are the car loaners then you have created a kenning. Read the definition below and ready yourself to take a stab at this delightfully metaphorical way of speaking, writing, and thinking. Beowulf compound to kennings by ricardo cairo on prezi. Brightdanes another name for the scyldings, the reference to shining light.
The most famous use of kennings is in the epic poem, beowulf. There is more thinking required for the audiences than directly writing bus driver or ocean. All she wants is to avenge the death of her son killed by beowulf. Consider carefully how you could creatively rename each of the following through the use of the kenning technique. What does the kenninghell forged hands in line 64 suggest about grendel.
Or a conductor on a bus that still has a driver and a conductor less common. A kenning is a phrase or expression used to replace a term. A kenning is a circumlocution, an ambiguous or roundabout figure of speech, used instead of. Used primarily in anglosaxon poetry, the epic poem beowulf is full of kennings. This is known a kenning, or compound twoword phrase, which is commonly used metaphorically in anglosaxon poetry. For example, the words whaleroad is used for the sea and shepherd of evil is used for grendel. Saving the danes from grendel will repay the debt his father owed to hrothgar for saving him from the wulfings after edgetho killed hathlaf, a wulfing warrior. Buy it now add to watch list added to your watch list. Write 5 complete sentences which each incorporate the use of kennings to achieve a creative description. The idea of kenning is from the old anglosaxon poetry. Examples of kenning the anglosaxon and old norse traditions have a word for a compound expression with a metaphorical meaning. The folks at cocacola might agree that a cold coke is humanitys beverage. Kennings are not simply nouncompounds, they are metaphors. Line 1436 this is when beowulf is swimming towards grendels mother to battle against her.