Kenning: Difference between revisions
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Anglo-Saxon poets seem to have been comfortable using kennings that had already been used elsewhere, whereas Norse poetry valued originality more. |
Anglo-Saxon poets seem to have been comfortable using kennings that had already been used elsewhere, whereas Norse poetry valued originality more. |
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[[category: poetry]] |
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Revision as of 16:45, 30 August 2004
A kenning is a device used in Norse and Anglo-Saxon poetry. It is a metaphor of a distinctly Germanic heroic variety. A kenning frequently used in Anglo-Saxon Poetry is The Whale Road. This means the road the whale travels on, namely the ocean. A memorable Norse kenning is Sword Sweat. This means a liquid that appears on a sword when it is at work, which is blood.
Anglo-Saxon poets seem to have been comfortable using kennings that had already been used elsewhere, whereas Norse poetry valued originality more.
