A kenning is one of the figurative expressions that
replaces a noun which is often a compound of two hyphenated words. Examples of modern
kennings are:
1. ankle-bitter= this means a very young child.
2. Bean counter= refers to a CPA or an accountant
Kennings are usually associated with Anglo Saxon
Poetry. One good example of an Anglo
Saxon poem is Beowulf. It is one of the
oldest and most important work of old English Literature. It is a long poem
consisting of 3182 alliterative lines. But to be able to understand this poem, the
reader should understand first the kennings found in the poem.
See attached file for the list of kennings.
