Kenning: Metaphor, Metaself Name:________________________

In class, we’ve talked about the prevalence of the kenning in Anglo-Saxon poetry.
Kennings function as compact, riddle-like metaphors. Structurally, they consist of a
compound word. In modern English, they manifest as two word, hyphenated metaphors.
In some ways, they resemble portmanteaus, combination words like “ginormous.” Most
kennings either function as a name or emblem that is metaphorically rich, such as
“whale-road” for the sea or “bee-wolf” for Beowulf or “word-hoard” for mouth. Some
kennings are metaphoric because they are synecdochic, a type of metaphor in which the
part stands for the whole, such as when someone says to you “nice wheels” to describe
your car as a whole. The kenning “gold-giver” for the king is a metaphor because a part
of him, his penchant for awarding gold, stands in for the whole.

Your job is to come up with kennings that function as compact, riddle-like metaphors for
various aspects of you: your characteristic qualities, your characteristic activities, how
others see you, and what gifts you bring to others.

You need to create at least one kenning for each of the following categories:

1. that which you are

2. that which you do
3. how others see you
4. what gifts you think you bring to others

Use the four-part T-chart on page two as a drafting board to write your kennings and to
determine their significance. For example, I came up with “Beth the thought-wrapper
using the following process under “that which I do” on page two:

an activity: I think a lot about really complex things (makes sense, right—I am a teacher!)
noun # 1 – thought
noun # 2 – wrapper (notice that this part is metaphoric—I don’t actually wrap my mind
around thoughts)
meaning: In enjoy trying to understand the inexplicable, and this aspect of my personality
is heroic because not everyone is prepared to tolerate the discomfort of the unknown.

When you are finished drafting your kennings, in the space below, pick a favorite
kenning that describes you, something that could function as an epithet or label. First,
write your name in Anglo-Saxon runes (google them!) and follow your name with “the
___________________” (fill in your blank with your chosen kenning). For example,
“Beth the thought-wrapper.” You may decorate or color the space in any way you choose.
You may write your kenning in Anglo-Saxon runes or in modern English (please translate
underneath to make it easy for me to understand you).
 THAT WHICH I AM
.
a quality noun #1 noun #2 meaning

THAT WHICH I DO

an activity noun #1 noun #2 meaning

HOW OTHERS SEE ME

who sees me noun #1 noun #2 meaning

WHAT GIFTS I THINK I BRING TO OTHERS

what I do for
others noun #1 noun #2 meaning

TIP: make sure you use two nouns rather than an adjective that modifies a
noun. Sometimes the second noun has been changed from a verb to its noun
form (i.e. “giver” or “bearer” from “to give” and “to bear”. Sometimes both
nouns will be “straight” nouns (like word-hoard, hell-bride).