FORT BONIFACIO HIGH SCHOOL ACTIVITY 1

English 9 BEOWULF KENNINGS

The following are kennings used in Beowulf/The Battle with
NAME_________________________________________ Grendel. Put the kenning to the right word it refers to.
SECTION_______________________________________
DATE__________________________________________ Devil from hell Wielder of Glory Guardian of Heaven
Wave floater wave swine shield-bearers
WORKSHEET # ____ KENNING Shepherd of evil feeder of ravens war-trooper’s leader
Ring-giver whale road wave billows
Kenning originated from Norse, Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Gold-friend Geatish hero wound-sea
poetry. War gear battle sweat sleep of the sword
It is a way of describing things indirectly, in a form of Raven harvest headland of swords
“mini-riddle.”

CHARACTERISTICS OF KENNING:
1. It is used to describe a person, an object, a place, an
action or an idea in a magical poetic phrase.
2. It is also called a compressed metaphor. Why
compressed?
Because the comparison given is compressed in two or
three words only.

EXAMPLES:

1. Rainbow = rain paint

2. Alarm clock = time-keeper
3. Thunder = Thor’s laughter
4. God = warden of men

KINDS ACTIVITY 2
1. OPEN COMPOUND MODERN KENNINGS
Poet = word artist Find the combination of words that would complete the
Hogwarts = magic school kenning for the given words.#1 is done for you.
2. HYPHENATED COMPOUND
Blood = battle-sweat 1 pencil Writing stick
Ocean = whale-road 2 dog
3. POSSESSIVE 3 monkey
Death = grave’s embrace 3 penguin
Grendel = hell’s captive 5 toddler
4. PREPOSITIONAL 5 accountant
Sword = light of battle 7 snow
Battle = storm of swords
8 arrows
9 soldiers
HOW DO YOU CREATE KENNING?
10 space
Take the word "police" for example.
*Think of all the words that are related to "police" 1st word 2nd word
postman writing chaser stick
POLICE: law, Justice, donuts, protector winter's tummy counter biter
war bean blanket void
**Then think of words associated with the list you made endless ankle- swinger of battle
the word given and you've created a kenning! children tree slider needles
POLICE ACTIVITY 3
Law enforcer Make a kenning for the following words:
Justice defender 1. FOOD = _____________________________
Donut muncher 2. MOUNTAIN = ________________________
People protector 3. MOTHER = ___________________________
4. WATER = ____________________________
5. BOOK = _____________________________

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