<Table> <Tr> <Th> Primary Meaning </Th> <Th> Kenning Translated </Th> <Th> Original Kenning </Th> <Th> Explanation </Th> <Th> Source Language </Th> <Th> Example </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> axe </Td> <Td> blood - ember </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> battle </Td> <Td> spear - din </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Snorri Sturluson Skaldskaparmal </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> blood </Td> <Td> Dead - Slave </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> blood </Td> <Td> battle - sweat </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> One reference for this kenning comes from the epic poem , Beowulf . As Beowulf is in fierce combat with Grendel 's Mother , he makes mention of shedding much battle - sweat . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Beowulf </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> blood </Td> <Td> wound - sea </Td> <Td> svarraði sárgymir </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Eyvindr Skillir Hákonarmál 7 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> chieftain or king </Td> <Td> breaker of rings </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Alludes to a ruler breaking the golden rings upon his arm and using them to reward his followers . </Td> <Td> OE </Td> <Td> Beowulf </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> death </Td> <Td> sleep of the sword </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> OE </Td> <Td> Beowulf </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> death </Td> <Td> flame - farewelled </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Implicitly honourable death </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> fire </Td> <Td> bane of wood </Td> <Td> grand viðar </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> ON </Td> <Td> Snorri Sturluson Skáldskaparmál 36 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> wife </Td> <Td> girl of the houses </Td> <Td> sól húsanna </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> ON </Td> <Td> Snorri Sturluson Skáldskaparmál 36 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> gold </Td> <Td> seeds of the Fyris Wolds </Td> <Td> Fýrisvalla fræ </Td> <Td> Hrólf Kraki spread gold on the Fyris Wolds to distract the men of the Swedish king </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Eyvindr Skáldaspillir Lausavísa 8 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> gold </Td> <Td> serpent 's lair </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Serpents ( and dragons ) were reputed to lie upon gold in their nests </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Skáldskaparmál </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> gold </Td> <Td> Sif 's hair </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Derived from the story of when Loki cut off Sif 's hair . In order to amend his crime , Loki had the dwarf Dvalin make new hair for Sif , a wig of gold that grew like normal hair . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Skáldskaparmál </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> gold </Td> <Td> Kraki 's seed </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Hrólf Kraki spread gold on the Fyris Wolds to distract the men of the Swedish king . Can also be used to imply generosity ; q.v. Hrólf Kraki </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Skáldskaparmál </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> gold , sometimes amber </Td> <Td> Freyja 's tears </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Derived from the story of when Freyja could not find Óðr , her husband , the tears she shed were gold , and the trees which her tears fell upon were transmuted into amber . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> honour </Td> <Td> mind 's worth </Td> <Td> weorðmyndum </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> OE </Td> <Td> Beowulf </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> hook </Td> <Td> bait - gallows </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Ic </Td> <Td> Flateyjarbok </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> kill enemies </Td> <Td> Feed the eagle </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Killing enemies left food for the eagles </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Gripsholm Runestone </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Loki </Td> <Td> wolf 's father </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> an allusion to Loki 's fathering of Fenrir </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Lokasenna </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Loki </Td> <Td> father of the sea thread </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Loki was the father of Jörmungandr , the Midgard serpent </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Þórsdrápa </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> mistletoe </Td> <Td> Baldr 's bane </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> The kenning derives from the story in which all plants and creatures swore never to harm Baldr save mistletoe , which , when it was overlooked , Loki used to bring about Baldr 's death by tricking Hodur . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Mjollnir , Thor 's hammer </Td> <Td> Hrungnir 's slayer </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Hrungnir was a giant whose head was smashed by a blow from Mjollnir </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Lokasenna </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Odin </Td> <Td> Lord of the gallows </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> See the separate page List of names of Odin for more Odin kennings </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Odin </Td> <Td> Hanged god </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Odin hung on the Tree
<Table> <Tr> <Th> Primary Meaning </Th> <Th> Kenning Translated </Th> <Th> Original Kenning </Th> <Th> Explanation </Th> <Th> Source Language </Th> <Th> Example </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> axe </Td> <Td> blood - ember </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> battle </Td> <Td> spear - din </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Snorri Sturluson Skaldskaparmal </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> blood </Td> <Td> Dead - Slave </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> blood </Td> <Td> battle - sweat </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> One reference for this kenning comes from the epic poem , Beowulf . As Beowulf is in fierce combat with Grendel 's Mother , he makes mention of shedding much battle - sweat . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Beowulf </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> blood </Td> <Td> wound - sea </Td> <Td> svarraði sárgymir </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Eyvindr Skillir Hákonarmál 7 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> chieftain or king </Td> <Td> breaker of rings </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Alludes to a ruler breaking the golden rings upon his arm and using them to reward his followers . </Td> <Td> OE </Td> <Td> Beowulf </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> death </Td> <Td> sleep of the sword </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> OE </Td> <Td> Beowulf </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> death </Td> <Td> flame - farewelled </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Implicitly honourable death </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> fire </Td> <Td> bane of wood </Td> <Td> grand viðar </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> ON </Td> <Td> Snorri Sturluson Skáldskaparmál 36 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> wife </Td> <Td> girl of the houses </Td> <Td> sól húsanna </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> ON </Td> <Td> Snorri Sturluson Skáldskaparmál 36 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> gold </Td> <Td> seeds of the Fyris Wolds </Td> <Td> Fýrisvalla fræ </Td> <Td> Hrólf Kraki spread gold on the Fyris Wolds to distract the men of the Swedish king </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Eyvindr Skáldaspillir Lausavísa 8 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> gold </Td> <Td> serpent 's lair </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Serpents ( and dragons ) were reputed to lie upon gold in their nests </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Skáldskaparmál </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> gold </Td> <Td> Sif 's hair </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Derived from the story of when Loki cut off Sif 's hair . In order to amend his crime , Loki had the dwarf Dvalin make new hair for Sif , a wig of gold that grew like normal hair . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Skáldskaparmál </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> gold </Td> <Td> Kraki 's seed </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Hrólf Kraki spread gold on the Fyris Wolds to distract the men of the Swedish king . Can also be used to imply generosity ; q.v. Hrólf Kraki </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Skáldskaparmál </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> gold , sometimes amber </Td> <Td> Freyja 's tears </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Derived from the story of when Freyja could not find Óðr , her husband , the tears she shed were gold , and the trees which her tears fell upon were transmuted into amber . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> honour </Td> <Td> mind 's worth </Td> <Td> weorðmyndum </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> OE </Td> <Td> Beowulf </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> hook </Td> <Td> bait - gallows </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Ic </Td> <Td> Flateyjarbok </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> kill enemies </Td> <Td> Feed the eagle </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Killing enemies left food for the eagles </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Gripsholm Runestone </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Loki </Td> <Td> wolf 's father </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> an allusion to Loki 's fathering of Fenrir </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Lokasenna </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Loki </Td> <Td> father of the sea thread </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Loki was the father of Jörmungandr , the Midgard serpent </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Þórsdrápa </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> mistletoe </Td> <Td> Baldr 's bane </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> The kenning derives from the story in which all plants and creatures swore never to harm Baldr save mistletoe , which , when it was overlooked , Loki used to bring about Baldr 's death by tricking Hodur . </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Mjollnir , Thor 's hammer </Td> <Td> Hrungnir 's slayer </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Hrungnir was a giant whose head was smashed by a blow from Mjollnir </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Lokasenna </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Odin </Td> <Td> Lord of the gallows </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> See the separate page List of names of Odin for more Odin kennings </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Odin </Td> <Td> Hanged god </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Odin hung on the Tree
example of kennings from the battle with grendel
example of kennings from the battle with grendel
battle - sweat
battle - sweat