A compound expression used in Old English and Norse poetry as a metaphorical name for something; such as 'whale-road' for the sea or 'battle-sweat' for blood.
From Old Norse 'kenna' (to know/name). Viking and Anglo-Saxon poets turned everyday things into miniature riddles. The sea was a 'whale-road,' the sky a 'heaven-candle,' a sword a 'wound-hoe.'
Vikings called the sea a 'WHALE-ROAD' and blood 'BATTLE-SWEAT!' These are kennings — tiny poetic riddles! A ship is a 'wave-steed,' the sun a 'sky-candle,' and a warrior a 'shield-tree!' Every noun becomes a puzzle! âš”ï¸ðŸ§©
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