Ken, Kenning, Kennings

On Monday we learned the epithet "Keen Kenning Ben." I had just posted a blog on the word kenning and at first thought this was the same reference. It soon became apparent that they were different words and that our mutual use of these terms was purely coincidental. Therefore, I would like to write about kenning more thoroughly.

As used in the epithet, kenning seems to be a verb (to ken) meaning to know or perceive. Ben thus understands things keenly, or sharply. If there is another definition or understanding of the word I do not know it.

My use of kenning is a noun (a keening, many kennings). I found the term by looking up the phrase "whale-road" as mentioned in Ong as he discusses using formulaic language, though I think it is mentioned explicitly somewhere.

A kenning is a figurative expression used to substitute a noun. We get them from old Norse poetry, particularly from Beowulf. They can be phrases or compound words. Whale-road means sea, storm of swords means battle, sea steed means ship, bane of wood means fire, and so on. Kennings can even be used within other kennings: A raven is a war-gull, a feeder of ravens is a warrior, thus a warrior is a feeder of war-gulls.

A kenning is a circomlocution, a longer, more complicated way of saying something relatively simple, somewhat like riddles. Using a kenning rather than the literal word, further attention is drawn to the word, further thought invested than normal. Kennings are like epithets. They create memorable elements that can easily be used again and again, thus aiding the oral storyteller. Finally, most kennings create a visual that outweighs that of the literal word.