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Category Archives: kennings

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seolh-bæþ

Posted on May 9, 2025 by Hana Videen

seolh-bæþ, n.n: seal-bath, a kenning for the sea. (SEH-ol’h-BATH / ˈsɛɔlx-ˌbæθ)

Medieval manuscript image of a swimming hairy fish-creature with the head of a calf.
Seal in Liber de natura rerum; France (Abbaye de Saint-Amand), 13th century; Bibliothèque Municipale de Valenciennes, MS 320, f. 120r. [portail.biblissima.fr]
Posted in deorhord book, hord highlights, kennings, water Leave a comment

gange-wæfre

Posted on February 26, 2024 by Hana Videen

gange-wæfre, f.n: spider (walker-weaver). (GONG-guh-WAV-ruh / ˈgaŋ-gə-ˌwæv-rə)

Medieval manuscript image of a rather unrealistic pair of spiders, each with eight legs, a horse-like head, horns and wings.
Old English Herbarium; England, 11th century; British Library, Cotton MS Vitellius C III, f. 23v. [bl.uk]
Posted in animals, deorhord book, hord highlights, kennings Leave a comment

feorh-hūs

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Hana Videen

feorh-hūs, n.n: ‘life-house’, a kenning for the body. (FEH-or’h-HOOS / ˈfɛɔrx-ˌhuːs)

Posted in body + health, hord highlights, kennings, wordhord book Leave a comment

feorh-hord

Posted on October 15, 2022 by Hana Videen

feorh-hord, n.n: ‘life-treasure’, ‘life-hoard’, the soul or spirit. (FEH-or’h-HORD / ˈfɛɔrx-ˌhɔrd)

Posted in body + health, kennings, wordhord book Leave a comment

brim-hlæst

Posted on July 3, 2022 by Hana Videen

brim-hlæst, f.n: fish (sea-cargo). (BRIM-H’LAST / ˈbrɪm-ˌhlæst)

Medieval manuscript depiction of Pisces, with two fish facing opposite directions within two circles, their mouths connected by a curving red line.
11th century calendar, from SE England (Canterbury?); British Library, Cotton MS Julius A VI, f. 4r. [bl.uk]
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heofon-colu

Posted on December 21, 2021 by Hana Videen

heofon-colu, n.n: heat of the sun, literally ‘coals of the heavens’. (HEH-oh-von-KOLL-uh / ˈhɛɔ-vɔn-ˌkɔ-lʌ)

Medieval manuscript image of a golden sun with face in a neutral expression; fifteen S-shaped rays extend from it against a blue sky.
Livre de la Vigne nostre Seigneur; France, c. 1450-70; Bodleian Library, MS Douce 134, f. 49v. [digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk]
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bān-cofa

Posted on August 2, 2020 by Hana Videen

bān-cofa, m.n: bone-chamber, a kenning for the body. (BAHN-KOV-ah / ˈbaːn-ˌkɔ-va)

A man's body appears on a manuscript page. His bones are drawn on top of body. The man has a bemused expression. He is cross-eyed with a disproportionately large mouth.
Treatise on the human body. England, c.1292. Bodleian Library, MS Ashmole 399, f. 20r. [iiif.bodleian.ox.ac.uk]

Posted in body + health, kennings Leave a comment

swegel-candel

Posted on December 8, 2019 by Hana Videen

swegel-candel, f.n: ‘sky-candle’, the sun. (SWEH-yell-KAHN-dell / ˈswɛ-jɛl-ˌkan-dɛl)

Posted in hord highlights, kennings, weather, wordhord book Leave a comment

here-draca

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Hana Videen

here-draca, m/f.n: an arrow (lit. ‘army-dragon’). (HEH-reh-DRAH-kah)

Posted in battle, kennings Leave a comment

sund-hengest

Posted on February 16, 2019 by Hana Videen

sund-hengest, m.n: ‘sea-horse’, i.e. a ship. (SUND-HENG-gest / ˈsʌnd-ˌhɛŋ-gɛst)

Louis IX sailing on his second crusade in Les Grandes chroniques de France. France (Paris), 1332-1350. London, British Library, Royal MS 16 G VI, f. 437v. [bl.uk]
Posted in hord highlights, kennings, travel + trade, water Leave a comment

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