here-draca, m/f.n: an arrow (lit. ‘army-dragon’). (HEH-reh-DRAH-kah)
Category Archives: kennings
friþ-candel
friþ-candel, f.n: a peace-candle, the sun; the light that affords protection and security from molestation, as evil spirits and influences ceased to operate at sunrise. (FRITH-KAHN-dell)
flǣsc-hord
flǣsc-hord, n.n: the flesh-hoard, the body. [FLÆSH-hord]
Bloodletting-Zodiac Man, from a collection of astronomical, calendrical, medical and philosophical texts compiled in England (1275-1540). British Library, Harley MS 3719, ff. 158v-159r. [blogs.bl.uk]
mere-candel
mere-candel, f.n: the “sea-candle”, a kenning (metaphor) for the sun, a light that rises from or sets in the sea. [MAY-ray-KAHN-dell]
ȳþ-mearh
feorh-hord
feorh-hord, n.n: breast, soul, spirit, literally “life-hoard”. [FAY-orh-HORD]
hwæl-weg
hwæl-weg, m.n: the path of the whale, the ocean. (“hwæl- way”)
Bestiary from northern France, 13th century. British Library, Sloane MS 3544, f. 42v. [bl.uk]
hwæles ēðel
hwæles ēðel (kenning): whale’s home, i.e. the sea. (“HWÆL-ess AY-thell”)
Yunus (Jonah) and the whale, from Rashid al-Din’s Jami al-tawarikh (The Collection of Histories). Iran (Tabriz), c. 1314. University of Edinburgh Special Collections, MS 20, f. 23v. [collections.ed.ac.uk]
wæfer-gange
wæfer-gange, f.n: a spider (lit. walker-weaver). (“wa-ver-gong-eh”)
See the new spider post on Dēor-hord, a medieval and modern bestiary!
A six-legged spider spins a web. Jacob van Maerlant’s Der Naturen Bloeme. Flanders, c. 1350. Koninklijke Bibliotheek, KB, KA 16, fol. 130r. [manuscripts.kb.nl]
illustration by James Merry
bān-fæt
bān-fæt, n.n: the bone vessel, the body. (“bahn-vat”)
