Kennings Related to Weather and Places

• “Ancestor’s watch”—a stone circle.
• “Boreas’s burning”—snow blindness.
• “Elf-glory”—the sun.
• “Feather’s fall”—falling snow.
• “Frozen road”—ice-covered river.
• “Green clearing”—shaman’s gathering place.
• “Northern kiss”—cold wind.
• “River-bone”—rock.
• “Ship of night”—the moon.
• “Sky’s black cloak”—nightfall.
• “Swan-road”—the sea.
• “Thor’s laughter”—thunder.
• “Whale-way”—the sea.
• “Weather of wolves”—harsh winter (can also allude to the end times, or “Fenris’s rising”).
• “Winter’s blade”—cold wind.
• “Winter’s blanket”—snow.
• “Winter spear”—icicle.
• “Ægir’s daughters”—waves…

Kennings Related to People and Professions

• “Bear shirt”—berserker.
• “Children of battle”—soldiers or raiders.
• “Fire beater”—smith.
• “Feller of the life-webs”—slayer.
• “Feeder of eagles/ravens”—warrior.
• “Forseti’s favored”—diplomat.
• “Lord of laughter”—skald, or possibly Loki.
• “Naglfar’s favorite”—person who does not burn their dead/cut their nails, thus furthering the completion of Naglfar and consequently, Ragnarok (could also be applied to necromancers).
• “Ring giver”—jarl.
• “Rune caller”—wizard.
• “Shield-gnawer”—berserker.

Kennings Related to Battle and Death

• “Battle metal”—weapons.
• “Bed shame”—dying of disease or old age.
• “Black song”—reaver’s war cry.
• “Bright way”—burning of a dead reaver with his ship.
• “Bone-beak”—axe.
• “Dew of slaughter,” “toast of ravens”—blood.
• “Feeding the eagle”—killing enemies.
• “Giant’s back scratcher”—Danish ax or greataxe.
• “Head of Heimdallr”—sword.
• “Loki’s shackles”—entrails.
• “Shield-biting hawk”—hatchet or throwing axe.
• “Straw death”—death by disease or old age.
• “Surtr’s blaze”—sword (in good condition).
• “Traveling the Hel road”—dying.
• “Tyrfingr’s kin”—cursed weapon.
• “Un-blooded”—man not yet tested in battle.
• “War needles”—arrows.
• “Weather of weapons”—large-scale battle.
• “White death”—killed by an avalanche.

Kennings Related to Gods and Giants

• “Choker of man”—Nidhöggr (could be used for any powerful linnorm).
• “Doom of Heimdallr,” “father of the sea’s thread”—Loki.
• “Cloud scraper, shadow on the sky candle”—jotun.
• “Kin of Loki”—Fenris.
• “King of skalds”—Óðinn.
• “Pus-spewer”—Jörmungandr (Midgard-Snake).

Kennings Related to Animals and Mythological Creatures

• “Bow-lady”—valkyrie.
• “Cattle tripper, red jowl, lolling jaws, hounds of ravening”—wolves and worgs.
• “Eagle’s herald”—squirrel (reference to communication between dragon Nidhöggr and the eagle).
• “Eater of runes”—tupilak.
• “Eye of Óðinn”—raven.
• “Fenris’ thirst”—nightgarm.
• “Fjord branch of nails”—Naglfar.
• “Grasping gold curler”—linnorm.
• “Honey hawk”—owlbear.
• “Horse of the hanged”—Yggdrassil.
• “Howling mother”—nightgarm.
• “Icicle woman, leman of the snows”—ice maiden.
• “Light elf”—liosalfar.
• “Skitter in the ice, termite of the sea”—kraken spawn.
• “Sons of the thurs rune”—thursir.
• “White jaws”—winter wolf.
• “Wound starling”—raven.

Other Kennings

• “Balder’s gift”—mistletoe.
• “Branches of fjord”—ship.
• “Cattle-kin”—derogatory term for people who can’t defend themselves.
• “Dragon’s bile”—poison.
• “Draught of giants”—skald’s mead/sudden (poetic) realization.
• “Forseti’s failure”—unjust decisions.
• “Frigg’s lapse”—mistletoe.
• “Igniter of waves”—bile of Jörmungandr/poison.
• “Lindworm claws”—skates.
• “Mimir’s warning”—prophecy (of doom).
• “Óðinn’s furrows”—runes.
• “Ribs of Ull”—skis.
• “Ring-rich”—generous person.
• “Sindri’s gift”—wealth/affluence.
• “Strong brew”—mistletoe as an ingredient.
• “Uncut thread”—destiny to be fulfilled/life.
• “Wind racers”—horses.
• “Wolf’s joint”—wrist.