What are kennings in Old Norse skaldic poetry?

In Icelandic literature, a kenning is a concise, figurative compound phrase used to replace a common noun within skaldic poetry. Derived from the Old Norse word kenna—meaning to perceive, know, or name—these metaphors serve as ornamental circumlocutions that characterize the complex style of the skalds.12

Kennings range from simple stock compounds to highly indirect allusions that often require knowledge of Norse mythology to interpret. Examples include:12

• "Whale-path" or "swan road" for the sea1
• "Wave-horse" for a ship2
• "Sword liquid" for blood2
• "Ring-giver" for a king1

Unlike heiti—which are uncompounded, fanciful poetic synonyms such as "brand" for sword—kennings function as metaphorical descriptions. Because they rely on cultural context and specific literary traditions, many kennings became unintelligible to later generations.21