What does the Old English kenning “swan road” mean?
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Beowulf
Beowulf preparing to cut off the head of the monster Grendel, illustration from Hero-Myths & Legends of the British Race, 1910.
In the context of Old English poetry, such as the epic Beowulf, the term "swan road" is a kenning—a concise, figurative compound phrase used to replace a common noun.12
Specifically, "swan road" is a metaphorical expression used to refer to the sea or ocean. By describing the water as a path for swans, the poet employs imagery to evoke the nature of the sea as a vast, traveled expanse.12