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Beowulf-Kenning and Epithet
2,570
Kenning- compound expression in old English with metaphorical meaning; replaces noun
Ex. Blood---- battle sweat
Teacher---- knowledge giver
Effect on Beowulf:
- Signifies people or things using the characteristics or the quality
- Gives more mythical sense to the word
Purpose/Effect: To describe the relationship between specific groups and people.
- “Hrothgar's men” (15)- Danes
- “Healfdane's son” (104)- Hrothgar
- “Higlac’s follower” (109-110)- Beowulf
- “Bonstan's son” (258)- Brecca’s father
Purpose/Effect: To highlight certain traits of the characters.
- “bloodthirsty fiend” (501)- Grendel
- “Shepherd of evil” (514)- Grendel
- “A prince of the Geats” (511)- Beowulf
- “Sin stained demon” (484)- Grendel
- “Protector of the Danes” (190)- Beowulf
- “Ruler of the Earth” (803)- God
Purpose/Effect: To give more mythical effects to the objects
- “Heaven’s own candle”(645)- sun
- “whale-road”- sea
- “light-of-battle”- sword
- “battle-sweat”- blood
- “raven-harvest”- corpse
- “Sleep of the sword”- death
Epithet- adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned
Ex. Iron-hearted soldier
Fierce-minded hero
- Gives specific descriptions
- Makes the noun sound more dramatic
- Emphasizes certain qualities of objects and people
- Adds imagery to what it is referring to
- “Gold-ringed queen” (345)
- highlights the extravagance of the queen/royalty
- ”Bright-tongue boasts” (372)
- describes the ignorant bliss of undeserved self-praise
- ”Gold-covered helmet” (819)
- describes Beowulf’s extravagant helmet
- ”Plundering claws” (73)- describes Beowulf’s claws more dramatically
Beowulf-Kenning and Epithet
Kenning Examples
Anna Kim, Chaiyoon Oh, Venice Orong, Hinal Joshi
Kenning Examples
Effect and Purpose
What is an Epithet?
Kenning Examples
“The Danes started in new terror, cowering in their beds as the terrible screams of the Almighty’s enemy sang in the darkness, the horrible shrieks of pain and defeat” (465-469).
- Pagan beliefs
- Good vs. Evil
- Death of Evil
“Now the Lord of all life, Ruler of glory, blessed them with a prince, Beo, whose power and fame soon spread through the world” (16-18).
Kenning Examples
- Power
- Christian beliefs
- Glory (fame)
- Fate