A Study of the Kennings in Anglo-Saxon Poetry

Author(s): James Walter Rankin

Reviewed work(s):
Source: The Journal of English and Germanic Philology, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Jan., 1910), pp. 49-84
Published by: University of Illinois Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27700016 .
Accessed: 26/09/2012 15:12
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

University of Illinois Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Journal
of English and Germanic Philology.

http://www.jstor.org

A Study

s in Anglo-Saxon

of the Kenning

IN ANGLO-SAXON

OF THE KENNINGS

A STUDY

49

Poetry

POETRY.1
"I could
"about

ray,

in a letter
says Carlyle
and new earth which

tell you much,"

the new heaven

to Mur
a

slight
And one of
literature has revealed to me."
study of German
on this passage,
his biographers,
in commenting
remarks, "It
from the German
is not, indeed, the case that direct translation
The
literary work.
important part of Carlyle's
dis
the
horizon
of
his
mental
in
the
by
enlargement
lay
how
and the suggestion
of a world of literature,
the
forms of his own country, too narrow for his genius,

formed

any

benefit
covery
literary
might
A

be rendered
somewhat

by the infusion
comment might
influence of Christian

pliable
similar

regard to the
the Anglo-Saxon
poets.
lyle, direct translation

with

the literary product,

the exploration
of
forth

in Latin

of this freer

spirit."2
I think,
be made,
on
Latin
literature

case, as in the case of Car

form any important
part of
came
as
from
it
but the benefit, such
was,
In

their

did

that

not

new

of

world

literature

set

which

of the church, and

and hymns
stories and the lives of the saints,

the doctrines

told in quasi-epic
style Bible
?that
is, the Latin church literature

and

the Christian

Latin

and
Sedulius, Avitus, Arator, Lactantius,
poems of Juvencus,
to the arrival of
the coming of St. Augustine
From
others.
the one great influence exerted upon
the Conqueror,
William
the

vernacular

not

the Latin

literature

from

of the classic

came

without

authors

from

but the Latin

the

Latin,?

of such

in

And, though this in

just mentioned.
studied
as
been
so
not
has
I
far
fluence,
thoroughly
know,
yet
as
was
it
in many ways
in all its manifestations,
pervasive and
influence exerted in the following
definite as was the French
ferior writers

1
Continued
pp.

p.

as those

from

Journal

of Eng.

Carlyle.

Richard

and

Ger.

Philology,

vol.

VIII,

357-422.

27

2
Life
f.

of Thomas

Garnett,

LL.D.,

London,

1895,

50

Rankin

centuries

by the chansons

the

de geste, the fabliaux,

the lais, and
or the influence
on
of Boccaccio

romances,
allegorical
Chaucer, or the influence of the Italian and French sonneteers
on the Elizabethan
take a modern
instance?the
poets, or?to
in Browning's Aristophanes'
influence of Aristophanes
In a former article, I tried to indicate in part
and extent of this Latin
influence on Anglo-Saxon

Apology.1
the nature

poetry by
sources a large number of terms
Latin
tracing to Christian
or kennings
used as designations
of the Deity.
It became
I
the
that
of
these
evident,
think,
great majority
Anglo-Saxon
phrases occur as a result of direct translation or close imitation
of the many

Latin

terms

the church

for God, which abound in the Vul

hymns, and the other Christian Latin

Bible,
and also that this Latin
served as a
literature
literature;
model for the practice of multiplying
these terms in a loosely
fashion.
appositional
I wish now to examine the Anglo-Saxon
terms for a con
gate

siderable

number

of

for Men,

the Body,

additional
representative
conceptions?
in character,
others non-religious?with
the
religious
or
of
if
their
indirect
direct
purpose
discovering,
possible,
sources.
I shall consider, then, (A) the kennings
for Heaven,
the Cross, and the Virgin;
Hell, Angel(s),
Devil(s),
(B)
some

the Breast, to Live, to Die, and to

for
the Sea, the Earth, the Sun and
Speak;
(C) kennings
In group A, the Latin
the Stars.
influence will again be found
in B, less marked
and
strong and well defined;
yet evident;

kennings

and

in C, more vague but still discernible.

It is to be noted that the terms in this group A, together
with those used as designations
of God heretofore
considered,
?that
about four
is, terms for religious conceptions?comprise
*
Browning's
from
taken
the
retailer"

(xpyvpo^y0^
Elements

"Classical

is full

poem
plays

of

the

of words

translations

of Aristophanes:
' "scout
o' the

by

the

in

Anglo-Saxon

poets

in

phrases

example
"sham-prophecy
customs"
(cucooroAoyoc)-

their

use

Cf.

&. N.
Apology."
Vol.
20, p. 15, ff.
em
similar
to that

Browning's
Aristophanes'
Jackson.
Harvard
in Classical
Studies
Philology,
in borrowing
is very
Browning's
procedure
ployed
erature.

and

for

of

Christian

Latin

lit

A Study

in Anglo-Saxon

of the Kennings

51

Poetry

in Anglo-Saxon
of the kennings
It follows, then,
poetry.
are of Latin
of Anglo-Saxon
the great majority
kennings

fifths
that
origin.

* indicates that the ex

In the following
lists, the symbol
of the term occurs in the other
act or nearly exact equivalent
a term of similar import is
that
and
the
language,
symbol ?,

found

there.
lists, there are many references to the Analecta
In these
50 and 51,?thus,
50/65 and 51/96.
to the
refers to the Surtees Hymns;
B.H.,

In the Latin
vols.

Hymnica,4
lists also,

S.H.

ascribed to Bede
xciv, 624
(Migne, Patrol,
hymn
in his
Bede
to
the
;
Q.B.,
hymn quoted by
Alphabetical
ff.)
of all the refer
For a detailed explanation
De Arte Metrica.
Ascension

ences,

cf. Journal

p. 369 ff.

vol. VIII,

and Ger. Phil.,

of Eng.

GROUP A:
for

Terms
Heaven

Hell

Devil (s)
Angel (s)
Cross
The Virgin
(I, a.) Heaven:
Cf. Anglo-Saxon
pp. 53 f.

e]>el, ham,

byrig,

et

wynlond,

al.

in
passim
singular;
generally
Matt.
caelorum,
4/17;
3/2;
plur.
*regnum
generally
in caelis, 2 Mac.
*habititatio
in gospels.
etc. passim
ex deo
?aedificationem
caeli caelorum Eccli.
16/18.

*Caelum,
N.T.
5/10
3/39.

habemus,

coelis,
dichter

passim

Cor.

2 Cor.

4
Analecta
5-11

eard,

des

5/1.

Hymnica
Mittelalters.

Jahrhunderts

Quellen.

5/1.

Leipzig,

und
1908.

in O.T.

non

?domum

*aeterna
Medii

Lu.

tabernacula,
Aevi.

aeternam

manufactam,

Vol.

1907.
Leipzig,
die Irisch-Keltische

50:
Vol.

16/9.

Lateinische

Hymnen
des
Hymnen
aus den
?ltesten

51 : Die

Hymnodie

in

*laetitia

52

Rankin

in
*In loco habitaculi
Isa. 35/10;
61/7.
51/11;
sempiterna,
*in
III
habitationis
loco
III
caelo,
tuae,
8/30.
Beg.
Beg.
*in caelo in firmamento
habitaculi
tui, III Beg. 8/43.
8/39.
*in

multae
patris mei mansiones
21
?sancta
civitas,
Apoc.
passim.

domo

*civitas,

Joan,

sunt,

14/2.

Appc. 21/2;
Apoc.
et al.
*civitas
47/2;
22/19.
11/2;
dei, Ps. 45/4;
86/3
1
et al. ?aeterna gloria,
*civitas
100/8
domini, Ps. 47/9;
et al.
Peter.
11/20
5/10,
dei, Lu.
?gaudium
*regnum
coram
in caelo, Lu. 15/7;
angelis dei, Lu. 15/10.
?gaudium
in Zion

?veniunt
Isa.

*vita

51/11.
*Polus,

et

laudantes,?gaudium
111,
8.

50/65,

laetitiam

tenebunt,

aeterna,

passim.
113; S.H. 21.

51/96.

50/127;

*poli,

S.H.

*poli r?gna, 50/110.

?polorum sedes,
*regna polorum,
S.H. 4. *poli culmina, B.H. 6; S.H. 87.
poli januae, B.H.
80.
*caeli
50/199.
51/62.
regnum,
*caelum,
50/113;
?aula caeli, S.H. 8. ?atria caeli, 50/211.
*altitudo caeli, 50/25.
?arx alta caeli, 51/304.
axis caelorum, 50/217.
*regnum tuum,
S.H. 42.
futurum regnum, 51/3.
51/69.
*regnum paternum,
perpetes,

104.
gloriae, B.H.
35.
*caelestes
B.H.

culmina,

B.H.

*regnum

*aether,

aetheris,

B.H.

celsitudinis,

S.H.

perennes

aula

110.

aethera, 50/134.
?Vita beata 50/114;
larga, 50/214.

S.H.

gloria,

sedes, 50/211.
S.H.
B.H.
103;
?mansiones

41.

51/295.

angelorum,

?gaudium
*gaudia

90.

?paterna

super
8.

56.

sid?ra,

?futurum

?portae
B.H.

plurimae,

?celeste

*sempiternum
*caeleste
decus,

?sedes
51/72.
?caeli micantis

super

50/144.

51/108.

gaudium,
gaudium,

gaudium,

43.

51/298.

51/108.
*lux

50/259.
50/257.
*gloria perpes,
laus atque decus, 51/117.
vita nova laetantium, B.H.
51/117.
32.
113 et al.
*sedes superna, Avit. de Trans.
*gloria, B.H.

perennis,

33.

gaudia

sanctorum,

*Aeterna

31.

Avit.

aether,

Lib.

patria,

Sac.

*coelestia

passim.

de Die
Lib.

r?gna,

de

Die

127.

11.
Sac.

lucis

*regnum

caelorum,

Aug.?Conf.

splendor, Acta Sanct. 11 Apr.

aethereae sedes radiantis Olympi, Acta Sanct. 11 Apr.
?aeter
norum
dulcedo
Lib.
satietas
aeternorum
Sac.
gaudiorum,
?caelestis

A Study

Lib. Sac.
praemiorum,
claritatis
aeternae, Lib.
dona

Lib.

coelestia,

(I, b) Heaven:
Cf. Latin
habitaculum,
*Upeard,

superna

domus,
patria,
et al. pp. 51 f.
Gu. 1051;
*ece
Cri.

68/8;
frij^geard,8
?wuldres byrig, Ph. 588;
?se glada

ham,

ealdorburg,

*godes

Ph.
Rid.

53

Poetry

sine fine, Lib. Sac.

*gaudia
*patria
Sac.
Lib. Sac.
*gaudia
sempiterna,

Sac.

Rid.

65;

in Anglo-Saxon

of the Kennings

dona,

Lib.

399;
*wuldres

Gu.

habitatio,

civitas,

aedificatio,
eard,

Sac.

?engla eard,
67/7;
e}?el, Rid.
Mensch.
Gem.
wynland,
1155;

wuldres

593;

1/66;
?sigefolca gesetu, Dkspr.
?seo maere gesceaft, Met. 20/
And.
151; *wuldorgestealda,
1686;
El.
503;
*eadwela,
1316; ?sio scire

60/15;

281; neorxnawang,8 Men.

?se beorhta boldwela, Jul.

scell, Met. 20/174;

sceldbyrig,T Klag. Eng. 309;
?engla
?se mara ham, Cri. 647;
?wuldres wlite, Jul.
Cri. 630;
*ece eadwela, El.
El.
1315;
197;
*heofonrice,
*uplic
*ham in heahj?u,
Glaub. 32;
120;
*uplic e]?elrice, And.
*heah heofona gehlidu, Gen. 584;
*ece lif,
768;
?leoht and lif,8 Ex. 545; ?J?aet leohte lif,8 Ph. 661;
Geb. 3/30;
lif. Fa. 19; *]>aet lange lif,
*langsumre
?godes leoht,8 Beo. 2469 ; ?dryhtnes leoht,8 Gu. 555

e>el,
311;
e]?el,
Gu.

Cri.

1052;

*ece

leoht,8

Cri.

1464;

; ?heofones
leoht,8 Klag.
311; *faeder epe\, Gu. 773; *eee rice, Men. 224:
*tires blaed, Cri. 1212; *widbrad wela, Gen. 643; *rodor, Gen.
5
The

as a place
of heaven
conception
in this
life shall
be safe
persecuted
over
a
lead
the
to
of
term
like
taking
naturally
of refuge.
Cf. O.N.
For
the
cities
fripstapr.
place
19 and Josh.
cf. Deut.
20.
Bible,
suffer

Christian

the

etymology

of Eden,

Paradise,

Whatever
the Garden
7
Bode

strongly
the
that
8
Apoc,
?eque
nabunt

(p. 70) compares

it is pictured
character
Christian

where

ning,

where

are

and

author

had

in mind

of

the

this
of

of Valh?ll
description
covered
with
shields.

of

the

the

idea

however,
poem,
as
of heaven

those
happy

who
would

indicating
in

refuge

it was
used
word,
more
Heaven.
loosely,

this

and,

as

and

to

a
the

designate

in the Gylf agin

of the
In view
it
a

is more

sheltering

likely
city.

in
the
caelestis
lucis
splendor,
perennis,
description
"Et nox
non
et non
lucernae
lumine
erit,
eg?bunt
et reg
Deus
illuminabit
lumine
Dominus
solis
quoniam
illos,
in s?cula
seculorum."
(22/5.)

Cf.

Ch.

lux

22:

54

Bankin
Gen.

*uprodor, Gen. 99; *heahrodor,

Gen. 146; *wuldor,9 Gen.
1595;
?hyhtlic heofontimber,
?eJ?elsta)?olas, Gen. 94.

21;

*swegel,

Gen.

82;

941;

a) Hell:

(II,

Cf. Anglo-Saxon
et

wraecstow,

al.

grand,
55

pp.

hate

grundas,

susla

dael,

hus,

f.

*Infernus,
; sometimes
passim:
sometimes=sepulchrum
hades ; of tener place of torment,
ex inferno inferiori, Ps. 85/3.
*terra tenebrosa, Job.
usque ad inferni novissima, Deut. 32/22.
10/21.

?dolores mortis

114/3.

*terra miseriae

inferni invenerunt
et pericula
et tenebrarum,
Job, 10/22.

Ps.

me,
*in

tor

Lu. 16/23.
mentis,
*tormenta, Apoc.
18/7,
14/11;
10, 15.
*in hunc locum tormentorum, Lu. 16/28.
?fumus tormentorum
eorum ascendet, Apoc.
*in ignem aeternam, Matt.
14/11.
*tenebrae

25/41.
Cf.

Lat.

gloria,

auch

stolas
(83),

ist
eine
so

(8),

8/12.
and

glory

von
durchdrungen
neuer
Benennungen

genug
Reihe
as

far

it relates

gehennae,

im

dass

Hel

alten

umschrieben

wird;

Christlichen

Anschauungen
some
needs
erfinden",
In Gen. A occur
heofon

zu

wie

wuldorfaest

?pelstapolas

(64),

vmldorgestealda

ist,
nie

to Genesis.

(9),

swegelbosmas

*ignis

heaven.

"Charakteristisch
that,
in der Genesis
der Himmel

auch

hier

modification

both

meaning

statement

10Bode's
und
denepos
erst Cynewulf
um

Matt.

exteriores,

(94),

wuldres

(27),
hyhtlic

?pel

heofontimber

(146).
11
How
elect
like

far

the

se

ham,
glada
can be
There

tell.

and

lingered

term

Old

was

sanctioned

term.
Low

the
Compare
German
containing

all

wercum

dioboles

forsacho
Saxnote

ende

Braune:

Althochdeutsches

MI

add

salr,
Svafnis
Poet.
Bor?ale,

allum

for

them

2/462.)

abode

happy
formation

and
the

of

the

of

others,
Christian

phrases
is hard
to
influence

the

and

old

the one in
vows,
baptismal
particularly
ec
the following
"End
specific
promise:
and wordum,
Thunaer
ende Uuoden
ende

unholdum
Lesebuch,

comparison

Svelmis

the

the

is that
the Christian
probability
in all cases
where
the
terminology
except
of an equivalent
Christian
by the existence

;
always
predominant
writers
avoided
the pagan
old

influenced

sigefolca
gesetu,
sceldbyrig
that
little
however,
doubt,

was

Latin

as

of Valh?ll

conception

death

after

salr,

the
Vtyris

the
p.

hira
164.

sint."

genotas
Halle,

(Wilhelm

1902.)

for Valh?ll:
kennings
and
h?U.
(Vigfusson

ve,
heilagt
Powell:
Corp.

A Study

in Anglo-Saxon

of the Kennings

*in gehennam
5/22.
*in gehennam, Matt. 5/29,
Eccli.
16/17;
Abyssus,

Matt.

18/9;
ignis, Matt.
30 ; 10/28 ; Mac.
11/7;

Apoc.

55

Poetry
Mac.
9/42

9/44, 46.
Lu.
;
12/5.
Lu.

20/13;

8/31;

*ad abyssos, Ps. 106/26.

10/7.
*puteus abyssi, Apoc.
*Profundum
9/12.
24/8;
23/28.
abyssi, Eccli.
2 Petr.
?in stagno
2/4.
Tartarus,
19/20;
ignis, Apoc.
?in stagno ardenti
*ad
14, 15.
20/9,
21/8.
igne, Apoc.

Rom.

31 passim
in O.T.
ad portas
44/29,
non
eorum
vermis
*ubi
Matt.
16/18.
38/10;
inferi,
Mac.
13.
Jude
moritur,
9^43, 45, 47.
?procella tenebrarum,
391.
Evan.
Nie.
Evan.
Nie.
*carcer,
tenebrarum,
397,
?caligo
401.
?tenebrae et umbra mortis, Evan. 393.
Gen.

inferos,

42/38;

Isa.

51/285.
Infernus,
50/77;
?umbrae inferi, B.H. 10.
?infernum
24.
averni fauces, B.H.
15.
B.H.

?tenebrae

inferi,

50/169.

regnum, 50/7.
regna
diri leti limina, B.H.

leti,
9.

128.
S.H.
barathrum,
claustra,
5/275;
50/136.
*gehennae
?infima t?rtara, 50/214.
*inferni
tartarus, 50/114.
claustra,
84.
*tartarea
S.H.
?averni ignes, S.H.
tormenta
50/148.
5.

?flammae

?-inferni

?ignes

Q.B.

26.

?poenae malorum,

de

perpetui,

85.

S.H.

dolores,

26.

Q.B.

gehennae,

157.
ignes, Aelf. Horn.
nox, Arat.?Migne
68/85.
*miserae poenae, de Die. 93.

?Gehennae
?Aeterna
11.

Die

109.

Die

?atrocissimarum

Sanct.?11

poenae, de
Acta.
tormentum,

?perpetuae

gehennarum

Apr.

(II, b) Hell?
Cf. Latin
career,

ignis

abyssus,

infernum,
et

gehennae,

stagnum,

pp.

54

tenebrae,

"In
rived

my
opinion,
from the Latin.

14
This

phrase,

535;

practically

however,

all

the

is apparently

barathrum,

f.

*grund, Gen. 346;

hate
dael, Cri. 1542;
120; *J?aet
?se
bitera
Chr. H.A.H.
271;
grund, Klag.
*se heolstra
neowela grund, Klag. Eng.
31;
Grundas,
Chr. H.A.H.

Gu.

al.

terms

not

in

from

*se hata

grund,
se calda grund,"
*se
149;
Eng.
ham,
this

the

Jud.
group

Latin.

121;
are

de

56

Rankin

?se enga harn, Jul. 323 ; *se reonga harn, Jul. 530 ; *se J?ystra
harn, Jul. 684;
?mor}>orhof, El. 1303;
?heolstorhof, El. 764;
?morj?orhus, Cri. 1625; morJ?er, Gen. 342; niobedd, Gen. 343;
*se deopa seaj?, Cri. 1545;
*}?aet swearte susl, Gu. 639; *susla
*susla grund, El. 944;
hus, Cri. 1604;
Cri.
?cwicsusl.1?
561; *grornhof, Jul. 324;
El.
927;
*wearhtreafu,
*manhus, Ex.
1536;

*witescraef,

Chr.

Versuch,

27;

*suslhof,

10/31;
Gen. 90;
Cri.
*witehus,
Hy.

*wraecstow,
535;

Gen.

*hearmloca,
Jud.
119;

windsele,
320;
Eng.
Klag.
Cri. 1535;
?feonda byrig,"

91;

*deaj?sele,
?wyrmsele,
*se neowla seraef, Jul.
Jul. 545;
*dim harn, Klag.
*helle
684;
111;
*deop dalu, Gen. 305;
Cri.
*hat
Cri.
Cri.
831;
hellebealo,
265;
grund,
*fyrbae}?,
Cri.
Gen.
696; *gryrebroga,
849; *fyrloca,
1427;
*helge}?wing,
Klag. Eng. 58; *witebroga, El. 932.
a) Devils:

(Ill,
Cf.

ba?a,

feond,

Anglo-Saxon

andsaca,

sceapa,

waerloga,

morpres brytta, et al. pp. 58 f.

1 Petr. 5/8, et al.
leo rugiens, 1 Petr. 5/8.
*Adversarius,
1
Joan. 2/13, 14; 3/12;
5/18, 19. *malus, Matt.
*maglignus,
* draco ille
6/13.
magnus,
serpens antiquus,
qui vocatus dia
bolus et Satanas, Apoc.
12/8;
Apoc. 20/2.
?quibus procella
19Baratrum

is glossed
hellelic
cwicsusl,
E. Vocabularies,
p. 144.
of these
In the case of some
kennings
are any
whether
there
determine
lingering
and

tion
get

deopnes.

A.

Wright:

S.

O.

of

the

a good

abode

of Bell.

of her
picture
the
) ; despair

"Prom

lost

dread

(Hell's)

to
for hell,
it is difficult
echoes
of the old
concep
we
song,
by Snorri,
quoted

abode.

hall

Her

stone

is Sleet-den

threshold

the

; pale
porch
stumbling
the hang
the key;
the precipice,
falling
peril
Gilling
the
famine
the dish;
the couch;
hunger
lazy the latch;
The
ideas
Bor.
the spoon."
starvation
knife;
2, 471.)
(Corp. Poet.
are
doubtless
of
a fiery
and
darkness
of a place
of torment,
pit,
of
se calda
the name
One phrase,
Christian
grund,
suggests
origin.

(El-iuJ>nir
woe
the door;
carebed
ings;

Heirs
Latin

but as in the
hall, Eliupnir,
is predominant.
influence
"Though

the

the

exact

Gospel
apochryphal
source.
rived
that
from

equivalent
of Nicodemus,

case

of

of

this
the

the

terms

phrase
kenning

for Heaven,

does
might

not
well

the

occur
be

in
de

servata

tenebrarum

in Anglo-Saxon

of the Kennings

A Study

16 passim.
Matt.
iorum,
9/34;

13 &

est

in aeternum,

57

Poetry

13.

Jude

*draco, Apoc.
daemon
*princeps
est
*mendax
et pater
Lu.
11/15.
12/24;
*rectores
*rex ?ngelus abyssi, Apoc.
9/11.
?draco et angeli
12/7.
6/12.
ejus, Apoc.
Joan.

?lupus,

ejus, Joan.

8/44.

tenebrarum,

Ept.
es inter omnia

10/12.

Gen. 3/14.
*maledicti,
animantia,
initio
2
?ab
diabolus
Cor.
Matt. 25/41.
Satanae,
12/7.
?ngelus
Ps.
1
Joan.
77/49.
3/8.
(Cf. bestia,
angeli mali,
peccat,
394.
in Apoc.)
Evan, Nie.
?princeps et dux mortis,
passim
*Satan princeps
*Satan princeps, Evan. Nie.
395, 397, 400.
?maledictus

Evan.

tartari,

400.

Nie.

*auctor

Evan.

superbiae,

423.

Nie.

396.
Evan. Nie.
*prineeps mortis,
400.
?dux exterminationis,
Evan. Nie.

395.

perditionis,

princeps
Evan.

Nie.

Nie.

Evan.

mortis,
402.

Evan.

ommis

?origo

malorum

*caput

inferus

402.

Nie.

Evan.

omnium,

396.

Nie.

395,
?spurcis
(a person)
398.
?foetidissimus
inferus, Evan.
inferus, Evan. Nie.
399.
?derisio angel
398.
inferus et mors, Evan. Nie.
Nie.
400.
Evan. Nie.
400.
orum, Evan. Nie.
?sputio justorum,
simus

clavium

possessor

Evan.

inferorum,

401.

Nie.

Evan.

impiorum et refugarum pater,

*hostis invidus, S.H.
*Hostis, S.H. 12.
31.
*hostis antiquus,
S.H.
humani generis,

malorum

S:.H.

perfidus,

saeculorum,
*Mortis
*dirae

*hostis

improbus,

*hostis

3; 51/7.
S.H. 32.
62.

S.H.

*hostis
fallax

*hostis

50/8.
auctor,

mortis

vetustus,

35.

?omnium

401.

Nie.

50/148.

saevus

*custos

50/8.
artifex,
*serpens,
B.H.
?leti princeps,

50/211.

16.
?feroces, B.H.
*Daemoniorum
princeps, Jno.

tartari,
50/7.
166.
?serpens

S.H.
12.

?inferi,

50/107,

136 et al.

auctor,
*totius
gaudens,
11 Apr.

Avit.?de
mali
Acta

Init.

215.
Acta

inventor,
16 Febr.
Sanct

II

609.

*antiquus
16
Sanct.

criminis

*primaevi
hostis,
Febr.

?filii tenebrarum,

Lib.

Sao.

?homicidiis
Acta

Sanct.

Rankin

58

(III, b.) Devil (s) :*

Latin

Cf.

adversarius,

hostis,

auctor

maledictus,

mortis,

et al. p. 56 f.

lupus, draco,
*helwarena
?synna
*Helwaras,
cyning, Jul. 332;
El.
958; *fyrsynna fruma, Jul.
hyrde, Gu. 552; *synna brytta,
Jul. 546;
347;
*mor]?res brytta, Jud. 90; *morJ>res manfrea,
?se ofermoda cyning, Gen. 338 ; *feonda aldor, Klag. Eng. 76 ;
daemoniorum,

princeps

Jul.

3;

*se
Jul.
269;
wij?erbreca,
*wraf> waerloga,
wij?ermeda, And. 1197;
*waerloga, Jul. 455;
Gu.
And. 1299;
*scea>a, Cri. 775;
883;
*awyrgde waerlogan,
*fyrnsea)?a, And.
?leodscea)?a, Cri. 273;
?helscea)?a, El. 957;
Cri.

*wi]?erbroga,

?wuldres

564;

*se ealda feond,

*sceM?end, Cri. 761; *feond, EL 594;
?se aida, Klag. Eng. 34; ?ece feond, Gen.
ealdfeond, El. 207;
Gu.
*feonda
Cri.
181;
*andsaca,
733;
1261;
forespreca,
*se balewa,
Cri. 763;
*wrohtbora,
?godes andsaca, Gu. 204;
1348;

deor daedscua,
*se bealufulla,
Cri. 259;
119;
*feond
Jul.
?sawla
257;
moncynnes,
630;
feond, Jul.
?sawla gewinna, Jul. 555;
*haele)?a gewinna, Jul. 243;

Chr. H.A.H.
Cri.
348;

Jul.
And.
245;
?gaestgeni}?la,
*ealdgenif>la,
frumbearn, Gu. 1044;
*}?ystra stihtend, Jul.
Sal.

Sat.

?facnes

1443;
419;

*hettend,
Gu.

Gu.

505;
511;
?ealdorgewinna,
*ni]?gyst,
364;
*manscea]?a, Gu. 881;
*wrohtsmi]?, Gu.
se blaca
877;
917;
*teonsmi]?, Gu.
76;
*grynsmi}>, And.
se
se blaca,
swearta gaest, Cri. 269;
feond, Klag. Eng.
196;
Cri. 897;
*se hearma, Ph. 441;
*se bona, Beo. 1743;
*feorh
?ceargaest,

172;
Gu.

?se wites bana, Cri.

bana, Walf.
41;
177;
?gaestbana, Beo.
*bana moncynnes,
And.
*se
264;
1295;
*draca, El. 766;
Cri.
?se
?se
Cri.
158;
256;
awyrgda,
awyrgda wulf,
awyrgda
se aglaeca,2 And.
gaest, Cri. 1690;
?yfeles andwis, Jul. 244;
1314;

?se atola

1
Practically
the Latin,
from
ber

of

them

in Beowulf.
very

large.

gaest,
all
in

used
The

of

Gu.
these

87;
terms

of the
spite
as names
also

number

of

for

fact
for

identical

Sal.

?se laj?a gaest,

the

that

devil,
we find

Grendel
or

and

equivalent

Sat.

in my
opinion
a considerable
the

other

terms

86;
come
num

monsters
in Latin

is

earm

Ph.

aglaeca,2

in Anglo-Saxon

of the Kennings

A Study

?earme

442;

Gu.

gaestas,*

59

Poetry
?se werga,8

884;

?ealra fula ful,' El. 769;

?se werga gast,8 Beo. 1748;
Jul. 429;
susles
1042;
133;
hellescealc,4
hellej?egn,4 Gu.
Klag.
Eng.
And.
Jul.
helle
Jul.
246;
hellehinca,8
558;
haeftling,4
pegn*
El.
*leahtra
El.
*ealra
838;
771;
fruma,
1173;
synna fruma,
?helle
?unclaene gaest, Jul. 418;
*synna fruma, Jul. 362;
El.
898;
457;
?scyldwyrcende
*ligesynnig,
?se
*se
Cri.
El.
unholda,
762;
761;
wraecmaega,8
sceaj?an,
Geb.
Jul.
?wraeca waerleas,8
Gu. 530;
35;
?werige wihte,
Jul.

gaest,

4/57/
2
of

*
For

the

the

Latin

tio

justorum.
4
These

6
Probably
was
of

tion

7
Of

1257;

440,

2082;

738;

713,

manscapa,

751;

to

condition

exile

the

is the

What

is a matter

Grendel

evident

it
others,
the devil.
of

2903;

calamitas,

the

and
or

spu

in

hell

are

of

the

analogy

the

(often)

yet

origin;
and

if Grein

aglaeca,

is

vexator,

se

2094;

1777;
ellor
gaest,
101;
647,

was

se werga

and

.279,

726,

749,

708,

802;
132,

lapa,

1275;
et al.;

hellegaest,
2402
; draca,

ba?a,
fyrena
767;
wael

hearmsceapa,
2073;

feond,

fylwerig

peodsceapa,
740 -, 990,
to

the

In

some

applied
from
the

gaest

807;

1349,

gaest,

common
kennings
decide
definitely.
are
of Christian
origin
transference

applied
have
shown,

synscapa,

leodsceapa,

ealdgewinna,
se
789;

terms

been
985,

1275;

1683;

to

in

monsters

other

just
143,

of these
origin
to
difficult

that

condi

exile's

The

similar

has

164,

787,

wyrm

479;

phrases
that
the
is possible
The
aglaeca
phrases

Christian

latio,

devil

heaven.

Beo.

102;
yrre
1995;
on helle,
726;
962;
feond
feond,
yrremod
se werga
425,
433,
133;
aglaeca,
gaest,
atol
159, 593,
733, 817.
aglaeca,

fairly

on

from

177;

andsaca,

970;
hellehaefta,
se grimma
gaest,

gaest,

the

of

cf.

miserable,

angelorum,

miserable.

gastbona,

dolscapa,

feorhgenipla,

derisio

compounded

probably

godes

ealdorgewinna,

hyrde,

and

wretched

only

derivation.

Feond,
equivalents:
1273;
feond moncynnes,

438,

970,

842,

the

not

designation

preceding.

referring
course
most

Latin

Christian

inferus,

names
to Grendel
the many
given
are
with
identical
the following
as
of which
terms,
many
devil,

Beowulf,
to the

963,

was

immediately

as

devil

the

foetidissimus

describing
of Latin

phrases
indirectly

5
Hellehinca
terms

of

conception

spurcissimus,

doubtless

as

in Beowulf
is used
aglaeca
himself.
but also of Beowulf

term

The

the monsters

2689;

2279,

1270;

1001,

cases
Grendel;
monsters

possibly

to

and

devil

are

it

is
in
to

not

tribu
in glossing
aglaec,
right
as
as well
auctor
malorum

60

Rankin
a.) Angels:

(IV,

Cf. Anglo-Saxon

et al. pp.

boda, ar, pegn,

boda, dryhtnes

61.

and

dei,
passim.
*angelus
passim.
*nuntius dei, 2 Par. 36/16.
*nuntius
*ministri
05.
sui, Heb.
domini, Aggaci
1/13.
1/7;
102/21.
?multitudo militiae
Lu.
coelestis,
2/13.
*Angelus

domini,

*angelus

angeli,

passim.

*Nuntius

73.
Christ.
?chorus
caelorum,
Ant.?Cook,
55.
S.H.
?multitudo
exercitus
caelestis
caelestis,
50/128.
* chorus
?caeli chorus, 50/169.
199.
50/7,
angelorum,
passim.
?chorus caelestium,
112.
*chorus archangelorum,
50/58,
51/
13.
*chorus
angelicus,
?
et martyrnum
angelorum
H. 70.
?ordines angelici,
14.

Q.B.

?angelorum

?chori
51/153.
superni,
?chori felices, B.
51/313.
242.
?agmina angelorum,

51/108.
chorus,
50/133,
sancta,

agmina

*coetus

50/156.

angel

?caelorum militia,
?coetus caelestium,
50/8.
51/102.
51.
B.H.
?caeli exercitus,
*cives superni, 50/121.
50/217.
*eives aetherei, S.H. 57.
?caeli cives et incola, 50/199.
*caeli
orum,

genae,
51/139.
?dei archangelus,
chorus,

51/295.
angeli,
?celestis
51/143.
dei,
*angelus
115.
?caeli milites,
S.HT. 115.
?sanctorum
intimus comes dei, 50/267.

S.H.

exercitus,

51/127.

Prud.
*Caelicolae,
*Nuntii
Dei, Aid.
coelestes

contra

devil

de Die

ingens,
as
such

Sym.

131.

I 170.

*angelica

Lib.

Sac.

?omnis militia

then

there

are many

Latin

totius

mali

inventor,

caput

been

the

from

Likewise

in the
plied

bblva

Latin
to

<he

dux
the

terms

omnium,

exer
for

the

auctor
et

exterminations,
seems
transference

to

the monsters.
old

of Loki
his
and
children,
conception
had
influence
in the formation
any
Serpent,
the devil
to determine
with
is, I suppose,
impossible
Terms
like wrohtsmi\>,
for example,
the kenning
suggest

the Wolf,
Hell,
of kennings
for
certainty.
for Loki,

to

devil

whether

65.

Die

caelestic
in

parallels
malorum

dux)
mortis,
(princeps,
princeps
perditionis,
al.
In short
in the case of common
terms,
have

de

agmina,

65.

t?rme,
?Caelorum virtutes,

bellator

?beati

51/278.

archangeli
110.
S.H.

the

and

smipr;

phrases.
devil.

the

but
The

such
Latin

terms
also

have

abundant

parallels

explains

the

umlf

word

also
as

ap

citus, Lib.

*exereitus

Soc.
114

Aug.?Conf.

in Anglo-Saxon

of the Kennings

A Study

sancti, Aug.?Conf.

*angeli

(IV, b.) Angel (s) :17

nuntius
Cf. Latin nuntius,
chorus

et

caelestis,

al.

Lib. Ees.

angelorum,

nuntius

dei,

61

Poetry
*angelus
173.

domini,

dei,

minister,

60.

p.

boda, Gen. 1; *godes boda, Cri. 1; *ar, Cri.

*Dryhtnes
Gen. 2296; *aeren
?wuldres
ar, Cri. 493;
595;
*aerendgast,
Gu.
?wuldres
Gen.
1220;
2434;
draca,
wilboda,
*heah)?egn,
*wuldres pegn, And.
Dan.
?metodes pegn, Gen.
926;
443;
Sal.
?bearn heofonwara,18
?wuldres beam,18 Gen.
11;
2907;
Sat. 464;
?wuldor gast,18 Gen. 2912;
Gu.
144;
freojnrweard,19
?weorud
2301;
88;
freoj^oscealc,19 Gen.
friJ?owebba,19 El.
boda, El. 77; sigorcynn.
?wlitig wuldres
Cri.
492;
J?reat,
*heofonengla
?halige gastas, Kreuz.
12.
Gen.
*heofonwaran
?gasta weardas,
(frequent.)
Cri.

wlitescyne,
El. 754;
11;

493;

(V, a.) Cross:

Cf. Anglo-Saxon

et al.
treo, sigebeacen,
crux
5/3;
10/39 passim,
Christi,
*Lignum,
2/7;
117, et al.
*lignum vitae, Gen. 2/9, 24; Apoc.
treo, Ufes

Acta

14.

*signum

430.

Nie.

crucis,

*lignum

22/2;
Evan.

401.

Nie.

"The
or

Saxon
origin.

conceptions
with
the

number
in Latin.
Perhaps
of

for angels
is not
in Anglo
of kennings
either
large
are probably
in Anglo-Saxon
Those
all of Latin
some
was
unconscious
influence
exerted
by the old

which
would
harmonize
in many
liosalfar,
ways
of the angels.
the Old Norse
(Cf. also
conception
Asa
the Aesir:
As-megir,
megir,
Hroptz
Hroptz
gildar,
Bor.
But
the Christian
etc.
Poet.
2/462.)
synir,
Corp.
the

Christian
for

kennings

synir,
Sigtiva
is evidently
influence

the

I have

"Though
doubtless
in Latin,
19
Of

as

used

The

conception
and
God

tween
settle

the

bonae

feud

not
they

terms

these

also

of

Evan.

victoriae,

1 Cor.

for

designation

direct

come

angels:

"Gloria
(Lu.

the

predominant
exact

indirectly

one.

equivalents
that
from

of

in

a woman
On
altissimis

2/14).

the

these

phrases

source.

is interesting
fripowebba
angels
of women
1942,
(cf. Beo.
settle
the angels
is that
may

apparently
man
just as
tribes.
between

voluntatis,"

and

found

because

it

is

freopuwebbe).
the feud be

in marriage
may
by being
given
the message
Latin
side,
compare
hominibus
et in terra
pax
Deo,

62

Rankin
*Vitae

50/74
*sacra crux 51/254.
et fulgida, S.H. 78.
*Crux
Acta

Sanct,

Acta.

May

*lignum

X 83.
Prud.?Cath.
triumphalis,
?
4 May passim.
crucis
Signum

constitutum,
?4

crucis

50/7.
*lignum
crucis
mirabile,
51/85.
?signum
*arbor decora
?venerabile robur, 51/251.

arbor, 50/113.
*arbor 50/76.
passim.

Sanct.?4

*sancta

May.

?signum crucis,
ex lumine claro
Acta

crux,

Sanct.

passim.

(V, b.) Cross-*0

Cf. Latin
lingnum,

arbor, patibiUum,

et

victoriae,

signum

al.

treow, Kreuz.
25;
*J?aet halge treo, El. 107;
El.
*wuldres
treo,
treo, El. 89; *wuldres beam,
1027;
El. 217;
*wuldres wynbeam, El. 844;
13;
?sigebeam, Kreuz.
*se blaca beam, El.
91;
*beam, Cri.
168;
sigebeacen, El.
?Haelendes

*lifes

729;

*se a?rela
beam, El. 886;
?beacen
92;
godes, El. 109;
beam, El.
1012;
?ae)?elcyninges

1073;

?rodorcyninges
*beacen, El.

179;

?maerost

El.

219;

beam,

El.

galga,

El.

rod,
El.

?selest

El.
1027;

984;
*sigorbeacen,
sigebeama,
treo, El. 165; *rodetreo,
*sigores tacen, El. 85;
?]?aet wlitige
El. 147; >aet maere treo, El. 214;*sio
haliga rod, El. 1011;
146.
Kreuz,
gealgtreow,
a.) The

(VI,
Cf.

Virgin:
manes

maeg

Anglo-Saxon

leas,

wuldor,

wifa

et al.

caeli indita
stella maris
S. H.
51/139.
50/246;
Regina
et
*sacra
al.
76,
virgo 51/143.
virgun
r?gis porta, 51/145.
cula 51/139.
?beata mater, S. H. 74. *gloriosa femina, S. H.
74.

r?gis alta janua, S. H. 74. porta

?alma dei genetrix, De Die Judie. 148.

76.

cmundi

20
The
vinga
Poet.

kennings

meipr,
Bor.

Christian
Anglo-Saxon

Ant.?Cook

domina,

um, Ant.?Cook
sigynjar

Crist,
vers

What
2/462.)
ideas about
the
kennings

Crist,

p.

gallows

are:

I
go

shall
back

not
to

virgo

51/139.

Yggdrasils
horva

hestr,
sigars
ior,
was
the
relation

cross,
doubtless

103.

?
virgo mater

p. 84.

for Odin's

lucis fulgida, S. H. 74.

?dei mater aima, S. H.

askr,
sleipnir.

virgin

*dulcis
varg-tre,

undertake

(Corp.
to the
varg-tre
to decide.
The

the

phrases.

of

the
Latin

A Study
filia

in Anglo-Saxon

of the Kennings

76.

51/139.
semper virgo, S. H.
mater clara virgo B. H. 55.

76.
110.

porta, Arat.-Migne

(VI,

b.) The Virgin:*

felix

Poetry

63

caeli porta, S. H.
indita 50/

?dei generatrix

68/95.

Cf. Latin

et al.
gloriosa femina, beata mater,
*Wifa wuldor, Men.
149;
?faegerust maeg}?a,
?cwena selost, Men.
168;
*dryhtnes modor, Men.

Men.

148;

169; ?cyn
suna, Cri. 93;

inges modor, Men. 93; ?modor maere meotudes

leas, Cri. 36; *maegj? Maria, Cri. 176; ?faemme
*maegj? manes
?seo faemme, Cri. 123;
?faemme freolicast,
geong, Cri. 175;
Cri. 72 ; *sio eadge maeg, Cri. 87 ; ?J?umaere middangeardes,
Cri.

275;

swegles
285;

?seo claeneste

bryttan, Cri. 280-1;

?wifa wynn, Cri. 71.

Thus

far I have

were

that

borrowed

terms

been considering
for God,
And

the great majority

directly or indirectly

?bryd )?aes selestan

Cri.
wuldor-weorudes,

276;

?hlaefdige

ious nature,?designations
Angel (s), and the Virgin.
inevitable

Cri.

cwen,

of a strictly

relig

Heaven,
Hell,
Devil(s),
I think, is
the conclusion,
of these Anglo-Saxon
terms
from the Latin.

I shall now consider

terms for conceptions

the Anglo-Saxon
for Men, Human
nature,?terms
Body,
religious
and
also
the
to
to
for
to
terms
Breast,
Live,
Die, Death,
Speak,
the
Moon
the
the
the
and
Stars.
Earth,
Sea,
Sun,
not

of

GROUP B :
Terms

for

Men
Body
Breast
Live
Die
Death
Speak
21
These
?5

terms

are

doubtless

all

of Latin

origin.

64

Rankin

(I, a.) Men:

Cf.

Anglo-Saxon
gastas,
gastberend,
buend, burhsittend, fira beam, et al.
2 Mac.
Genus hominum, Acta 17/26;

eorp

feorhberend,

filii homi
7/28.
Often in N. T.
passim.

num, Ps. 4/3;

*anima vivens,

10/5;
13/211/29;
1 Cor. 15/45.
Gen. 2/7 et al.
?omnes animae
manum
Ex.
et
al.
Job.
eorum,
1/5
tuarum,
opus
10/3, 14/
15.
*habitatores
Ex.
terrae, Gen. 34/30;
23/31;
50/11;
in
0.
*habitatores
Isa.
habitatores
T.
26/9.
orbis,
passim
urbium,
itatores

Gen.

19/25.
urbis, Deut.

*habitatores

civitatis,

Gen.

hab

24/13.

sim.

Judie. 20/30.
13/13;
Seculum, passim.
humanum,
seculi, Lu. 16/8.
Evang. Nie.
*genus
Joan.
?turbae, Matt.
5/1 passim.
?multitudo,
6/2, pas
Deut.
7, 98;
3/4,
5/19.
?linguae, Dan.
generatio,

32/5,

20,

*filii

hujus

409.

(frequent).
*ruricolae
51/139.
50/145.
*genus human
filii hominum
B.
mortales
H. 11.
51/293.
De Die 10.
humanum, Ven. Fort. Migne,
88/132;

*Terrigenae,
um

50/77.
*Genus

omnes homines, De Die 66. filii Adam, Aug.-conf.

*fili hominum, Aug.-Conf.
79, 203, 311.

13,

187,

189.

(I, b) Men:
Cf. Latin

animae,

ruricolae,

genae,

et

hominum,

anima

vivens,

humanum,

genus

terri

habitotores

terrae,

habitotores

urbium,

filii

al.

sawelbe
Gastas,22 And.
1002;
gastberend,22 Cri. 1600;
rend,22 Beo.
1005;
reordberend,2* Cri. 278;
feorhberend,22
Gen. 1955;
cwic wiht,2* Bid. 29/8; Mryhtwuniend,25
Craeft.
Met.
7;
woruldwuniend,24
13/7;
woruldbuend,24, Met. 13/35;
22
Gastas,
Beowulf
or

in the

of

the

vivens

gastberend,
sawelberend,
once
sawlberend
in

(except

poems,
non-religious
as does
also
creation,
as terms
for men.

29
Reofdberend,
in Beowulf
or the
it comes

ultimately

an

Cf.

Latin

anima

used

in

1002

and

ff)
account
anima

is also not used

formation,
analogical
I think
it not improbable
that
poems.
as a term
the Latin
used
for men.
linguae

probably
non-Christian
from

probably
cwic wiht.

and
not
feorhberend,
a moralizing
passage,
come from the Biblical

in Anglo-Saxon

of the Kennings

A Study

65

Poetry

*grundbuend/*
eor^beund,24 Ex. 84; *eorJ>waran,M Cri. 382;
Beo.
*foldbuend,24 Gu. 35;
132;
*londbuend,24 Wid.
1006;
?sundbuend, Cri. 73;
cherbuend,24 Jud. 96;
?egbuend,25 Eadg.
*burh

Cri. 337;
Cri. 616;
*burhsittend,
4/57; ^odbuend,24
Mensch.
Ges. 96;
Met.
waran,
10/47;
eormencynn26,
Cri. 226;
Rid.
*woruldbeara,
81/27;
handgeweorc,
beam,27 Gen. 1664; ^olcbearn,27 Gen. 1760;
?dryhta
Gu. 1103;
*gumena
*aej?elinga beam,27 Gen. 1216;

lgodes
*foldan
beam,21

beam,27
*leoda beam,27 Cri. 2; *elda beam,27 Dan. 106; *hae
*nij>)?a beam,27
lej?a beam,27 Jud. 51; *fira beam,27 Cri. 242;
Eid.
Eid.
*wera
*monna
27/18;
58/6;
beam,27
beam,27 Ex.
Beo.

878;

*fira cynn,28 Cri. 610;

Ph. 128;
*aelda
?byre monnes,
on
eorlas
eor}?an.
*monnacynn,M Jul. 470;
cynn,28 Cri. 780;
*manna gecynd, El. 734;
Jul. 510;
?werf>eod, El. 17; yrm
395;

en)?eoda, Men.
24
As

cynn28 And.

*haele^a

139;

909;

folc

under

and waran
the
evi
combinations,
wuniend,
occur
Buend
combinations
8 times
in
conflicting.
1 in Rid.;
1 in Wid.,
occurrence
and
their
1 in Finnsb.,
and
Beo.,
on the ground
were
that
be explained
early
reasonably
might
they
All
of
the
church.
these
combinations
from the
of
borrowed
language
are

for

is

dence

the

numerous
in
very
habitatores
terrae,

gest

28Dryhtwuniend
latter
the
tions,
of England.
tants

in

buend,

somewhat

29
Eormencyn
this
instance

deot

the

of

and, and
Germanic
that

genus
27
The

the

and
used

being

here

Hildebrandslied

were

possibly
formations
humanum

poems,
etc.

egbuend
in the

once

occurs
and

Christian

terrigenae,

and

they

are

apparently
to
Chronicle

in Beowulf

in the

where

(1957)

They
plural.
the
frequent

to my mind,
(but,
to designate
used
was
used
in Latin.

naturally

forma

analogical
the

designate

and
suggest

irminpiod
by no means
mankind
in

sug

inhabi

eormeripeod
at once

only
irmin

of

Heli

the

certainly)
same
the

old
way

are used
in the non
combinations
very
infrequently
and when
of
with
the
Beowulf;
they do oc
poems
exception
religious
in Rid.,
six times
and eight
times
in Run.,
arid once
in Seef,
cur, once
the fact that al4a
with
fact together
this
in Beowulf,
synir,
born, aida
in Old
occur
and hint der manne
in Old Norse
y ta synir
gumna
synir,
were
that
these
not
would
early
compounds
German,
disprove
High
into the everyday
over
of the church
from
the language
taken
speech
common
hominum.
Latin
come
the very
and that
from
filii
they
28
That
might

be

beam

these
explained

cynn
in

are derived
compounds
above
mentioned
the way

from

humanum
genus
in note
27.

Rankin

66
Cri.

wolcnum,
Ex.

oris,

folc under

588;

roderum,

Cri.

569;

wera

cne

3.

terms for Men may be grouped

of the Anglo-Saxon
in four classes:
(2) the buend group;
(1) the berend group;
In each of these
the
beam
the
cynn group.
group;
(3)
(4)
Most

groups
follows

I think

to the Latin

the relations

were

somewhat

as

and
such as aescberend
terms for warriors,
(1) Berend:
there
before
were
formed
not
but
like,
certainly
probably
occur in
was any Latin
influence, though similar formations
the

Latin,

as,

for

Vergil's

example,

On the analogy
sions for conceptions

etc.

scutatus,

clipeatus,

of these terms were

borrowed

from

cristatus,

later formed

expres
the Latin,?gastberend,

in
and perhaps feorhberend,?terms
reordberend,
sawelberend,
which
berend has become a suffix meaning
simply "having",
Of these terms it is probable that gastberend
"possessing".
come from the
and perhaps feorhberend
(^gast), sawelberend,
in the
Latin anima and anima vivens, which occur frequently
I sug
As for reordberend,
account of the creation.
Genesis
linguae, which recurs
gest that it may come from the Latin
many

in Daniel

times

as a term

guae
term reordberend

for men.
is used

tribus et lin
nationes,
is of some significance
that the
As
in the Anglo-Saxon
Daniel.
poem

in the formula
It

(ex
already noted, this group does not occur in Beowulf
we
in
Norse
In
Old
the
and
poems.
non-religious
cept
1004)
find berendr used as a suffix in sverpberendr,
hringberendr,
and skr?kberendr.
randberendr,
seipberendr,
has

If gastberend,
and feorhberend
sawelberend,
reordberend,
are of Biblical
it
be
asked
may
origin,
why they are not used
or the Old Saxon Genesis.
in the Heliand
In regard to the
as
I
shall
follows
the
the
Heliand,
author,
show,
faithfully
and
of the Latin Tatian,
that is, of the Gospels,
terminology
gives

no evidence

Testament,
for men.
that

these

of familiarity
with the language of the Old
anima and anima vivens are used as terms

in which

one can say

regard to the Old Saxon Genesis,
terms are infrequent even in the large body of An
In

in Anglo-Saxon

of the Kennings

A Study

Poetry

67

religious poetry, and that it is not of any great sig

that they do not appear in that part of the Old
Saxon poem which is preserved, particularly
since that part does
not treat of the creation.
glo-Saxon
nificance

to this group may be added the luuniend and

occur eight
buend compounds
combinations.
Though
in Beowulf,
and once in Widsi)^ and Finnsburg
respect

2. Buend:
waran
times

ively, there is some evidence to show that they are not ancient
terms but that they come from the Latin hdbitatores
Germanic
are
and hdbitatores
urbium,
terrae, habitatores
orbis, which
very frequent
combinations
with

its New

in the Old Testament.

do not occur
Testament

the buend
In Old Norse,
In the Heliand,

as terms for men.

is only one example,

Genesis A, on the
and herbuend once. In

there
terminology,
In the Anglo-Saxon

erthbuendi
(4316).
other hand, eorpbuend occurs five times
londbuend
Widsi)?,
(132) occurs in a Christian
the occurrence

As
passage.
of the terms might
early and naturally

for Beowulf
and Finnsburg,
on the theory that they were
be explained
into
everyday speech.
adopted
: in Old Norse,
3. Bearn
the only phrase

I have

found

In Old Saxon,
20).
are very frequent as
outside of the strictly
eight times, and once

this term is aida b?rnum (Vsp.

containing
on the other hand, the barn combinations
of men.

designations

In Anglo-Saxon,
occur in Beowulf

religious poems, they

in the Seafarer and the Eune
farer

(77),

aelda

beam

occurs

In the Sea
poem respectively.
in a Christian
passage,

J?aet hine aelda beam aefter hergen

and his lof sij^an lifge mid englum
awa to ealdre, ecan lifes blaed.
(77-79)
And

the Eune

poem

is a Christian

production.
is not only very fre
filii hominum,
equivalent,
oecurs often in the
but
the Old Testament,
quent throughout
a fact which
in the Gospels
and elsewhere,
New Testament
In all the
its frequent use in the Heliand.
would
explain
The

Latin

(who
religious poems except those of Cynewulf
Anglo-Saxon
seems to restrict the use of the word beam for the most part to

68

Rankin

of Christ)
the designation
the beam compounds are very fre
It
in
is
then,
my opinion,
quent.
quite possible that these
were
not old Germanic
terms but that they were de
phrases
rived

from

the Latin.

: it does not seem probable that the primitive Ger

or any other primitive people would conceive of all man
kind as a unit.
If it be objected that irmindeot
in the Hilde
ist
mir
al
brandslied
embodies
this con
irmindeot,
(chud
12)
4. Cynn

mans

ception, what then is meant by the plural

in Anglo-Saxon?
Does
irmindeot
139)

yrmen]>eodum
(Men.
in the Hildebrands

lied necessarily mean the entire human race?

On the whole,
it seems possible that the cynn compounds are derived from the
Latin

humanum.

genus

a.) Body:
Cf. Anglo-Saxon

(II,

et

elhus,

eor\faet,

banhus,

banfaet,

feorhhus,

saw

al.

de limo terrae, Gen. 2/7.

2/3,
*caro, Eph.
?vas
?vases fictiles, 2 Cor.
perditum, Ps. 30/13.
(frequent)
?terrestris domus, 2 Cor. 5/1.
Ps.
4/7.
?pulvis, Gen. 3/19;
2 Pet. 1/4.
103/29.
?tabernaculum,
?Hominem

?vas

?Vas, 50/273;
50/18.
59.
?cratis, Prud. Cath. VIII
148.
animae,

(II,

5.

Aug.?Conf.

Latin

vas,

terrestris

Lichama,28 And.
29
Lichama
doubtless

an

templum

tuum,

88/

Fort.?Migne

?cratis,

*domus

Vergil.

33.

Aug.?Conf.

formation

Vulgate
n

for
The

occur

the

domus,

domus

S. likhamo,
O. H.
formation
independent

G.

lichamo,
of Latin

occurs
in the non-religious
which
once
in the Seafarer,
I think was
influenced
largely
by the frequent
human

crates,

animae,

791 ; ?flaeschama,80 Gu.

(0.
old

90
Flaeschama,
in Beowulf
and

not

?vas, Ven.
100.

b.) Body:
Cf.

ical

Int.

Avit.-?de

?cratis,

190.

VII

Prud.?Cath.

et

al.

345 ; banhus,81 Ex.

O. N.

likhami)

was

influence.
poetry
probably
use
of

once
only
an analog
caro
in the

body.

of the body as a vessel,

a house,
or enclosure,
conception
in the non-religious
in Beowulf
and
the
poetry,
except

does
late

in Anglo-Saxon

of the Kennings

A Study

69

Poetry

102; bancofa, Gu. 94;

banfaet, Ph. 229; bansele, Dom.
And.
1181;
licfaet, Gu. 62;
banloca, Gu. 953;
eadorgeard,
?lamfaet, Cri. 15; *sawelhus, Gu. 1003;
?eor}?faet, Eede, 8;
Ges. 34; *feorh
Gu.
774;
?sawlhord, Mensch.
*gaestes hus,
523;

*feorhbold, Kireuz.
298;
*gaesthof,
?greothord, Gu. 1240;
El. 880.
hus, By.

821;

Cf. Anglo-Saxon
hordcofa,
feorhhord,
Lu. 6/45.
12/35;
?Thesaurus, Matt.
S. H. 61.
'claustra pectoris, S. H. 166.

Latin

Cf.

1182;

?j?aet faege

hus,

et al.

breostcofa,
?
claustra

pectorum,

Heart:92

b.) Breast,

(Ill,

And.

feorhhord,

Heart:

a.) Breast,

(Ill,

73;
Cri.

claustra

thesaurus,

al.

et

pectoris,

Dan.

Wand.

167;
18; breostloca,
hre}?ercofa,
ferh
10/12;
1329;) hreJ?erloca, El. 86; gewitloca, Met.
14;
J?loca, Wand.
13;
feorhloca, Gu. 625; hordcofa, Wand.
Met.
Beo.
1745;
22/59;
incofa, Met. 22/18;
hre)?er,
runcofa,
ferh}?cofa, Gen. 2603.
Breostcofa,

Cri.

nor does
it occur
poem Maldon,
are
and
found
ban combinations
As

for

influence.
in Old

the

82
Of
In

the

once;

I think

others,

Equivalents
Norse.
the

the

in

this

kennings

breostcofa
once
breostcofa,

and
hordcofa,
influence
the Christian
ticed,
in the other
obvious
poems
ferploca,

infrequent.
I have
claustra
Saxon
the

and Wand.

63 ff.;

might
On
the

phrases.
of

conception

independent
conception
hugborg,

few

but

found

pectoris

of

the

is very
viljabyrgi

the

Latin.

Latin
had

have
whole

breast

in the

as
The

(Cf.

poems

number

cf. muntun,
large:
et al.
hus hugar,

not

occur

in Beowulf.
gewitloca
Wanderer

no
already
it is also
and

been

Seafarer,
31
Bot.

Of
kennings.
some
influence

however,
seat
the

occurs

has

to Latin

due
do

Botschaft,
and
in the

As

each.

just named.
the religious

are

they

hreper
in the

the
only
formations.

native

apparently

once;

is evident
In

if.)

that

possible
compounds

group,
only
occurs
once;

hre\>erloca
Seafarer,
Lehren
in Des
Vaters

are

these

perhaps

it quite
ban

of

In Beowulf

the Heliand.

in

also
these
in

Lehr.
if.; Vat.
are
these
terms
thesaurus

and

Anglo
that
it seems more
probable
was
and
of thought
feeling
for this
terms
of Old Norse

munvangr,
(Corp. Poet.

forming

munstrond,
Bor.
2/452.)

hugtun,

Rankin

70
(IV, a.) Live, Life:
Cf. Anglo-Saxon
Mundo
mundi
H.

fugitiva

brucan,

blaeddaga

7/31.

mundi,-

gaudia

Ven.

et al.

brucan,
vitae, Lu.

8/14.
S.
51/196;

(Cf. *voluptates
*vitae* gaudia,
(frequent)

51/137

gaudia,

53.

worulde

1 Cor.

uti,

Fort.?Migne

88/162,

172.)
(IV, b.) To Live-:9
Cf. Latin mundo

uti,

also

as mundi

such phrases

gaudia,

vitae gaudia.
pp. 000.
?burhwelan brucan, Beo.
?Eardes brucan, Gen. 1952;
Beo.
1062
*worulde
brucan,
; ?lifwynna
brucan, Beo.
1953
; ?blaeddaga brucan, Gen.
?lifgesceafta brucan, Beo.
?worolde wynne healdan, Beo. 1080.
(V, a.) Die:
Cf. Anglo-Saxon
onsendan,

anima,

Egrediens

Job.

10/21

38;

15/13.

feorh alecgan,

gewitan,
secan,

dryhten

et
Gen.

?vadam

35/18.

Joan.

poner?,
domus
?si terrestris

2 Cor.

5/1.

feorh gesellan,

gast

al.

*animam

dissolvatur,

3100;
2097 ;
1201 ;

*animam

et

non

revertar,

17, 18;
13/37,
10/15;
nostra hujus habitationis
dare, Joan.
10/11.
(Cf.

regnum dei, Lu. 12/31.

cumque quaesieris
quaerite primum
non est requirens deum, Ro. 3/11.
Deut.
dominum,
4/29.
qui
se remunerator
inquirant dominum, Prov. 28/5.
inquientibus
sit, Heb.

emittere,
.11/6.)
*spiritum
Joan.
tradere,
19/30.
expirare, Mar.
solvi et esse cum Christo, Philipp.
Hebr.

2/9.

Matt.
15/37;
1/23.

27/50.
*spiritum
Lu. 23/46.
?dis
*mortem gustare,

*ad caelum mittere

?morte morior, Matt.
15/4.
caeca
?sidera
?tartarea
51/256.
50/212.
petere,

spiritum,
celsa petere,

50/212.

?sidera petere,

50/241.

?spiritus

astra

50/241.

petit,

88
The

for to live are

for the most
with
combinations
phrases
part
utor
sense as brucan
Latin
and fruor were
used
in the same
were
cf.
influential
in the
formation
of these
terms;
possibly

brucan.
and
mundo

uti.

gaudia

vitae,

With
mundi

lifwynna,
gaudia,

worolde
voluptates

wynne,
vitae.

and

blaeddaga,

compare

A Study

Gen.

morte

Sopitus
1441.

Juv.-Gen.
68/90.
?dominus

ad gaudia

(V, b.)

of the Kennings
quievit,

in Anglo-Saxon
198.

Juv.-Gen.

1441.

petiit deum, Juv.-Gen..

1441.
?arva deus petiit, homo
astra
?spiritus
petit, Avit.-Epitaph.
caelum

petiit,

perpetuae

Greg.-Hom.

exultationis

71

Poetry

Juv.

decessit,
corpus

reliquit,

sidera, Arat.-Migne
S. Greg. VI 2190.

in

Evang.

29.

emisit,

Acta.

Sanct.

?animam

11 Apr.

To Die:

Cf. Latin

dare,
egredi, decedere, animam poner?, animam
or
or
or
astro
and
deum
sidera
caelum
petere.
spiritum
In the following
for to die, the exact
long list of kenningsg
emittere,

are extremely difficult to make out. The

a
as
idea of death
departure, a setting out on a journey, might
as well as Latin, and also the concep
well have been Germanic
relations

to the Latin

In the brief notes

tion, giving up the world and its pleasures.
on the list, I shall call attention
cases in which
to
those
only
sources seem to me reasonably probable, or in which the
Latin
are striking.
Gen. 1236;
Gewitan,
for]?gewi
forJ?gewitan, Ex. 41;
tan of lice, Gen. 1622;
?for}?gewitan of worulde dreamum, Gu.
?on ?oTpweg gewitan, Beo.
?heonan gangan, And. 893;
1337;

parallels

2625; gumdream
ofgifan, Beo. 2469; hleahtor alecgan, gamen
Beo.
and gleodream,
3021; woruld of gifan, Beo. 1216; woruld
flet of
oflaetan, Beo. 1183;
grundwong
ofgifan, Beo. 2588;
Wand.
Beo.
1622;
oflaetan,
61;
gifan,
lifdagas
laendagas
lif oflaetan,88 Gen. 1073;
onweg hweor
alaetan, Beo. 2592;
fan of gearde, Beo. 265 ; ?lifes weg si)?e secan,84 Fa. 31 ; ?gewit
an on frean waere, Beo. 27 ; ?godes leoht ceosan,84 Chron. 3/B.2 ;
?metodsceaft
seon, Beo.
1181;
187;
secan,*1 Beo.
dryhten
?wynleas

wie

secan,84

Beo.

823;

?gewitan

dea)?wic

seon,

Beo.

feorh gesellan,88 And. 1618;

feorh alecgan,88 Beo. 852;
1275;
frem
?feorh wi}> flaesce ealdre gedaelan, Fa. 36-; aldorgedal
sendan
Gen.
man, Gen. 1071;
1142;
0friJ?gedal fremman,
sawle to Criste,85 Chron. 5/2 ; gast onsendan,85 And. 187 ; ?sen
dan gast on godes waere,88 Chron. 5/3 ; ?sendan gast to metod

Rankin

72

sceafte,85 Men. 172; ende gesellan, Fa. 85; fyrngewyrht

fyllan,
*feorh ofgifan,86 Fa. 12; *feorh alaetan,86 Jul. 477;
Gu. 944;
lif geceosan,84 Fa. 20;
*lif alaetan,88 Jul. 483;
?langsumre
*sawle forletan,88 Jul. 488;
?wuldres leoht gesecan,84 Fa. 61;
Fa.

secan,84

?sigelean

wic

uncu)?
ellor

81;

ham

?langne

Fa.

secan,34

secan,34

Fa.

93;

?eard

93;

Fa.
J^rowian,
mandreamum

?swilt

from
Beo.
71;
55;
hweorfan,
sa
secean
wol
Beo.
hweorfan,
1715;
so}?faestra dorn,
?gewat
Beo. 2819-20;
grundwong
ofgifan, Beo. 2588;
?agifan eoTp
cunde ead, Gen. 1626;
Cri. 1667;
wynne,
?ofgifan J?as eorJ?an
ceosan o}?er
hinan wendan, Gen. 476;
ellor scacan, Beo. 2254;
in o)?er leoht, Men.
gangan
?ceosan ece lif,84Ph. 381;

leoht,34 Chron. 3/22;

o)?er lif,34 Gen. 1626;
1201

Beo.

raed,34

ece

?secan

441

Dan.

dreamas,84

?secan
97;
?ceosan ecne
;

?gangan

on

eardes on upweg, Gu. 1340;

352;
godes
to
J?am longan gefean, Gu. 1280 ; *feran
?gaest englas feredun
Seel. 104;
*helle secan,84 Jul. 682;
onweg, secan hellegrund,
rice, Sal.

ece

lif

the

Latin

38.

Fa.

gesecan,34

34
The

neosan

wica

come
from
combinations
ceosan,
geceosan
possibly
are
which
it ?3 perhaps
common,
phrases,
though
an old Germanic
that
which
have
been
formula,
probable
may
or ceosan,
leoht secan
served as a model.
More
the
still,
probably
to others
similar
in existence.
rise to terms
gave
phrases
already

more
oper
Latin

secan,

petere

85
The
back

(sawle ) sendan
gast
animam
(spiritum)
Crucifixion.

to

of

the

to

such

(onsendan
emittere

the

86
These
Latin

with
phrases,
combinations

less

somewhat
as

) combinations
used

phrases

animam

in

go
probably
the account

be
may
probability,
animam
dare,

poner?,

assigned
spiritum

tradere.
87
In
less

regard
to

parallel
do not occur
tions:

for

in the
example,

Guprkv.
tyna,
sk. 51/60;
Sigkv.
lam. 84.
lifi

to
the

the

Old

Norse

terms

for

it
Anglo-Saxon
phrases,
older mythological
poems
kvol
2/12;
?ndu

pola, Atlam.
aldri
tyna,
lata,

Sigkv.

62;

or
are more
to die, which
is to be noted
that
they
forma
and may
be later

fjorvi
sk.

Sigkv.
sk. 53;

lata,

sk.
16;
Sigkv.
?ndu
tyna,
At
annat,

51/62;
i ljos
fara

A Study

in Anglo-Saxon

of the Kennings

(VI, a.) Death:

Cf. Anglo-Saxon
?Tempus

gedal, sip, hinsip,

2 Tim. 4/6.
resolutionis,

Christo,

Poetry

73

et al.
(Cf. dissolvi et esse cum
tabernaculi mei, 2 Petr.

1/23.)
Philipp.
?depositio
?et semitam, per quam
IX 103.
occasus, Prud.-Cath
1/14.
non revertar, ambulo, Job. 16/23.
fugit velut umbra et num
state
in
eodem
Job.
deficient et in pul
14/2.
quam
permanet,
verem suum revertentur, Ps. 103/29.
hac nocte animam tuam

a te, Lu. 12/20.

si terrestris
domus nostra
repetunt
2 Cor. 5/1.
habitationis
bonam voluntatem
dissolvatur,
mus magis peregrinari
a corpore, 2 Cor. 5/8.

hujus
habe

(VI, b.) Death:

et al.
Cf. Latin resolutio, depositio,
as a journey is implied in
of
the
death
conception
Though
in the Bible,
various passages
the exact term is not used (cf.
2 Cor. 5/8 et al.)
It is more probable
Job, 10/21;
16/23,
that

the Anglo-Saxon
phrases
Germanic
origin.

mon

expressing

this

idea are of com

se deora si>, Sal. 361;

Si}?, Gu. 1349;
bealusif>, Ex. 5;
Mensch.
Gem.
Gu.
55;
1023;
forj^si]?,
neosij?,
ellorsij?, Beo.
Gu.
Gu.
2452;
773; hingong,
783; hinsi]?, Gu. 1331;
foTpweg,
?feorh
heonansij?, Jung. Ger. 86;
0ealdorgedal,M Beo. 806;
Gu.
Gu.
Gu.
1019;
1151;
936;
0dea>gedal,M
gedal,88
^ifgedal,38
Gu.
?lices gedal,88 Ph. 651;
1008;
?Welgedal,38
?gastgedal,88
Gen. 1127;
'nydgedal,38 Gu. 906; ealdorlagu, Gu. 1234; feorh
lague, El.
wiga

458;

156; ealdorbealu, Beo. 1677;

?woruld gedal,88 El.
581;
utgong
Gu.
Jul.
feorhcwalu,
573;
feorh-cwealm,

feorhbealu,
Ph. 486;

waelgifre,88
Jul. 661;

heonan,
887.

Beo.

88
From

are
in
seldom
found
the gedal
the fact
that
compounds
in the
it is
but
poems,
religious
frequently
non-religious
poetry
dis
influence.
show Latin
that
Cf.
these
resolutio,
kennings
possible
in Old Saxon.
do not occur
olvere,
depositio.
They
the

89
As

for

termine

whether

fication

wiga

and

Gu.

972)

the

other
or

waelgifre
and was

not

phrases
there
occurs
probably

to de
it would
be difficult
list,
The
influence.
personi
any Latin
in the religious
twice
(Ph. 486
poetry
not an old German
phrase.
in the

was

74

Rankin

(VII, b.) To Speak:

Cf. Anglo-Saxon
et

wordhord

onlucan,

onspannan,

ferplocan

al.

?Solutum

est vinculum

1 Eeg.
Isa. 24/14;
claustra oris, Micah

11/4,

levare vocem,
linguae, Mar. 7/35.
*os
passim.
aperire, Ps. 77/2.
(Cf.

7/5.)

(VII, b.) To Speak:

Cf. Latin vinculum

linguae solvere.
that these phrases for to speak are of Germanic
are the older, and
the onlucan combinations
Probably

It is likely
origin.
the

onwreon

and

onspannan

the

poetry,
religious
worth while

however,

later

analogical
the Latin

comparing

occur

which

compounds,

are

in

only

It

formations.

is,
and ora

ora solvere

and the Vulgate

solvere
aperire of Ovid (cited by Bode)
culum linguae
also
claustra
oris
(Mar. 7/35).
Compare

(Mi

cah, 7/5).
Wordhord

172 ;

wordhord

onlucan, Beo. 259 ; modhord

onlucan, And.
onwreon, Jul. 1; wordlocan
onspannan, And.

hordlocan

And.

vin

470;
Jul.

onspannan,
671;
fer)?locan onspannan,
179; to)?um ontynan, Zaub. 1/32; wordes ord J?urhbraec bre
ostes hord, Beo. 2792 ; laetan word ut faran, Beo. 2552 ; beadu
rune

El.

onspannan,

ontynan,40

Ps.

501

Beo.

onbindan,

locan

; meoto

86;

onsaelan,

wordum

wrixlan,

Beo.

489

Beo.

; hre}?er
366;

muj?

77/2.

GROUP C:
Terms

for

Sea
Earth
On Earth
Sun

(I, a.) Sea:

Cf. Anglo-Saxon
et

floda

and

Stars.

begong,

flodes

wylm,

ypa gewealc,

al.
40
Mup

tynan.

ontynan

translates

os

aperire

in Ps.

77/2.

Of.

topum

on

of the Kennings

A Study

et al.;
106/25
41/8;
*oceani limites, 50/136.

?Fluctus, Ps.
maris, Job. 9/8.
S.

H.

7.

?fluctus

Avit.-de

Init.

gurges,

Avit.-de

?fluctus

fr?ta,

ponti

Trans.
?undae, Avit.-de
140 and passim.
Trans
often.
?aestus (Vergil)

75

Poetry
14/27.

244.

Jno.-Gen.

aequorei,

Ex.

50/11;

?vastus

146

35.

237.

Aug.-Conf.
I have

in Anglo-Saxon

gurges,

and

*oceani

passim,

ambitum,

for the sea or

but very few Latin kennings
even
when there
And
natural
of
the
any
phenomena.
ex
that the Latin
are parallels,
it could hardly be maintained
found

indeed

In the
phrase.
pression was the source of the Anglo-Saxon
cases
in
the
shall
I
indicate
notes to the following
lists,
simply
which the Latin phrases are more or less similar.
for the sea are much more nu
The Anglo-Saxon
kennings
than those in Old Saxon,
merous,
varied, and highly wrought
And
in Old Norse.
and are more like the numerous kennings
both

the Anglo-Saxon
to me to suggest more

and Old Norse

than any others

for the

terms

the quality

sea seem

of the Cel

tic imagination.
(I, b.) Sea:
Cf. Latin
et

gurges,

oceani

ambitum,

oceani

limites,

undae,

fluctus,

al.

ej^el, Bot. 25; fifelcynnes

ej?el, And. 274; maewes
El.
fifel
237; fifelstream, Met. 26/26;
waeg,
104;
fisces
Beo.
seolhba}?u,
293;
1862;
bae)>, And.
baej?,
ga?otes
Rid. 11/11;
seolhwaJ?u, And. 1714;
bae)?weg, El. 244; hran
Hwaeles

eard, Beo.

rad, Beo. 10; swanrad, Beo.

gelad, And. 190; argeblond,

210;
And.

segelrad,

Beo.

1430;

deop
And.

383;
ary)?a geblond,
y}?a ful, Beo.
arwela, And. 855; waeg faet, Rid. 4/37;
?floda begang, Beo. 1498;
?siole>a bigong, Beo. 2367;
1193;
7; lagofaesten, El.
fyrnstreamas, Waif.
?y}?a gelong, Bot. 40;
?noda
?flodes
El.
230;
wylm, Beo. 1756;
249;
?waeges welm,

532;

7 ;
2809 ; ?y)?a gewealc, Seef. 6 ; ?y>>agelac, Klag.
Bot. 4; firigenstream,
sealtstream,
?sealty)?a gelac, Seef. 35;
seo
fealu flod, Beo. 1050;
Beo.
And. 390;
1990;
sealtwaeter,
genip,

Beo.

se ginna

grund,

Beo.

1552;

wa)?ema,

gebind, Wand.

24;

gar

76

Rankin

Chron. 3B/27;
?waetera gearing,
brim, El.
secg, Ex. 281;
253 ; heah holm, El. 982 ; holmj^racu, El. 727 ; hreo hrycg,
El. 239;
Cri. 851;
?holma bigong, Jul.
112;
earhgeblond,
brad waeter, Ps. 105/8;
ceald waeter, Cri. 852; deop waeter,
Gen.

?waeteres

2875;

pTjm, And.

1262;

?waeteres wylm,

El.

39.

Most

of the kennings
in the first half of the foregoing
list,
swanrad
is those of the hwaeles epel, ga?otes
and
baep,
type, probably are quite independent of any Latin source. Com
mon in Beowulf,
they occur in the other poems partly no doubt
that

as the

result

of the

influence

is seen most

imitation

of Beowulfian
in Andreas.

Of

This
phrasing.
the phrases of

clearly
this type, Cynewulf
In
in the signed poems uses only swanrad.
Old Saxon they do not occur at all.
In Old Norse kennings
for

the

sea

are

numerous:

very

bla~maer,
glae-heimr;
skers glym-fj?turr,
lando
mava

moer,

saepings

braut,

borp-heimr,
land

gar

vongr;
braut, Jalks

silaegja,

girdle,
band;

angrs

lyrgota,

vangr,

as

bup,

land

of

alheimr,

diupan

mar,

haupr-men,
pangs-pjdlmi,
land of sea beasts, ma-skeip,

hval-moenir,

hvals

rann,

lyso

borpa
f ley ja flat-vollr,
land of fishing, dor
hof-slopir,
stafn-klif;
Ekkils
of sea-kings, Vondils
jormungrund,

slop;

moer, Rokna

ships,

Ropa rein, Ropo rost, Geitis

land, Glamma
vegr, Leifa
slop, Rokna
stigr, Fropa flat-slop,
also the
bekkr.
vongr, Sveipa
trop, Solsa
Sveipa
Compare
and
terms for the waves:
sia-gnipa,
mar-fjoll,
huno-gnipor,
Aegis

doettr, Hless
doettr, Eyluprs
Bor. 2/456 and 470.)

Poet,
The
welter

rym-lei,

phrases,
of waters,

on
with

nio

brupir,

et al.

(Corp.

the sea as a
hand, describing
waves
and
currents, as well
struggling

the

other

as such phrases as floda begong, come much closer to the Latin,

and may possibly have been influenced
in their formation by
such expressions as fluctus, aestus, gurges, undae, oceani limites,
oceani

As

ambitum,

etc.

to garsecg, without
call attention
to the gloss

an etymology,
I simply
attempting
in the Wright-Wiilker
Anglo-Saxon

A Study
and

of the Kennings

in Anglo-Saxon

Old

Vocabularies
English
oceanus
with
and sae with
equated

77

Poetry

where
(1/154),
mare, aequor.

garsecg

(II, a.) Earth:

Cf. Anglo-Saxon
ymbhwyrft,
*fines
Orbis, de Die?36.
Eom.

creatura,
cardines,
(II,

eorpan sceatas, et al.

terrae, 1 Sam. 2/10.
often.
terrarum,
(Vergil)

*orbis

8/22.

*Omnis
*orbis

50/265.

b.) Earth:
Cf. Latin orbis, orbis cardines,

omnis

is

et

creatura,

orbis

terrae,

orbis

terrarum,

al.

of kennings
for earth in Anglo-Saxon
is much
or
even
we
Saxon
in
Old
if
Norse,
may
larger
of terms in the Corpus Poeticum
Bor
judge by the collection
With
?ale (2/456).
the exception
of foldvegr
and mipgarp
The

number

in Old

than

in all the Ger

(Goth, mid jungar?s, which has its equivalent
manic dialects)
the Old Norse phrases do not throw much light
on the Anglo-Saxon
terms:
thus vind-kers
botn, el-kers botn,
no
aida ve, manna
and
have
in Anglo
sjot,
i-groen
parallels
Saxon.

?Hwyrft,41 Dan.

322;
Jul.

Wand.

85; grund, Hy.

se sida
Cri.
10; brytengrund,
357;
se wida grund, Dan. 301;
se ginna grund,
eardgeard,

9/30;
yrmengrund,
grund, Gen. 134;
Wid.
fold
51; se ruma grund, Gen. 213; eorJ?weg, El. 1015;
se
Jul. 334; grundwaeg, And. 582;
weg, Cri. 530; moldweg,
Beo.
wlitebeorhta
Eid.
wong,
93; pes gtena wong,
61/83;
}?es
7 ; }?eodland, Cri. 306 ; burga gesetu, Cri.
Sal. Sat.
1240;
*}>eos side gesceaft,
*ymbhwryft,41 El. 731;
frod fyrngeweorc,
368;
J?eos laene gesceaft,48 Sal. Sat. 32;
Ph. 84; frean ealdgeweorc,41 Met.
11/40;
rice, Met.
g?mena
beorhta

9/41;

bosm, Pan.

?eodera ymbhwyrft,41
41
Ymbhwyrft,

poetry,
non-religious
or orbis
terrarum.
48
These

phrases

which

does

Jul.

occur

not

is apparently
In Ps.
89, it
suggest

113;
a

in

Beowulf

translation

translates

Christian

fira modor,

orbis

influence.

of

orbis,
terrae.

Zaub.
and

the
orbis

1/67;
older
terrae,

78

Rankin

foldan

fae)?m, Beo.

dangeard,

1393;

*eorJ?an sceatas,42 And.

332;

under

et

mid

75.

Beo.

a.) On Earth:

(Ill,
Cf.

under

Anglo-Saxon

*In

terra, Lu. 2/14.

*sub firmamento,

often.

orbis cardines,

roderum,

*sub
Gen.

wolcnum,

al.

caelo, Gen. 1/9; Deut.

*sub sole, (Vergil)

1/20.

4/17,
*per

50/265.

b.) On Earth::
Cf. Latin
sub caelo, sub firmamento,
It is remarkable that the Old Saxon

(Ill,

have

little

sub

sole, et al.
phrases for on earth

in common

with the Anglo-Saxon

terms.
in
the
which
has
Heliand,
only parallels
eighteen expres
sions for the idea, are undar pesum himile, which occurs once,
and mid firihon, which also occurs once.
I think it not im
extremely

The

probable that the familiar Latin

phrases had some influence
in the multiplication
of Anglo-Saxon
terms.
In any case it is
worth while to call attention to the closeness of the parallels.
Under wolcnum, Beo. 8; *under roderum, Beo. 310; ?un
der roderes hrofe, Hy. 5/5;
*under swegle, Wid.
101; *under
Beo.
860
?under
605 ; *un
Cri.
;
swegles begong,
swegles hleo,
der heofonum, Wid.
?under heofonhwealfe,
And.
142;
545;
?under heofones

Rid. 42/32;
*under sunnan, And.
mid
And.
1915;
2;
tunglum,
eldum, Wald.
11; be
saem tweonum, Gu. 251;
on eoipwege, El. 1014;
on mold
on grundum,
Cri. 482;
Cri.
wege, Jul. 334; geond widwegas,
sidne
Cri.
ealne
682;
geond
grund,
785;
yrmenne
geond
hwearfte,

under

grund,

Cri. 481 ; ofer ealne yrmenne

42
Eorpan
rae.

Compare

rices
the

(Cri.
phrase

meaning.
surface

(foldan)
fram
879-80).
and
from

Sometimes,
of the earth.

sceatas

suggests

feowerum
foldan
It is reasonable

Jul.

10.

car dines

and

grund,
orbis

sceatum

pam

to suppose
sceatas
that
this was
plural
as in Kreuz.
however,
43, it seems
the

fines

ter

eorpan
ytemestum
from
the nature
of
the original
to mean
the

A Study

in Anglo-Saxon

of the Kennings

79

Poetry

(IV, a.) Sun and Stars:

Cf. Anglo-Saxon
et al.
leoht, swegles leoma, heofoncondel,
in firmamento
*Luminaria
luminare
caeli, Gen. 1/14, 16.
Gen.

minus,

majus?luminare

*luminaria

1/16.

stellae,

Ezect.

10/22;
caeli, Deut, 4/19;
2
*sidera caeli, Heb.
11/12;
Baruc. 6/59.
sidera, passim in

29/3.
32/8.
*lucerna,
?astra dei, Isa. 14/13.
28/62.
*sidera splendida,
Mac. 9/10.
0. T. *stellae
caeli, Gen. 22/17;
N.T.

caeli,

*astra

Job

in

passim

26/4,

passim

in 0.

T.

&

& N.T.

O.T.

unaris
50/30.
(Vergil).
lampas,
170.
*astra polorum, 50/127,
?mican
tium astrorum
*sidera
chorus
50/15.
caeli, 51/62.
globi
217.
dierum
et
aetherea sidera, 50/239.
astrorum, 50/
globi
*Lampas,
*lumina caeli,

50/113,

50/170.

(IV,

menstrualis

Prud.

sphaera,

538.

b.) Sun,

Stars:

Latin

lampas,

Cf.

327.

Prud.?Peri.

noctium,

Peri. X

Beo.

lucerna,

lumina

caeli,

et

luminaria,

al.

And.
*heofonleoma,
840;
*swegles
Ph.
Ph.
leohtes
leoma,
288;
leoht,
103;
*swegles
Ph.
Ph.
108;
113;
116;
tapur,
*sweglcondel,44
*swegles
*roderes
And.
243;
condel,44 Beo.
1573;
*heofoncondel,44
*Leoht,
leoma, Ph.

569;

condel,44 Ph.
837;
condel,44 And.
?godes

Beo.

Voruldcondel,44
?wedercondel,44 And.

91;

1966;
wederes

?daeg

blaest,
31;
folca fri}?condel,44 Gu.
weder
And.
tacen, Gu. 1267;
839;
wera,44 Gu. 1186; merecondel,44 Met. 13/57;
2539; wyncondel
beorht beacen godes, Beo. 570; gim,45 Men. 109; swegles gim,45
44
The

in

condel

in Beowulf

twice

occur
in the non-religious
phrases
once
in Brunanburh.
and
They
in

the

poems,
particularly
religious
influenced
that
probable
they were
are
Their
luminare.
equivalents
parently
46
occur
most

do

occur

In

Beowulf

and

as

follows:

once

frequent

not

4n

the

in Old

by
not

Phoenix.

Latin

found

in

It

is

follows
frequent
im
not

lampas,
lucerna,
and
the Heliand

and
ap

Norse.

the

combinations
the gim
poems,
are
once
in the Riddles.
They
Latin
the other
poems.
religious

non-religious
and
in Beowulf

Phoenix

the

the

as
poetry
are more

and

80

Rankin

208; wuldres gim,45 Ph. 117; heofones gim,45 Beo.

se a?rela glaem, Gu. 1252; heofones wyn, Beo. 1803;
seo a?rele
Chron.
Ph.
95;
fyrngeweorc,
gesceaft,

Ph.

Cri.

aej?elast

tungla,
Cri.

heofontungol,

607;

693;

Cri.

692;
242.

halge gimmas,45
beacna beorhtast, And.

2073;
faeder
1/16;
haedre

OLD SAXON KENNINGS;.

kennings with the Anglo
The Heliand
ways instructive.
poet's chief
of Tatian,
is definitely
source, the Gospel Harmony
known;
in
and it is interesting
to note how he handles his material
A

comparison
Saxon is in many

of the Old

Saxon

of kenning formation and to observe the differences

of his diction as compared with
that of the
similarities

the matter
and

Anglo-Saxon

many

poets.

striking

Such

shows

comparison

at

glance

and reveals

similarities

and makes
striking differences,
of the Old Saxon poet.
In regard to the religious

clearly also many equally

evident the more popular style

in the Heliand,
they
kennings
For example,
the Anglo-Saxon.
there is only one kenning46 for the conception of God as creator
as judge or giver.
of Him
And
and none for the conception
are fewer and less varied

than

the number

of kennings
in the other categories which
common
with the Anglo-Saxon
Saxon has in
is much
The kennings
for God in Old Saxon are also much
and more
one

concrete

than

in Anglo-Saxon.
as a spirit,
of Him

abstract

the conception
of Him
conception

influence

is not

for

There

those

as glory
I have

the Old
smaller.
simpler
is only

only

one for

the

or splendor,

and no

ab

not

noted

close

any
equiva
improbable,
though
or Old Norse.
do not occur
in Old Saxon
the
In general
They
Old Norse
for the sun have no counterparts
in Anglo-Saxon,
kennings
for example,
Val
himins
alskir,
hleifr,
himin-targa,
fagrahvel
ey-glo,
ve mana
Dvalins
and Mundil-fora
\dottir.
leika
foprs
systir
(Corp.
Poet.
Bor.
2/457,
470.)
lents.

46
My
Heliand
the

poem,

statements
are
p.

based
391

with
to the number
regard
Sievers'
Formelverzeichnis
upon
ff.
Eduard
Sievers.
Heliand.

of Kennings
in
in his
edition
Halle,

1878.

the
of

of the Kennings

A Study

in Anglo-Saxon

81

Poetry

On the
like Anglo-Saxon
wyn, hyht, or maegen.
as
other hand, God
is for the most part simply the most
King
or
as lord, herr o,
of
the
Kings
heavenly King;
powerful
terms

stract

as protector,
or frao;
landes ward;
drohtin,
helag drohtin
as son,
as father,
as savior, simply heliand;
simply fader;
beam

or

godes

abstract

as

phrases
sopcying,

sigora

sunu.

godes

are

There

the Anglo-Saxon
wealdend,

wuldres

no

such

weoroda

pry mm es
eollre
ealdor,

complex

or

wuldorcyning,
eallra
hyrde,

beam,
sybbe
prymma prym, maegenprymmes
weoroda wuldorgifa,
wyn,
Ufes
holigra hyht, etc.
heofonmaegen,
are more fam
for God, moreover,
The Old Saxon kennings
For
iliar and intimate than the Anglo-Saxon.
example, He is
and fro min the godo, the Hobo herro,
of all Kings,
or neriandero,
landes
the godo,
ward, heliandero
liof
leriandero or radandero bezt, allaro barno bezt or liobast, manno
is laid on
far more
the bezt or liobast.
emphasis
Similarly

the best
herro

of Christ; He is called bam 43 times, gumo

all these instances
the term being used
5,?in
name
Such use of familiar
Christ.
apart from the
nature

the human

14, and man

separately,
terms is foreign
has

What

to Anglo-Saxon.
said of the Old

been

in a somewhat

is true,

Saxon

kennings
less noticeable

for

the

degree,
though
Deity
For example,
for other religious conceptions.
of the kennings
is generally
heaven
simply as godes riki, ewig lif,
designated
of heaven
or lioht godes or himiles.
The concrete conception
as
in hebanwang,
as a wang occurs frequently
groni wang,
times.
23
does also the conception of it as lioht, which is found
and
of course gives
vizualization
simplicity
to the description.
So, also, in the phrases for hell,
are few and concrete, though the Old Saxon poet
the kennings
same is true for devils,
The
took over the Latin
infernus.

Such

concrete

vividness

the
with Anglo-Saxon,
in comparison
the cross:
are
or
the
drohtines
are
few.
Feond, godes
engil
very
kennings
no
ken
are
definite
there
and
usual terms for devil
angel:
and in the case of the cross,
for
the
hosts,
heavenly
nings
and

angels,

none

for

signum

victoriae.

82

Rankin
now

to the non-religious
in the Heliand,
kennings
and less variety
than
again observes greater
simplicity
one finds in Anglo-Saxon.
It is noteworthy
that among the
Turning

one

for men,
and

kennings
sittend,
and that

like the Anglo-Saxon

wuniend,
phrases
berend combinations
do not occur at all,

waran
the

buend

compounds

common

are
in Anglo-Saxon
and
that
this
is
erpbuand

the

represented
by
single phrase
are the most frequent.
found only once. The barn combinations
In this connection,
it is significant
that the Latin habitatores

terrae, orbis) are found every

(e.g. habitatores
the Old Testament,
occurs
whereas
fllii hominum
in the gospels as well as in the Old Testament.
Further

combinations
where
often

in

the frequent werooV1 in the Heliand

more,
a rendering of the often recurring multitudo

is often
and

apparently
turbae of the

it is noteworthy
Likewise
that in Old Saxon there
Gospels.
no
is
the conception
of the human body
kenning
expressing
as a containing
a conception
vessel or as a house or dwelling,
occur frequently
which
in the Anglo-Saxon
In the
poetry.
gospels Latin expressions for such ideas do not occur, but they
exist elsewhere
in the Bible.
In the Heliand
there are no kennings
for the breast as the
seat of the soul and, as in Anglo-Saxon,
only a few for live,
those for death, combinations
like
death, and speak. Among
the Anglo-Saxon
are
not
which
is
found,
gedal compounds
in view
J,oO significant
for such phrases occur

of the fact

that

the Latin

in the Old Testament,

equivalents
but not in the

Gospels.
The

Old Saxon Kennings

for sea are very few and prosaic
with those of the Anglo-Saxons:
all the strik
in Anglo-Saxon
that are frequent
ingly picturesque
phrases
are noticeably
some
furnishes
fact which
poetry
absent,?-a
evidence to support the theory that the Anglo-Saxon
kennings
in comparison

of this type show Celtic influence.

In Old Saxon the kennings
for die are, as in Anglo-Saxon,
numerous
and comprise the sokian combinations
as well as the
*7Cf. the

feeding

of five

thousand.

H.

2810 ff.

A Study
for

phrases

in Anglo-Saxon

of the Kennings

life and giving

down

laying

83

Poetry

the world

up

and

its

pleasures.

for the Heliand

kennings for earth, sun, moon and stars,
are
more
and
fewer
phrases.
prosaic than the Anglo-Saxon
they
condel com
that the common Anglo-Saxon
It is noteworthy
As

pounds do not exist.

fact that lampas and
occur

do not

bodies

too

in view of the
is significant
as designations
of the heavenly
in the gospels but are found in the Old
This

lucerna

This

and

in the hymns.
conclusions:

Testament
following
I.
If

to the

poet was an ecclesiastic,48 his style is

in accomplish
succeeded marvelously
ordered
of Louis
the Pious
command

the Heliand

not

leads

comparison

and he

ecclesiastical,
the alleged
ing what
him to do.49
II.

All
come

have

in the Heliand
the religious kennings
might
the gospels
through the Latin Tatian;

from

show no evidence

that the author was

familiar

well

they
the Latin

with

From the gospels

hymns or even with the Psalms or Genesis.
of Christ.
also comes naturally
the emphasis on the humanity
with
furn
the Anglo-Saxon
III.
this comparison
Finally,
for believing
that not only many of the religious
in Anglo-Saxon
poetry, but also some expressing non
come
from the Old Testament,
the New
conceptions

ishes evidence
kennings
religious
Testament

from the Gospel

of Nico
outside of the gospels,
or
sources.
Latin
from
other
demus, from the Latin
hymns
arises
For the religious
this
is
it
evidence
clear;
kennings
in Old Saxon and the frequent oc
from the rare occurrence
48
Diese
dichter
doch
ed.

ein
aller

auffasung
mann
von

hat

by Edward
Der
dichter

Sievens.
des Heliand

Ib., p. XLIV.
geistlicher.
*8
namque
Praecepit
suos non
vates
ignobilis
in

die

zur

ann?hme

Germanicam

solum

literatis

lectio

panderetur.

Halle,
war

ohne

also

cuidam
habebatur,

Preface

gewesen
Heliand,

sei,

unser
d.

h.

p. XLIII

1878.

viro

zweifei

allen

de
ut

gente
ac
vetus

transferre
poetice
linguam
sacra
verum
etiam
illiteratis
(Latin

dass

Vorbedingung

.bildung
gelehrter,
geistlicher
Wahrscheinlichkeit
nach
ein geistlicher.

to The

sachsischer

Saxonum,
qui
apud
novum
Testamentum

studeret,
divinorum

Heliand.)

ein

quatenus
praeceptorum

non

84

Rankin

of God as creator;
of the conception
in Anglo-Saxon
in Anglo
and
the
in
from the absence
Old Saxon
presence
of
of Glory, King
of God as King
Saxon of the conception
currence

Lord of Might,
Lord
of Hosts,
of Lords, Lord
etc;
Kings,
of
of heaven as a city (as in Kevelations),
of the conception
as
Nico
a
of
hell
(as in the Gospel
place of imprisonment
a
as
monstrous
of
the
devil
beast, dragon, or ser
;
demus)
the cross as the sign
in
and
of
Eevelations
;
Genesis)
pent (as
in
Constantine
of victory
the
story), and of the phrase
(as
not applied to the cross
occurs?though
?in
In regard to the non-religious
Genesis and Eevelations.
same effect from the rare
to
the
there
is
evidence
kennings
"tree

of life" which

occurrence
Saxon

and the frequent occurrence in Anglo

for men, and from the absence in
compounds

in Old Saxon

of buend

in Anglo-Saxon
of wuniend,
presence
of the con
for
berend
men;
sittend, waran,
compounds
ception of the body as a vessel, dwelling or enclosure ; of death
as a dissolution ; and of the sun as a lamp or candle.

Old

Saxon

and

the

and

James

University

of Vermont.

Walter

Kankin.