Lore · Norse · NRS·08

Ravens in Old Norse Kennings

Skaldic circumlocutions — the raven as poetic building block

[lore] Old Norse skaldic poetry uses kennings — two-part compound circumlocutions that replace direct words. Ravens are both subjects of kennings ("Huginn's kin," "wound-bird") and bases for kennings about warriors, swords, and battles ("feeder of ravens" = warrior; "raven's feast" = battle). The raven is one of the most frequent kenning elements in the surviving skaldic corpus.

What Is a Kenning?

[lore] A kenning (kenning, ON kenning from kenna "to know; to refer to") is a two-element compound phrase that substitutes for a single noun in Old Norse (and Old English) poetry:

brimfugll ("surf-bird") = seagull
hrönn-sær ("wave-pig") = ship
bein-sker ("bone-cutter") = sword

Kennings can be extended into "hyperkennings" of three or more elements. They were the central ornament of skaldic verse — a poet's skill was measured in part by the complexity and aptness of their kennings. Snorri Sturluson's Skáldskaparmál (Prose Edda, c. 1220) catalogues kenning types systematically.^1,2

Kennings for the Raven Itself

[lore] The raven can be referred to by kennings that describe its associations:

sárfugll — "wound-bird" (sár = wound; fugll = bird)
valgefn — "corpse-giver" or "battle-gift bird" (val = the slain; gefa = to give)
Munins niðr — "kinsman of Muninn" (kinsman of Odin's raven)
Hugins vinr — "friend of Huginn"
valþjófr — "corpse-thief" or "battle-thief"
Various compounds involving val- (the battle-slain) + bird element

These kennings emphasise the raven's role as a carrion feeder at the battlefield — the defining cultural association of the raven in Old Norse warrior culture.^1,2

Kennings for Warrior Using "Raven"

[lore] A warrior can be kenned as "feeder of [ravens/wolves/eagles]" — the beast-of-battle formula applied to kenning structure:

hrafnblóðgari — "raven-bloodier" (one who provides ravens with blood to drink)
"Feeder of Huginn" — a warrior who feeds Odin's raven with corpses
"Raven-gladder" — a warrior whose fighting gladdens the ravens
"Raven-satisfier" or "raven-pleaser" — along the same line

This type of kenning frames a warrior's prowess in terms of the ecological consequence of their combat skill — their victories produce raven-fodder. It is a compliment cast in the language of carrion ecology.²

Kennings for Battle Using "Raven"

[lore] Battle can be kenned as the raven's feast or opportunity:

"Raven's feast" / "raven's banquet" — battle as a meal for ravens
"Raven-joy" — battle as something that pleases ravens
"Meeting of ravens" — a kenning that places the bird (and its associations) at the heart of the conflict

These kennings draw on the same ecological reality — ravens appearing at large-scale violence — elevated into the ornamental language of court poetry.²

Kennings for Odin Using "Raven"

[lore] Odin himself is kenned using his raven associations:

Hrafnguðr — "Raven-god" (a byname, also interpretable as a kenning base)
"Master of Huginn and Muninn"
"He who owns the two ravens"

The raven-based kennings for Odin reinforce his identity as the god whose intelligence comes through his birds. See the Norse word for raven for Odin's full byname list.²

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some Old Norse kennings for raven?

The raven itself is kenned in Old Norse poetry — referred to as "eagle of blood," "wound-bird," or "Huginn's brother." The word hrafn (raven) also appears as a base in compound kennings for warriors ("feeder of ravens"), swords ("raven-satisfier"), and battles ("raven's feast"). Snorri Sturluson catalogued many kenning types in his Prose Edda, and raven-kennings are among the most frequent in the surviving corpus of skaldic verse.

Sources

Larrington, C. (trans.) (1996). The Poetic Edda. Oxford University Press. — primary source for Eddic kennings.
Faulkes, A. (trans.) (1987). Edda (Snorri Sturluson). Everyman. — Skáldskaparmál: Snorri's catalogue of kenning types including raven kennings for warriors, battle, and Odin.

[lore] named primary sources; translations cited