What Is a Kenning? Kennings Are Like Riddles

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Year 4 English Lessons – 1st – 5th February st Monday 1 February 2021 – Live Lesson Today you will be learning about what kennings are and how they are created. Read the information below (pages 1-3) about kennings. Then use page 4 to plan your own kenning about yourself and use page 5 to write your kenning.

What is a Kenning? Kennings are like riddles. They describe something without ever saying what it is. They are made up of a noun (object) + noun or a noun + verb (action word). Kennings are often found in Anglo-Saxon and Norse poems.

Read the poems below out loud. What could they describe?

lip-licking

sauce-swirling chin-dripping flake-holding tongue-freezing

cone-filling

This kenning is about ice cream. Was your guess correct?

What about this one: tail-wagger

ball-catcher

cat-chaser

sofa-hugger face-licker This kenning is about a dog. Was your guess correct?

What do you notice about the 2 kennings poems?

Here the phrases are made up of Here the phrases are made up of a noun (object) + a verb (doing a noun (object) + a verb (doing word) by adding -er to the verb. word) by adding -ing to the verb.

Each line of the poem is made of a two-word phrase. The words are joined by a hyphen. It does not tell the reader what it is about. It gives the readers clues about the subject matter

Activity:- Monday 1st February 2021 Use this planning sheet to write down ideas for a kenning poem about yourself. Write your kenning poem on page 5. Remember that each line has only 2 words (a noun + verb). Do not tell the reader who the poem is about.

Kenning About Me - Plan Draw a picture of yourself in the circle and write words and phrases about yourself on the outside of the circle. Think about your hobbies, favourite food, what you are good at and how you behave. Remember your phrases should only be 2 words e.g. (noun + noun) comic-reader, skateboard-trickster, cartoon-watcher (noun + verb) day-dreaming, lolly-licking, lego-building

Kenning About Me

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Tuesday 2nd February 2021 Write kenning phrases to describe Grendel from Beowulf. 1.Read the information below (pages 6-8) to recap what you know about kenning phrases. 2. Look at the text from Beowulf and find examples of kenning phrases that describe Grendel. 3. Use the vocabulary provided on page 9 to write kenning phrases to describe Grendel.

What is a kenning?

A two-word phrase describing something or someone.

Who/what am I?

This kenning describes the sun! Did you guess correctly?

Let’s have a look at some kennings inn Beowulf. What do they describe? Can you guess?

battle-friend

vengeance-brimming

blood-lusting monster-woman fire-breathing wave-lurker

Here are 2 extracts from a different version of Beowulf. Can you spot any examples of kenning phrases used in the text? Underline the kenning phrases that you find.

How many kenning phrases did you find? Did you understand what they meant? Remember to use a dictionary to help you to understand the meaning of new words. Write any examples below:

Activity - write a kennings poem describing Grendel (page 10). Use the vocabulary provided on this page and the text from Beowulf (pages 7 & 8) to help you. Or think of your own! Remember to check the meaning of new words before you use them in your poem.

Activity- Tuesday 2nd February 2021 Kennings Poem describing Grendel

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rd Wednesday 3 February 2021- Live Lesson For your activity today, you will be writing a kennings poem describing the dragon. Use words and phrases from the text below and the vocabulary sheet on page 14 to help you to write your poem. 1. Read the summary below, It has been taken from the version of Beowulf written by Michael Morpugo. It tells us that the dragon came across the treasure that was hidden there by a man from a tribe that was lost many years earlier. This section tells us that a slave came across the hoard of treasure guarded by the dragon. The dragon was angered that the man had taken a goblet. He then set out for revenge and was so angry that he didn’t care who he attacked. 2. Underline examples of kenning phrases in the text below. You can also underline words that you could use to form a kenning phrase to describe the dragon. Remember

that kenning phrase are two word phrases made by using two nouns or a noun and a verb. T o find the meaning of the words/phrases in bold, go to page 13. Seized with sudden terror at the sight of this monstrous dragon the unfortunate salve wanted

only to escape. But one golden goblet lay close by, so close he simply could not resist it. He snatched it up and ran for his life. And even as he ran an idea came into his head. This goblet would be a perfect gift for my master, he thought. I’ll go back and give it to him. Maybe it will appease his fury. Little did he know what fire-fury he would bring upon himself and his whole people by this thoughtless act. Little did he know or care how this treasure came to be there with the death- dragon guarding it; how in the heathen age long ago one sole

survivor from a whole tribe of earls, brought to a sudden and violent war-death, carried this treasure-hoard of talismans into the mound,

for he knew he could no longer guard it and care for in himself. He decided to hide it, bury it where no one could ever find it. Over the treasure he bewailed his grief for his lost friends, for the joys they had shared, crying out

to the earth itself to protect the precious tribe- treasure, last vestiges of a proud people now 11

slaughtered and silent in death, all their harp playing, all their singing, done for ever. So he left the treasure-filled mound, and maddened with grief wandered the wind-wild moors until death came to him too. So all that tribes was gone. But the treasure remined. Soon there came that way a dreaded dragon, a night-ravager. A foul flame-fiend he was, always seeking out hellish hiding holes where he could rest. One day he happened on this same treasure-filled mound, fate had brought him there and made it his own, possessed it with his power, sleeping there on this priceless pillow till the end of time. Not that it did him any good. Possession was all his joy. So for three hundred years undisturbed this death-dragon guarded his underground hoard, until that doomed day when that wretched slave came upon the place by chance, discovered the godless creature sleeping there, carried off the golden goblet, a peace-offering to his master, so he thought. A luckless man. But the dragon through his serpent scales had felt the loss of the loss of the treasure, and hearing the footfall of the intruder, opened one angry eye and watched him go. After three hundred years he was slow to wake. This worm of wickedness now slithered out of his hole following where the feeling salve had gone. Rage-roaring he circled his mound looking for the man’s footprints, but found none out there in the wilderness. Yet he knew his treasure-house had been breached, knew the golden cup had been stolen from him and was burning with fire-fury at the offence. He would have his sweet revenge, that was sure. He longed now for flames of war , for the fire of battle again after so many years asleep. He could hardly wait. That night this death-dealing dragon came flying over the moors. Armed with fire he came, spewing out his flames wherever he went. He did not mind whose dwelling it was he left burning brightly behind him. In his eyes all were guilty of the crime. If he had his way he would not have left a single man alive.

Seized with sudden terror – affected by a strong feeling of fear Goblet – a drinking cup with a foot and a stem Appease his fury – make someone less angry heathen age – a time before Christianity sole survivor – only one that survived earls – important people in society talismans – an object through to be magical and it brings good luck mound – a round hump on the ground bewailed – show sadness and regret about something vestiges – remains of something from long ago that disappearing or no longer exist slaughtered- killed maddened with grief – become mad from great sadness ravage – someone who causes a great deal of damage fiend – an evil spirit or demon fate – events that are out of someone’s control, something that is just meant to happen wretched – very bad peace-offering – a gift to given as a hand of friendship usually to someone who you may have been arguing with footfall – footsteps wilderness – an outdoor place that is unfarmed, no lived on, and is a wild place breached – break in longed – something has someone has really wanted spewing – pouring out large amounts of something and usually with force dwelling – a shelter/home where someone lives

Activity- Wednesday 3rd February 2021 Kennings Poem describing The Dragon

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Thursday 4th February 2021 – Live Lesson https://cpsprimary.sharepoint.com/sites/3K/Shared%20Documents/English%20King Hrothgar has asked all of his people to design a wanted poster for one of the monsters Lesson%20Videos/Recordings/Meeting%20in%20_English%20Lesson%20Videosthat has been terrorising his kingdom. _Use-20210122_094942 the planning sheet- onMeeting%20Recording.mp4?web=1 page 17 to plan a wanted poster. Your teacher will model a wanted poster for the dragon, but you can choose to make a poster for Grendel, The Sea Hag or the Dragon.

Vocabulary to help you plan your wanted poster: Big Angry Bad Loud

enormous enraged appalling deafening monumental resentful dreadful resounding large irate hideous roaring gigantic seething shocking thundering whopping furious horrendous booming huge infuriated terrible ear-piercing mammoth bitter nasty deep

colossal frightful sizable thundering

Activity – Thursday 4th February 2021 Wanted Poster Plan

Who is wanted? What was their crime? ______

What do they look like?

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How do they behave? ______

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Kenning phrases that can be used. What should people do if they see them? ______

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______What is the reward? ______

Friday 5th February 2021 – Live Lesson

Today you will be using your plan you made yesterday to write a wanted poster for one of the monsters in Beowulf. You can use the sentence starters and conjunctions below to help you.

Sentence Starters… Conjunctions

This… so If… although He/she… if When he/she when Take care… while For many years, or For many months… and There… because Call… therefore before unless that despite since where

Activity- Friday 5th February 2021