Old English poetry is characterised by the use of a wide range of synonymous words and phrases to express a particular notion, such as 'sea', 'ship', or 'warrior'

A ship might be described straightforwardly as a scip or ceol 'keel'

Or by using a variety of short phrases or compound words –wægflota 'wave floater', sævgenga 'sea goer', brimwudu 'water wood', merehus 'sea-house', sæhengest 'sea steed', yþmearh 'wave horse'

The human body is described as a banhus or bancofa 'bone-house, bone-chamber'

A sword is a beadoleoma 'battle-light'

Thunder is wolcna sweg 'sound of the clouds'

The eye is a heafodgim 'head-gem'

The descriptive phrases are so distinctive that a term from Old Norse poetic treatises, kenning, has been used to describe them