While most of the surviving skaldic poetry dates from the medieval period, at least some of the poems are believed to date from the Norse period. They seem to have been carefully remembered and preserved for generations. The runestone shown to the right is the only skaldic verse known to have been written down in the Norse era. The poems have complicated meters, strict patterns of alliteration, and ornate metaphoric language, with wordplay to delight the sophisticated listener. Unfortunately, the factual information in such poetry tends to be limited.
Skaldic poetry uses a variety of circumlocutions, such as kennings.
A kenning uses a phrase as a metaphor to represent an idea. The usual form is a noun, qualified by another noun in the genitive case. For instance sweat of the sword is used to mean blood, or horse of the sea to mean ship. Some of the kennings can only be understood by someone with an extensive knowledge of the culture and of the great stories. Kennings can have multiple levels.