The first day of 2017 saw dozens of wild-swimmers take to the sea in South Devon. That we met at a beach called Inner Hope seemed pretty fitting – because you could describe this brilliant bunch of people a little like this …
Beach-gatherers, Excited-chatterers
Happy-faffers*, Quick-changers
Chill-seekers, Shallows-shriekers
Wave-riders, Gleeful-whoopers
Fast-towelers, Speedy-dressers
Mug-clutchers, Hot waterbottle-huggers
Cake-sharers, Fire-huddlers
Friendship-forgers, Hope-affirmers
Spirit-lifters, Grin-gifters
Days-seizers, Life-livers
Adventure-plotters, Why-notters
Here’s to 2017, wonderful, warm, wise wild-swimmers
These phrases are kennings. They feature in Old Norse poetry and often join two words together to convey a sense of something, rather than use a literal description. So for the Vikings the sea was a “whale-road”; a ship was a “sea-steed”.
Feel free to add your own 🙂
* For more on the 10 Faffs of Wild Swimming – see this illuminating post from Ju Lewis
Belinda Dixon 