6. What is a Mead Hall?
In ancient Scandinavia a mead hall or feasting hall was initially simply a large building with a single room. From the early 400s to the 1300s such a building was the residence of a lord and his retainers. The mead hall was generally the great hall of the king. As such, it was likely to be the safest place in the kingdom.
From at least the tenth century (900 A.D.) onwards in Norse Mythology, there are numerous examples of halls where the dead may arrive. The best known example is Valhalla, the hall where Odin receives half of the dead lost in battle.
The story of Beowulf includes a Mead-Hall called Heorot that was so big and had so much attendant laughter and partying that the monster Grendel broke in and slaughtered the noisemakers.

9. Longships were naval vessels made and used by the Vikings from Scandinavia and Iceland for trade, commerce, exploration, and warfare during the Viking Age. The longship’s design evolved over many yearsWhile longships were used by the Norse in warfare, they were troop transports, not warships. In the tenth century, these boats would sometimes be tied together in battle to form a steady platform for infantry warfare. They were called dragonships by enemies such as the English because they had a dragon-shaped bow.

11. The longship is characterized as a graceful, long, narrow, light, wooden boat with a shallow draft hull designed for speed. Longships were fitted with oars along almost the entire length of the boat itself.
The crew's shields may have been arrayed along the gunwales, held in place by a shield rack outboard of the ship. This kept them out of the way, but also provided some slight additional protection against wind and waves.

14. Written in England, but set in Scandinavia
Beowulf written by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet between 8th and 11th centuries AD
Written in England, but set in Scandinavia
EPIC POETRY
Written in Old English