The Anglo-Saxons

The Romans invaded Britain in AD43. After that, for 400 years southern Britain was part of the Roman world. The last Roman soldiers left Britain in AD 410, and then new people came in ships across the North Sea. Historians call them Anglo-Saxons. The new settlers were a mixture of people from north Germany, Denmark and northern Holland. This happened during the 5th and 6th centuries. Later (8th and 9th centuries) the Vikings took the lead and invaded northern England and Scotland.

A mead-hall

The mead-hall was a large building with a single room. It was usually the great hall of the king where feasts and celebrations were held. Mead was an alcoholic drink made with water and honey.

A scop

 A scop was a poet in Anglo-Saxon times Most of the poetry at the time was recited at feasts and other gatherings (in the mead-hall) by scops who needed easy ways to remember it, that is the reason why alliteration was used.