As part of our new topic, we invited a ‘Viking’ into school to introduce us to their brutal world. We began by looking at, and holding Viking weapons. We learned that only the wealthy had swords due to metal being precious. We then all boarded long boats and battled our way from Scandinavia to Lindesfarne to raid monasteries, some of us just settled and became farmers. We were taught how to defend ourselves in battle and how to intimidate our opponents. After lunch, we looked at and identified Viking artefacts and had to try and work out what they were used for. The children really liked the ear cleaner which was like a tiny spoon. Did you know that Vikings were very clean and loved to show off their wealth and good looks? They had beard combs and carried tiny scissors to trim their nails and beards. Later on, we were told the story of Beowulf, who was a hero that protected Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, whose meadhall had been under attack by a monster known as Grendel. After Beowulf slayed him, his mother attacked and was also defeated. The children loved role playing this story and really enjoyed the fabulous day. Our day ended by us showcasing our learning to parents, who were invited in to see just what we’d been up to.