In the Old English epic Beowulf, Heorot is the hall built by King Hrothgar.
Hrothgar constructs Heorot as a great meeting hall for his warriors and subjects. The poem describes it as a place of feasting, music, gift-giving, and royal fellowship. Its name is commonly interpreted as meaning “hart,” connecting the hall with the image of a stag.
Heorot becomes the setting for the first major conflict in Beowulf. The monster Grendel attacks the hall repeatedly at night, killing Hrothgar’s warriors and driving the community into fear. Beowulf eventually arrives from Geatland and defeats Grendel in the hall.
After Grendel’s death, his mother attacks Heorot in revenge, creating the poem’s second major monster encounter. Heorot is not another name for Valhalla: Valhalla is Odin’s hall in Norse mythology, whereas Heorot is the fictional Danish royal hall in Beowulf.