Devil's Dyke #DevilsDyke #DevilDyke The dyke was most likely built for defence. However, at this time, the story of an event was mostly passed on by word of mouth (orally) rather than written down. So supernatural ideas were often mixed in with facts. These ideas were based on the folk tales of the people who came to live in the area. As time passed, these tales were used to explain things that people did not understand or had forgotten the origins of. In many old tales, people are given warnings or information in dreams. In many cultures, sleep was seen as a mysterious time and dreams were to prepare you for the day ahead. The name of the chief in the story, Hrothgar, also appears in the Anglo-Saxon saga or poem - Beowulf. In the poem, Beowulf goes to the land of the Danes and is welcomed warmly by Hrothgar their king. Beowulf then fights three evil monsters, the last of which is a fire-breathing dragon, so parts of Norse or Saxon folklore and names may well have become mixed into the local tale. The Saxons and Vikings believed in the work of demons and evil spirits. They also worshipped the gods of fire and ice (water). In Nordic mythology, the two forces that created the universe were fire and ice or water. In the tales, these natural elements are seen as gods but with very human like characteristics. In the poem, Beowulf, fire is described as the "greediest of spirits", swallowing everything. The poem also has passages about giants and demons.