Ancient Scandinavian refers to the culture of the people who lived in Scandinavia during the pre-Christian era. Skalds were poets and storytellers who composed and recited poems about NORSE mythology and heroic deeds. NORSE was the language spoken by the ancient Scandinavians. Nord was a term used to describe the people of the North, which included the ancient Scandinavians. NORSEMAN was a term used to describe the ancient Scandinavian warriors. The Edda was a collection of NORSE myths and legends written down in the 13th century. LAPP was a term used to describe the Sami people, an indigenous group of people living in northern Scandinavia. EDDAS were the two collections of Old NORSE poetry that form the basis of much of modern understanding of NORSE mythology.