Old Norse was a North Germanic language spoken by the Norse people during the Viking Age and into the Middle Ages. It was the language of the Vikings and is the ancestor of modern Scandinavian languages like Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian. Old Norse is known for its rich literary tradition, including famous texts like the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, which contain myths and legends. The language was primarily spoken in Scandinavia and parts of the British Isles and Iceland. Old Norse had several dialects, including West Norse, spoken in Norway and Iceland, and East Norse, spoken in Denmark and Sweden. Its influence can still be seen in place names and vocabulary in modern languages.