They marched in step,
hurrying on till the timbered hall
rose before them, radiant with gold.
Nobody on earth knew of another
building like it. Majesty lodged there,
and its light shone over many lands.
– Beowulf, Seamus Heaney (trans.)
Lines 306-311: In the culture of the medieval Scandanavian warrior, if you have wealth you show it by decorating your hall in gold.