In "Beowulf," Heorot is created by Hrothgar, the king of what we now call Denmark. Hrothgar is an aging king, once powerful but now weak and in need of Beowulf's help. The monster Grendel attacks when Hrothgar's people celebrate in Heorot, which results in the people's growing afraid of celebration. Camelot is both the castle and court of King Arthur, the centerpiece of which is the Round Table, where Arthur and his knights deliberate. Arthur creates Camelot while still a young and vital leader, and Camelot is often associated with the ideals of honor and courtly love that King Arthur represented. While Heorot is the attempt of an older king to regain renown, Camelot is an example of a king's dwelling that represents his positive characteristics.
Heorot is not identified with a historical location, though in the Beowulf epic it is clearly located in present-day Denmark, and Anglo-Saxon kings often created large mead halls for celebration. Camelot is not firmly rooted in any historical location, and even among the Arthurian texts its site moves. In some texts, Camelot is associated with Cadbury Castle in Somerset in the United Kingdom, while in others it is placed in Winchester, located in Hampshire, or in other locations in the UK. While neither Heorot nor Camelot has a clear historical antecedent, the former is set in one location while the location of the latter varies.
Heorot is primarily a mead hall, a place that Hrothgar created to give his people a place to celebrate and to spread his own fame. The hall is also an important aspect of the warrior-king ideal in Anglo-Saxon society. It shows Hrothgar's generosity to his people and to others, generosity being one of the most important characteristics of a good ruler in this society. Camelot is a more traditional medieval stronghold, a place not primarily for ostentation and show but for defense. It is also the seat of government, where King Arthur and his knights deliberate and decide how to proceed with action. In addition, Camelot is a more idealized space than Heorot and is associated with the idea of perfect governance by an enlightened leader.
The story of Beowulf centers on the defense of Heorot. Beowulf comes to Denmark specifically to help the aging King Hrothgar kill the monster Grendel, who attacks Heorot whenever it is in use by Hrothgar and his people. In the Arthurian tales, Camelot gradually falls into disunion because of civil wars and strife between Lancelot and Arthur over Queen Guinevere. Beowulf successfully defends Heorot, though in due course after a long life he falls in a battle with a dragon; the whole of Camelot eventually falls because of human frailty.