Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs
By John Lindow
Why this book?
As an expert on Norse mythology, this is the book I reach for again and again. Who was Angrboda? Where was Folkvang? What does Yggdrasil mean? John Lindow answers all these questions, and hundreds more, in Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs.
Organized alphabetically, Lindow puts at your fingertips a concise description of each name or concept in the Norse myths and lists all the original poems and tales in which you’ll find it, plus a number of scholarly studies (now 20 years out of date, but still valuable). A few entries are illustrated with photos of archaeological sites or artifacts. I consider Lindow’s Norse Mythology to be a necessary companion to the other books on this list.
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