Norse Mythology

Ian Isaro

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I'm looking for some book suggestions to get me started. My understanding of Norse mythology is mostly absorbed from various pop culture derivations and I'd like to get a clearer picture of the source (ideally with attention given to variations). Something in between the explanations that speculate to fill in all the gaps and diving directly into the Eddas myself.

Links would be fine, but I'm more interested in books. The kind of thing they'd make you read in an introductory class, scholarly but for an amateur audience.
 

King Neptune

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The best single source that I know of is the Elder Edda by Snorri Sturluson. He wrote about 700 years ago. There are bits of the theology included in various sagas of Germanic origin, and some of those references contradict others. There are a few mentions in foreign books. Then there are some bits in the Younger or Prose Edda also by Snorri, but that is mostly stories about various Icelanders. I have read a few excerpts, but I am not really familliar with this as a whole.
Then there is the Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes") by Saxo Grammiticus. It is a sort of history, but there would be some religious references.

I have read many parts of the Elder Edda in translation, and it is largely a collection of heroic stories of the Gods and Goddesses in verse form. I have never read Saxo Grammiticus book, but I have seen many references to it.
 
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RichardGarfinkle

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I'd suggest getting a modern edition of the Eddas (any of them from post 1970 are fine but earlier translations are bowdlerized).
 
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Maythe

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Hilda Ellis Davidson's Gods and Myths of Northern Europe is interesting and readable. Anything else by her is pretty good too. Bear in mind that she was writing in the 60's and some of her ideas may have been superceded in scholarly circles.

Simek's A Dictionary of Northern Mythology is very useful.
 

Siri Kirpal

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Edith Hamilton's Mythology deals primarily with the Greek, but if you want something really basic, there's a very accessible section in back dealing with the Norse.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal