You may already be familiar with names and personalities such as Odin, Thor, Loki, and the Valkyries - and in this book you will learn about the many roles that they play within the various legends and sagas that have been passed down from generation to generation. You will learn about the impact that they have made on both the ancient Scandinavian cultures from where the stories arose and on modern culture in northern Europe.You will also learn how Norse mythology has become a leading source of storytelling ideas, and how the concepts and characters have found their way into works as diverse as Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and Gaiman's American Gods; the operas that make up Wagner's acclaimed The Ring of the Nibelung; the musical genres of heavy metal and, specifically, Viking metal; and many others. Finally, I hope that reading about Norse mythology will help you gain a better understanding of the ancient cultures of Scandinavia: specifically, how these people saw the world and how they perceived themselves as they fit into that world.

• Norse Culture and the Importance of Mythology
• Sources
• The Gods of Norse Mythology
• Inhabitants of the Universe
• Heroes and Heroines
• The Nine Worlds
• And Much, Much More