Handbook of Norse Mythology

Drawing on the latest scholarship, John Lindow, an internationally known authority on the subject, covers the tales, their literary and oral sources, and their emergence into popular tradition, religion, and art. Included in this book: A discussion of literary and oral sources, and speculation on what the myths may have meant to the women and men who related them A survey of such topics as the mythic past, present, and future; cyclical time; time and space; myth, narrative, and language An A-to-Z of the key mythological figures, concepts, and events A guide to the vast wealth of print, web site, video, and CD-ROM resources. A full subject index concludes a volume that is certain to become the standard introduction to a well-loved and haunting mythological tradition.