The purpose of this book is to apply theories and perspectives from the Study of Religion, or Comparative Religion, to the study of the pre-Christian culture in the North. The basic idea is that such an application will enlighten our understanding of some myths and other narratives which, from other points of view, may seem obscure and thus give us a glimpse into the world view of the pagan Scandinavians, which cannot be obtained otherwise. The book deals with problems within the study of Religion as well as within Scandinavian Studies, and hopefully it can inspire scholars from both fields.

The Viking Collection was founded by the late Gerd Wolfgang Weber and Preben Meulengracht Sørensen to provide students and scholars in the field of Scandinavian studies, especially Old Norse and other Medieval areas, with a library of books on central topics of Northern civilization. It was -- and is -- the editors' hope that this selection of studies will appeal also to the general reader with an interest in the Scandinavian past. The Viking Collection contains mainly original works, but a few translations are also included. English is the language of the series.