ABSTRACT
Sources attesting to Old Norse mythology and religion offer many challenges to modern observers. Matters of audience, politics, technique, transmission and tradition have affected how each was created and handed down. In this chapter, I discuss the main qualities of the types of sources of Old Norse mythology most central to this book, paying special attention to their credibility as witnesses to and capacity to record pre-Christian religion. Special attention is paid to the potential for change and variety in these sources, as this becomes a major theme in the rest of the book.
