"Norse Mythology A to Z, Third Edition" examines the characters, objects, and places whose stories make up the folklore of the Norse people, who lived in the region known today as Scandinavia. Passed down through the generations by word of mouth and finally written down in the 13th century and later, these myths include tales of gods and goddesses heroes, giants, and dwarfs and serpents and dragons that inhabit enchanted realms. This colorful volume brings to life many of these Nordic myths. Entries of this title include: the most famous gods and goddesses, such as Odin, Thor, and Freya plants and animals important to Norse mythology, such as the oak tree and the eagle stories and poems, such as "Treasures of the Dwarfs" and the "Poetic Edda" and, much more.

The term mythology can refer to either the study of myths or a body of myths. For example, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece.

The term "myth" is often used colloquially to refer to a false story however, the academic use of the term generally does not pass judgment on its truth or falsity. In the study of folklore, a myth is a symbolic narrative explaining how the world and humankind came to be in their present form. Many scholars in other fields use the term "myth" in somewhat different ways. In a very broad sense, the word can refer to any traditional story