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Which sources preserve knowledge of pre-Christian Germanic mythology?

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Germanic religion and mythology Battle scenes and ships depicted on a memorial stone from Gotland, Sweden, late 8th century. In the third panel from the top, a warrior is being hanged in a tree as a sacrifice to Odin, whose cult is represented by an eagle and a twisted knot.

Knowledge of pre-Christian Germanic mythology is preserved through a variety of sources, ranging from classical historical accounts to medieval vernacular literature and archaeological evidence.

Literary and Vernacular Sources

The most comprehensive information comes from 13th-century Icelandic literature, specifically the Edda. This body of work consists of:
* The Prose Edda: Written by Snorri Sturluson, this textbook on poetics includes the Gylfaginning, which details Norse myths regarding the creation of the world, the gods, and Ragnarök.1
* The Poetic Edda: A collection of anonymous mythological and heroic poems composed between 800 and 1100 CE, featuring works like the Völuspá and the Hávamál.1

Other vernacular sources include the Old English poem Beowulf, which retains Germanic symbolic elements, and various charms, such as the Merseburg Charms, which contain references to ancient deities.23

Classical and Archaeological Sources

Classical Authors: Roman historians provide early, though sometimes limited, observations. Tacitus is particularly notable for his work Germania, which describes the customs and religious practices of continental Germanic tribes.4
Epigraphy and Archaeology: Runic inscriptions and archaeological finds, such as ritual objects and "bog people," offer physical evidence of religious life and sacrifice.356