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86 INTEODTICTION.
Norrgena form the Asa-Faith is far better known.
Here we have for our guide not only a number of
religious lays, composed while the Asa-Faith still
flourished, but even a complete religious system,,
written down, it is true, in Christian times, yet,
according to all evidence, without the Christian
ideas having had any especial influence in the
delineation, or having materially corrupted it.
The lays are found in the collection usually called
TJie Older Edda or Scmiimd''s JEdda, which latter
name is given to it because it was collected by the
Icelander Ssemund the Learned (b. 1056, d. 1133).
The Eeligious System is found in the Later Edda,
also called Snorri's Edda, from the supposed author
or compiler, the renowned Saga-man Snorri Sturla-
son (b. 1178, d. 1241).
Upon these manuscripts is based the following
brief sketch of the Eeligious Doctrines of the Asa-
Faith. But a delineation of the Eeligious System
of the Northmen in Heathendom requires not mere-
ly a representation of the predominant dogmas of
the Faith ;
it must likewise embrace an interpreta-
tion of them, so far as it can be given with any cer-
tainty, and finally a picture of the religion such as
it actually appeared in life,—^in the worship of the
gods, -in the religious institutions, in the popular
notions concerning the gods, and in the heathen
superstition generally.
In the interpretation of the Asa-myths, very im-
portant services have been rendered by many learn-
ed men of modern times, and their works have been