Norse Mythology's Origins The Norse Gods are legendary figures from stories told by Northern Germanic tribes in the ninth century AD. The poems that now make up the majority of what we know about the Norse gods came from three sources: the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda, and later manuscripts. The earliest evidence for the existence of these myths comes from two different places: runes and legends. Runes are early writing systems used by some Germanic peoples in Europe and Asia. They were first used to write words, phrases, or abbreviations on objects such as spears and knives. Later, they were also used to write instructions for making tools with patterns carved into the metal. A few runestones are still in existence today and can be found in countries including Sweden, Norway, and Finland. These stones often have inscriptions in old Nordic languages which have been interpreted by scholars who study runic symbols. This practice led to the discovery that many of the myths told about the Norse gods existed long before any written records were made available. Another source which has revealed information about the Norse gods is Viking age legends. During this time, people in Scandinavia and other parts of Europe had an oral tradition about their history and their deities.