The Edda is the most significant collection and the primary source work on Scandinavian myths, Old Norse gods, and medieval heroic songs, and it was likely compiled between the 9th and 13th centuries. Long unknown, it was only discovered in the 17th century in ancient manuscripts and has since been translated and preserved through tireless research and scrutiny by the scholarly world. The Edda makes the beliefs and legends of the Vikings and Germans accessible for the first time in great detail: there is an Older Edda, which is poetic and written in Nordic alliterative verse, and a Younger Edda, which is composed in prose. The largest portion is taken up by the tales from the Nibelungen saga, which were later adapted in the famous Nibelungenlied and also inspired Richard Wagner in his Ring of the Nibelungen. The books of the Edda are a treasure.