It is likely, or at least a workable hypothesis, that there were tribes of people who worshipped the Vanir and other tribes who worshipped the Aesir, and that the Aesir-worshippers inveaded the lands of the Vanir-worshippers…History and religion and myth combine.
-- Narration (Introduction)

Importance: This quotation helps to frame the importance of the book’s stories and of mythology in general. The author points out the inextricable connection between mythology and the cultures that create it, and in this way, he encourages the reader to look for possible cultural significances in other aspects of the stories.

In the ecstasy of [Odin’s] agony, [Odin] looked down, and the runes were revealed to him. He knew them, and understood them and their power…Now he understood magic. Now the world was his to control.
-- Narration ("The Players")

Importance: This quotation helps to illustrate the nature of Odin’s power and of the nature of poer in general...