Below you'll find a list of sources for background information. These sources can provide foundational and background information for your paper or direct you to additional sources of authoritative information.
Archetypes and Motifs in Folklore and Literature by 
A Beowulf Handbook by 
The Cambridge Companion to Old English Literature by 
The Cambridge History of Scandinavia by 
Cassell's Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend by 
A Companion to Anglo-Saxon Literature by 
A Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture by 
Encyclopedia of Folklore and Literature by 
Encyclopedia of the Viking Age by 
Medieval Folklore: an encyclopedia of myths, legends, tales, beliefs, and customs by 
Motif-Index of Folk-Literature by 
Teutonic mythology by 
Viking Age Iceland by 
The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England by 