MYTHOLOGY RESOURCES //

This is a research guide for finding materials on mythology in the Greenfield Library at the University of the Arts. Reference materials are listed first, followed by a list of suggested subject headings for searching library catalogs. Periodical indexes to magazine articles and newspapers are next, followed by style manuals and finally Web sites.

If you're interested in myth, you may also be interested in the subject guide on Signs and Symbols.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

The first place to look when beginning research on a topic is in reference material: specialized dictionaries, encyclopedias or handbooks. These allow you to check names, dates and places, find additional information, look up unknown terms, and check for the proper spelling of words. They are particularly helpful for finding basic background information on a topic, and are often the only place many students may need to look to find answers to their questions. They may include bibliographies (lists of additional materials on a topic, usually considered by the author to be the best materials on that topic) that you can use to find other materials.

Call numbers are for the Greenfield Library unless otherwise indicated.

Grant, Michael and John Hazel. Gods and mortals in classical mythology. G. & C. Merriam Co. [1973].
REF BL715 .G67 1973


Lurker, Manfred. Dictionary of gods and goddesses, devils and demons. Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1987.
REF BL303 .L8713 1987


Bell, Robert E. Women of classical mythology : a biographical dictionary. ABC-Clio, 1991.
REF BL715 .B445 1991


Lurker, Manfred.. The gods and symbols of ancient Egypt : an illustrated dictionary. Thames and Hudson, 1980.
REF AM1 .M86 1905


Scheub, Harold. A dictionary of African mythology : the mythmaker as storyteller. Oxford University Press, 2000.
REF BL2400 .S24 2000


Oxford guide to classical mythology in the arts, 1300-1990s. Oxford University Press, 1993.
REF NX650.M9 R45 1993 v. 1-2
An index to mythological characters as represented in literature, painting, sculpture, music, theater and dance.


Hall, James. Dictionary of subjects and symbols in art. Harper & Row, 1974.
REF N7560 .H34 2008


Whittlesey, E. S. Symbols and legends in western art. Scribner's, 1972.
REF N7740 .W53


Mode, Heinz. Fabulous beasts and demons. Phaidon, 1974.
REF N7745.A5 M6213
What is the griffin and what does it symbolize? Find out here!


Walker, Barbara G. The woman's dictionary of symbols and sacred objects. Harper & Row, 1988.
REF CB475 .W45 1988
See Section 9, "Deities' Signs," and Section 10, "Supernaturals."


Walker, Barbara G. The woman's encyclopedia of myths and secrets. HarperSanFrancisco, [1992?]
REF BL458 .W34 1983


Gods and heroes of classical antiquity. Flammarion, c1996.
REF N7760 A34 1996


Searching the Catalog by Subject

Use the University Libraries catalog to find books, videos, CDs, scores, journal titles, etc. To locate all of the materials the library holds on a topic, it is most efficient to search by Subject. Use the following subject headings in the online catalog. Be careful to follow the exact spelling and form. These subject headings are standard and are used in most libraries.

ANIMALS, MYTHICAL
ART AND MYTHOLOGY
COSMOGONY
FOLKLORE
GEOGRAPHICAL MYTHS
GODDESSES
GODS
GODS IN ART
LEGENDS
MOTHER-GODDESSES
MYTH
MYTHOLOGY
MYTHOLOGY, CLASSICAL, IN ART
MYTHOLOGY--DICTIONARIES
MYTHOLOGY IN LITERATURE
RELIGION
RELIGIONS

For particular ethnic groups or geographic areas use MYTHOLOGY, [adjective]:
MYTHOLOGY, AFRICAN
MYTHOLOGY, CELTIC
MYTHOLOGY, CLASSICAL
MYTHOLOGY, EGYPTIAN
MYTHOLOGY, GREEK
MYTHOLOGY, HINDU
MYTHOLOGY, INDIC
MYTHOLOGY, ORIENTAL

For particular indigenous tribes use the name of the tribe plus the subheading RELIGION AND MYTHOLOGY, for example: MAYAS--RELIGION AND MYTHOLOGY
INDIANS OF NORTH AMERICA--RELIGION AND MYTHOLOGY

FINDING MAGAZINE ARTICLES

Periodical indexes are research tools that allow you to search for articles in journals and magazines.

Be aware that there are different ways to find an article once you pull up a citation in the index:

  • Check to see if our library holds the journal title. Look in the library's printed list or look up the journal title in the catalog and look at the holdings.
  • See if there is a link in the index you're using to a full-text article online and download it or e-mail it to yourself.
  • See what other libraries in the area hold the journal.
  • Use interlibrary loan to request materials not owned by the UArts Libraries.

PERIODICAL INDEXES
On the Web:

Go to the library's Research Tools and Resources page for a list of the UArts Libraries' subscription databases, indexes, and reference works. You can select View Databases by Type or View Databases by Subject to see which is best for your topic, or you can always ask a librarian which ones to try.

Style Manuals: Citing Your Sources

When you find information on a topic, no matter what format it takes (book, journal, Web page), there are style manuals to show you the correct way to give cite those sources in a paper.

MYTHOLOGY SITES ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB

Searching the Web can be overwhelming. If you are using the Internet for research you want to choose sites that meet the standards of accuracy, currency and authority.

Below are just a few mythology-related sites that may be of interest to the University of the Arts community.

Librarians' Internet Index
http://lii.org/
Always a great place to start. Just go to the home page and search for mythology. Note that the annotations indicate the intended audience and that some are for elementary school students.

Encyclopedia Mythica
http://www.pantheon.org/
"An encyclopedia of mythology, folklore, and legend." Listed in "Best Reference Sources 2002" of Library Journal (April 15, 2003 issue).

Bulfinch's Mythology
http://www.bulfinch.org/
Online version of one of the best-known resources in mythology. "Although a bit outdated as a mythology reference by modern academic standards, Thomas Bulfinch's The Age of Fable Or Stories of Gods and Heroes is the book probably most responsible (followed by Edith Hamilton's Mythology, Robert Graves' The Greek Myths, the works of Joseph Campbell, and the historical fiction of Mary Renault) for popularizing Greek mythology during the past hundred and fifty years. The first two paragraphs of Bulfinch's Introduction to The Age of Fable constitute one of the most effective and poignant arguments for the study of Greek mythology I have ever read."--from Webmaster's notes

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