Research Guide to Mythology & Folklore


| Web Resources | Reference Books | CONSULS Catalog | Databases & Indexes | Key Periodicals | Locating Periodicals | Interlibrary Loan | Questions? |


Resources on the World Wide Web

Here is a list of links to help you explore the growing number of Web sites devoted to mythology and folklore.

For tips on citation format, please see Diana Hacker's Humanities: Documenting Sources (www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/humanities.html) or MLA Style via Yahoo!


Reference Books for Background Information

In the Ruth Haas Library, reference books are shelved by Library of Congress call number in the reference stacks on the first floor. They may not be checked out, but photocopiers are available for student use on the first and third floors of the Haas Library. In the Danbury Public Library, children's reference books can be found in the Children's Room on the second floor.

General Reference

Dictionary of Mythology, Folklore and Symbols. 2 volumes + index.Ref GR 35.J6
Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and LegendRef GR 35.F82 1984

Mythology

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and FableRef PN 43.B65 1995
Bullfinch's MythologyRef BL 310.B82 1970
Classical Mythology. Seventh edition.Ref BL 723.M67 2003
Concise Dictionary of Classical MythologyRef BL 715.G713 1990
Crowell's Handbook of Classical MythologyRef BL 303.T75 1970
Dictionary of Celtic Myth and LegendRef BL 900.B73 1992
Dictionary of Celtic MythologyRef BL 900.M445 1998
Dictionary of Classical Myhtology: Symbols, Attributes & AssociationsRef BL 715.B44 1982
Encyclopedia of Creation MythsRef BL 325.C7.L44 1994
Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend. Second edition. 2 volumes.Ref BL 303.M45 2004
The Feminist Companion to MythologyHaas Circ BL 325.F4.F45 1992
Fiction, Folklore, Fantasy and Poetry for Children, 1876-1985. 2 volumes.Ref PN 1009.A1.F53 1986
Goddesses in World MythologyRef BL 473.5.A66 1993
Guide to the GodsRef BL 473.L43 1992
Handbook of Hindu MythologyRef BL 1111.4.W55 2003
Larousse World MythologyRef BL 311.G683 1965
Legends of the Eath, Sea, and Sky: An Encyclopedia of Nature MythsRef BL 435.A53 1998
Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mythology, Religion and the Unknown. 21 volumes.Ref BL1411.M25 1995
Motif Index of Folk Literature. 6 volumes.Ref GR 72.56.T48 1989
Mythology (Edith Hamilton)Ref BL 310.H3
Native American Myth & Legend: An A-Z of People and PlacesRef E 98.F6.D59 1998
The Oxford Companion to World MythologyRef BL 312.L44 2005
The Oxford Dictionary of Classical Myth and ReligionRef BL 715.O94 2003
Place-Names in Classical MythologyRef DF 16.B45 1989
Women of Classical MythologyRef BL 1715.B445 1991

Folklore & Fable

African Folklore: An EncyclopediaRef GR 350.A33 2004
American Folklore: An EncyclopediaRef GR 101.A54 1996
Archetypes and Motifs in Folklore and LiteratureRef GR 72.56.A73 2005
Encyclopedia of FableRef PN 980.S66 1998
Encyclopedia of Folklore and LiteratureRef PN 41.E48 1998
Larousse Dictionary of World FolkloreRef GR 35.J664 1995
Medieval Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs, and Customs
2 volumes.
Ref GR 35.M43 2000
New Arthurian EncyclopediaRef DA 152.5.A7.A78 1996
New Tales for Old: Folktales as Literary Fictions for Young AdultsRef PN 56.F58.D48 1999
Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and FableRef PN 43.O94 2000
Travel Legend and Lore: An EncyclopediaRef G 151.F75 1998

Fairy Tales

Encyclopedia of Fairies, Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and Other Supernatural CreaturesRef GR 549.B74 1976
The Oxford Companion to Fairy TalesRef PN 3437.O94 2000

Symbolism

Continuum Encyclopedia of Animal Symbolism in ArtRef GR 705.W47 2004
Dictionary of Literary SymbolsRef PN 56.S9.F47 1999
Dictionary of Symbols (Liungman)Ref BL 603.L5413 1991
Dictionary of Symbols in Western ArtRef N7740.C29 1995
The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the MayaRef F 1435.5.R3.M55 1993
Symbols: A Comprehensive DictionaryRef CB 475.O38 1986
The Woman's Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred ObjectsRef CB 475.W35 1988

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CONSULS Online Catalog for Books and Media

CONSULS catalog workstations are located in the Reference Area on the first floor, and on each of the other floors of the Haas Library. You may logon to CONSULS via the WCSU Libraries Homepage at library.wcsu.edu/web or directly at www.consuls.org. For more detailed instructions on searching, please see the yellow CONSULS flyer on the display rack on the first floor.

Please Note: CONSULS ignores upper and lower case, and you may omit punctuation, except the hyphen which must be replaced by a space.

TO FIND WORKS WRITTEN OR ILLUSTRATED BY A SPECIFIC AUTHOR:

Select Author at the CONSULS Main Menu, then type the writer's name last-name-first. Correct spelling is important.

Example: bulfinch thomas (press RETURN or ENTER)
Or just: bulfinch t (RETURN)

To limit search results to items owned by WCSU, click on Limit/Sort, then select WCSU under "Where Item Is Located."

TO FIND WORKS WRITTEN ABOUT A SPECIFIC WRITER:

Select Subject at the CONSULS Main Menu, then type the writer's name last-name-first. Correct spelling is important. To limit results to items owned by WCSU, click Limit/Sort and then select WCSU under "Where Item Is Located."

Example: grimm jacob (press RETURN or ENTER)
Or just: grimm j (RETURN)

CONSULS will retrieve a list of Library of Congress Subject Headings which begin with the words you typed:

Grimm Jacob 1785 1863 (main heading is subdivided)
Grimm Jacob 1785 1863--Contemporary Germany
Grimm Jacob 1785 1863--Criticism and interpretation
Grimm Jacob 1785 1863--Juvenile literature

PLEASE NOTE: Personal name headings may also be subdivided by the titles of individual works.

TO FIND WORKS WITH A SPECIFIC TITLE:

Select Title at the CONSULS Main Menu, then type as much of the title as you remember in correct word order. In CONSULS, you may omit "a," "an," or "the" at the beginning of a title.

Example: Fairy Tale Romance: The Grimms, Basile, and Perrault (press RETURN or ENTER)
Or just: fairy tale romance (RETURN)

If your TITLE search does not retrieve an entry for a separately published edition of the work, click Words Search to re-execute the search as a keywords search, and then scan the CONTENTS field of each entry for the title of the work you need.

TO FIND INFORMATION ABOUT A SPECIFIC TOPIC BY SUBJECT HEADING:

Select Subject at the CONSULS Main Menu, then type the Library of Congress subject heading which best describes your topic. Correct spelling and word order are important. The complete list of Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) is published in a set of big red books available in the Reference Area on the first floor of the Haas Library.

Example: Mythology--Celtic--Dictionaries (press RETURN or ENTER)
Or just: mythology celtic (RETURN)

The following Library of Congress subject headings are relevant to mythology and folklore:

Mythology (subdivided geographically, by culture, and by motif)
Mythology, Classical
Mythology, Hindu
Mythology, Indo-European
Mythology in literature
Mythology--Juvenile literature
Mythology--Psychological aspects

Folklore (subdivided geographically, by culture, and by motif)
Folklore and children
Folklore, Animals
Folklore in literature
Folklore--Juvenile literature
Folklore--Methodology
Folklore--Performance
Folklore--Structural analysis

See also:

African-Americans--Folklore
Animals, Mythical
Art and mythology
Creation--Mythology
Ethnic folklore
Fables
Fairy tales
Folk literature
Folklorists
Folk music
Geographical myths
Gods
Golden Age (Mythology)
Heroes--Mythology
Indians of North America--Folklore
Legends
Literature and folklore
Nature--Mythology
Oral tradition
Psychoanalysis and fairy tales
Psychoanalysis and folklore
Symbolism
Symbolism in folklore
Tales (subdivided geographically)
Totemism
Tricksters
Urban folklore
Women--Folklore
Women--Mythology

TO FIND INFORMATION ABOUT A SPECIFIC TOPIC BY KEYWORD(S):

Select Keyword(s) at the CONSULS Main Menu, then type the words which best describe your topic, in any order.

Example: africa* and (folklore or folktale* or tale* or legend* or fable*) press RETURN
Narrower: bantu and (folklore or folktale* or tale* or legend* or fable*) press RETURN

Use the * (asterisk) as a truncation symbol to retrieve variant forms of a word root. Use the Boolean OR to expand your search by including synonyms and related terms. When using two different Boolean commands in the same search statement ("and" and "or" in the preceding example) you must include parentheses to indicate which command is to be performed first.

TO REQUEST MATERIALS FROM THE OTHER CSU LIBRARIES:

If the item you need is owned by one of the other CSU Libraries (CCSU, SCSU, or ECSU) but not by WCSU, or if the WCSU copy is checked out, you may order the item electronically via Inter-Campus Loan. Select the Request option at the full record display in CONSULS, then type your student ID# and your library PIN code. Be sure to specify a pickup location (Haas or Young Library) before clicking on the gray bar to initiate your request. If you need assistance with your library PIN, please contact the librarian at the Reference Desk at (203) 837-9110.

There is a limit of ten (10) Inter-Campus Loan requests per person. Videos are available via Inter-Campus Loan. Please allow 4-5 days for delivery to the Haas Circulation Desk. Items borrowed via Inter-Campus Loan may be renewed on the due date if no one else has placed a HOLD on the item.

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Databases & Indexes for Finding Periodical Articles

Computerized Databases

Academic Search Premier in EBSCOhost
Coverage: 1990 - present (earlier for many publications)
Location: Under Articles/Databases at the WCSU Libraries Homepage.
Scope: Indexes approximately 8,000 newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals in most fields, including language and literature, with 4,000 available in full-text.
JSTOR
Coverage: Issue number one to within 1-3 years of present
Location: Under Articles/Databases on the WCSU Libraries Homepage.
Scope: Full-text of over 400 core scholarly journals in more than 25 disciplines, including language and literature (complete backfiles).
MLA International Bibliography
Coverage: 1963 - present
Location: Under Articles/Databases at the WCSU Libraries Homepage.
Scope: Indexes books, book articles, journal articles, and Ph.D. dissertations in literature, language, linguistics, and folklore. No abstracts; some linked full-text. Also available in print in the Haas reference area.
WorldCat via OCLC FirstSearch
Location: Select OCLC FirstSearch under Articles/Databases at the WCSU Libraries Homepage.
Scope: Indexes 60+ million books, manuscripts, theses, and non-print materials. If the item is not owned by WCSU, you may use Interlibrary Loan.

Printed Indexes

Humanities Index
Coverage: 1974 - present
Location: Index shelves in Haas reference area (near the atrium).
Scope: Indexes articles by author and subject from 250+ English-language scholarly journals in the humanities, including language and literature. The most recently published articles are listed in paperback supplements.


Important Periodicals for Research in Children's Literature

Paper: ; Full-text in : 1993-


Locating Periodicals in the Haas Library

To find out if WCSU subscribes to a specific periodical:

1. Select Journal Title at the CONSULS main menu, then type the name of the periodical (example: comparative literature studies) and press RETURN. If a title list appears on the screen, select the desired title, then look inside the box to find WCSU holdings. Be sure to scroll down the page to see if WCSU owns backfiles on microfilm or microfiche.

2. Or, use the printed WCSU Serials List, available in multiple copies in the Reference Area (first floor) and also on the third floor of the Haas Library, which lists all the newspapers, magazines, and journals owned by WCSU in alphabetical order by title. If WCSU subscribes to the periodical you need, you will find it on the third floor. Print volumes are shelved alphabetically by periodical title. Microfilm and microfiche backfiles are stored alphabetically by title in gray filing cabinets. Reader/printer machines are available on the third floor for viewing and making copies of microforms.

3. To find out if a given periodical is available in full-text in an online database, you may use the A-to-Z Journal Title Locator at library.wcsu.edu/web/resources/journals or under "Resources" on the WCSU Libraries Homepage (library.wcsu.edu/web).


How to Use Interlibrary Loan

If the CSU Libraries do not own the book you need, or if WCSU does not subscribe to the periodical you need, you may request delivery of the item via Interlibrary Loan using the online ILLiad system available at: library.wcsu.edu/web/services/ill.

There is a limit of 5 Interlibrary Loan requests per person per day. Videos are not available via Interlibrary Loan. Under most circumstances, Interlibrary Loan is a free service, but please allow at least ten working days for delivery. You will be notified as soon as the material arrives. Faster document delivery service is available for a reasonable fee. Please see the librarian at the Reference Desk or call the Interlibrary Loan Desk at (203) 837-9114 for more information.


Do You Have a Question?

The Reference Desk on the first floor of the Haas Library is staffed by a professional librarian who is trained to assist in your research, or you may contact Joan Reitz, Instruction Librarian, at 837-8308 or reitzj@wcsu.edu. My office is located in Room 402 on the fourth floor of the Haas Library (near the glass elevator).

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Please send your comments to Joan Reitz, Haas Inastruction Librarian, Western Connecticut State University.
reitzj@wcsu.edu
Last updated on August 15, 2006