Research Guides: Mythology Pathfinder - Kresge Library

Encyclopedias

We have several encyclopedias, both print and Internet. We will start with the Internet source: Encyclopedia Mythica covers all continents, has a search engine, includes genealogy, tables, covers folklore and has an image file. But the New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology (Ref. BL 311 .L33 1968) is one of the two best places to go for print sources: it is organized by geography and it is comprehensive including such unusual areas as Finn-Ugric, Phoenician and Oceanic Mythology. Each section is about 10-90 pages. There are many plates including colored ones. The other title is the Larousse World Mythology (Ref. BL 311 .G683 1965). Slightly older but about twice as large as the previous title, it consists of essays by prominent scholars: mythology of the Tamils or mythology of Jainism, to give but two examples. Also includes plates. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology (Ref. BL 311 .C68 1999) has world coverage: Celtic, Nordic, Greek, etc. Short descriptive entries.

Dictionaries

DICTIONARIES (CLASSICAL)

Dictionary of Classical Mythology, Symbols, Attributes & Associations (Ref. BL 715 .B44 1982) is arranged by topic, not person or god. A Concise Dictionary of Classical Mythology (Ref. BL 715 .G713 1990); Dictionary of Classical Mythology (Ref. BL 715 .Z5); The Encyclopedia of Classical Mythology (Ref. BL 715 .A413). Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Also Common Glossary which lists terms and definitions; Beazley Archive Illustrated Dictionary. Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (Ref. DE 5 .S75 ) is a 3- volume classic (1880) arranged by subject. The Bloomberg Dictionary of Myth.

DICTIONARIES (NON CLASSICAL)

Dictionary of Celtic Mythology (Ref. BL 900 .E45 1994); Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend (Ref. BL 900 .G73 1992); Everyman's Dictionary of Non-Classical Mythology (Ref. BL 303 .S9 1965); A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology (Ref. BL 1105 .D6).

Handbooks

Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology (Ref. BL 303 .T75 1970) is more than a dictionary, although it has that format. The preface says that the book is "a collection of stories" that tells the myths of Rome and Greece in a readable form. And it does. Entries range from a few lines to a few pages. Myth (Ref. BL 303 .M35 1996) covers all geographic areas of myth; mostly gods and goddesses but topics too. Strong on American Indians.

Biography and Genealogy

Who's Who in Classical Mythology (Ref. BL 715 .G68 1993); Who's Who in Non-Classical Mythology (Ref. BL 303 .S9 1993) and What Men or Gods Are These? A Genealogical Approach to Classical Mythology (Ref. BL 782 .B86). The latter book includes genealogical charts and text. Here is an Internet source: Probert Encyclopaedia, which is really not an encyclopedia.

Internet Sources

Gateways

Yahoo's Greek Mythology. This is an alphabetical directory of sites in Greek mythology.

Greek Mythology Link is the best that I have seen; some parts of this site have been discussed below for quick reference but you really ought to look at the whole thing.

Specific Internet Sources

Search Engine: Search Greek Mythology. Sites are rated between 1-4 stars.

Bulfinch's Mythology is a standard work also organized by chapter. Organized in three volumes, volume one covers mostly Greece and volumes two and three cover King Arthur and Charlemagne respectively.

Mythology by Culture or Region covers the globe. Click on Egypt and you will get texts such as the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

Why Do People Need Mythology has several important links, among them a 300- page essay on morality, biology and ethics and another on the evolution of myths.

Resources:

Myths and Legends is good for geographic distribution. Use the navigation bar on the left.
Mythology. Arranged by topic and geography.
Online Journals:

Aeon: A Journal of Myth, Science and Ancient Religion

Timelines: Timeline of Greek History and Literature

Images: Image Gallery; The Olympian Gods; Image Index: Greece; Images of Mythology; The Ambrose Collection, a collection of slides used in a mythology class.

Maps: Geographic and Constellation Maps;

Genealogy: Genealogy Tables; The Greek Family Tree; The Norse Family Tree; Summary of Appoldorus's Library

Texts: , The Internet Classics Archive, which covers 441 works in classical literature including mythology. You will also find many other texts in the Internet Sacred Text Archive , Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts. and Perseus Digital Library

Biographies: Biographies. Character Glossary is also useful for brief bios.

Themes (such as creation): Mythology by Themes; Some Common Mythic Elements

Bibliographies: Mythology References in Print

Oddities: CG Jung Page. I include this because mythology is so important in Jungian psychology. Recall that his theory of "archtypes" was rooted in mythology. And don't forget Joseph Campbell--here is his link: Joseph Campbell Foundation.