MEDVL 1103 Old Irish Myths and Sagas (Spring 2009)  Tags: medieval ireland  

Encyclopedias are great for:

• choosing a topic
• educating yourself quickly
• perspective on a topic
• variant spellings, vocabulary, terminology
• bibliography
  

Gale virtual reference library Excellent collection of full text encyclpoedias.

Reference universe. Search the back-of-the-book indexes to subject encyclopedias in a wide variety of subject areas.

Oxford Reference Online Outstanding collection of encyclopedias, dictionaries, and companions.

Everything Irish : the history, literature, art, music, people, and places of Ireland, from A-Z (2005). (Olin Library DA906 .E94 2005)

The encyclopaedia of Ireland (2003) (Olin Library Reference DA906 .E532 2003+)

  Myth and Literature Encyclopedias

Medieval Ireland Encyclopedias

Medieval Ireland : an encyclopedia. 2005. (Olin Library Reference DA933 .M43 2005 +) Articles vary in length but all are accompanied by bibliographies.

Medieval Archaeology : an Encyclopedia. 2001. (Olin Reference D125.M42x 2001+) A substantive up-to-date encyclopedia of medieval archaeology, with entries for sites (Sutton Hoo, e.g.), areas (Pre-Viking Scandinavia), ethnic/culture groups (Vikings, Visigoths), artifacts (Stoneware) and activities (Hunting, Cloth-making).

Medieval folklore : a guide to myths, legends, tales, beliefs, and customs. 2002. (Olin Reference and Uris Library Reference GR35 .M43 2002) Two volumes. An interesting and stimulating collection on topics not covered in other medieval encyclopedias.

The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England. 1998. (Olin Reference DA 152 B58x 1998) People, places, social groups. Most articles contain concise bibliographies.

Medieval England: An Encyclopedia. 1998.(Olin Reference DA 129 .M43x 1998) Articles vary in length but all are accompanied by bibliographies.

Dictionary of the Middle Ages. 12 vols. 1982-1988. (Olin Reference D 114 D55+; also Uris Reference) Articles cover roughly the years 500-1500 A.D. in the lands of the Latin West, the Slavic world, Asia Minor, the lands of the Caliphate in the East, and the Muslim-Christian areas of North Africa. Some entries are only of definition length (e.g. Avignon), but others are more historical and lengthy (e.g. Byzantine Empire, Constantine I, Arms and Armor). Bibliographies are mostly in English.

The Catholic encyclopedia; an international work of reference on the constitution, doctrine, discipline, and history of the Catholic Church.  [c1907-12]. (Also available in print at Olin Reference BX841 .C36) This fifteen volume encyclopedia goes beyond the subject of Catholicism to include science, literature, art and civilization. Particularly good on historical topics and the Middle Ages. Reissued and updated in the 1960s as The New Catholic Encyclopedia (available in print at Olin and Uris Reference). Articles sometimes include bibliography of primary and secondary sources.

Medieval Scandanavia: An Encyclopedia. 1993. (Olin Reference DL30 .M48+ and Kroch Rare Reference). Articles vary in length but all are accompanied by bibliographies.

 

 

Chronologies, Histories, and Atlases

An atlas for Celtic studies: archaeology and names in ancient Europe and early medieval Ireland, Britain, and Brittany (2007). (Olin Library Reference (Atlas Case) G1030 .K66 2007 ++)

The New Cambridge Medieval History. 7vols 1995- (Olin Reference and Uris Stacks D117 .N48x 1995). A textbook of sorts in which each chapter has been written by a specialist and each volume concludes with an extensive bibliography. The emphasis is on political and economic history. Other multi-volume sets cover ancient history (Uris D57 .C17 1970; also Olin Reference) and modern history (Uris D208 .N53 1957; also Olin Reference).

Chronology of the Medieval World 800 to 1491. 1973.(Olin Reference D118 .S88 1973) This chronology focuses on western Europe, but an attempt has been made to show contemporary developments in other continents as well.

Atlas of Medieval Europe. 1997. (Uris Reference G1791 .M2x 1997)