Tips
Encyclopedias are great for:
- choosing a topic
- quick self-education
- perspective on a topic
- variant spellings, vocabulary, terminology
- bibliography
Wikipedia?
You already know how helpful it is to get some background information on your research topics. Wikipedia is often the default because it's so easy to find an entry and the entries are often helpful.
That said, the quality and reliability of Wikipedia entries is not something you can count on. In addition, most Cornell instructors will tell you that you cannot cite Wikipedia entries.
For this course, you may want to browse or search some of the library's online subject encyclopedias. Admittedly, they are not as easy to search, but the quality of the entries is often worth the effort. In addition, the entries are signed by the author and include the citation.
Middle Ages & Medievalism
The Vikings: A Very Short IntroductionPublication Date: 2018
The Crusades: A Very Short IntroductionPublication Date: 2005
Racism: A Very Short IntroductionPublication Date: 2020
Medieval Encyclopedias
Trade, Travel, and Exploration in the Middle Ages: an EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2000Covers the peoples, places, technologies, and intellectual concepts that contributed to trade, travel and exploration during the Middle Ages, from the years A.D. 525 to 1492.
The Oxford Handbook of Women and Gender in Medieval EuropePublication Date: 2013
Women and Gender in Medieval Europe: an EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2006Examines the daily reality of medieval women from all walks of life in Europe between 450 CE and 1500 CE, i.e., from the fall of the Roman Empire to the discovery of the Americas. Masculinity in the Middle Ages is also addressed.
The Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature in BritainPublication Date: 2018Represents all the literatures of the British Isles including Old and Middle English, Early Scots, Anglo-Norman, the Norse, Latin and French of Britain, and the Celtic Literatures of Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Cornwall
Medieval England: An EncyclopediaPublication Date: 1998All aspects of life and culture in medieval England-art, architecture, law, literature, kings, commoners, women, music, commerce, technology, warfare, religion, and many others.
The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon EnglandThe only reference work to cover the history, archaeology, arts, architecture, literatures, and languages of England from the Roman withdrawal to the Norman Conquest (c.450 - 1066 AD)
A Companion to Ostrogothic ItalyPublication Date: 2016Syntheses of recent scholarship on key topics, from the Ostrogothic army and administration to religious diversity and ecclesiastical development, ethnicity, cultural achievements, urbanism, and the rural economy, the Ostrogothic provinces beyond the Italian lands, gender and the Ostrogothic court, and Ostrogothic Italy's environmental history.
Medieval Italy: an EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2003Online edition:
Volume I : A-K, Volume II : L-Z Cross-disciplinary resource on literature, history, the arts, science, philosophy, and religion in Italy between A.D. 450 and 1375.
Medieval Islamic Civilization: an EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2005Online:
Volume I : A-K, Volume II : L-Z Two volumes, illustrated. Covers fields such as Arabic languages, Arabic literature, architecture, art history, history, history of science, Islamic arts, Islamic studies, Middle Eastern studies, Near Eastern studies, politics, religion, Semitic studies, theology, and more.
Medieval Scandinavia: an EncyclopediaPublication Date: 1993Religion, education, politics and law, culture and material life, history, literature, and art. A valuable and absorbing volume for students of the Norse sagas, the Viking age, and Old English history and literature, and more.
The Oxford Dictionary of ByzantiumPublication Date: 1991Three-volume, comprehensive dictionary of Byzantine civilization.
Medieval France: an EncyclopediaISBN: 0824044444Publication Date: 1995Covers the political, intellectual, literary, and musical history of the country from the early fifth century to the late 15th.
Medieval Iberia: an EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2002Focuses on the Iberian kingdoms from the fall of the Roman Empire to the aftermath of the Reconquista.
Medieval Jewish Civilization: an EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2002Medieval Jewish civilization, from the fall of the Roman Empire to about 1492.
New Catholic EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2002
The Oxford Dictionary of SaintsISBN: 019860629XConcise accounts of the lives, cults, and artistic associations of over 1,400 saints.
Encyclopedia of Early ChristianityPublication Date: 2013Bibliographies. Focus on biblical books and philosophical schools, their influence on early Christianity and their use by patristic writers; Jewish and pagan environment of early Christianity; eastern expansion of the faith throughout Asia, including persons and literature; treatment of saints, monasticism, worship practices, and modern scholars;
Medieval Archaeology: An EncyclopediaCall Number: Olin Reference D125.M42x 2001+Publication Date: 2000This is the first reference work to cover the archaeology of medieval Europe. No other reference can claim such comprehensive coverage--from Ireland to Russia and from Scandinavia to Italy, the archaeology of the entirety of medieval Europe is discussed.
Medieval Folklore: An EncyclopediaPublication Date: 2002Articles focus on myths and legends, daily and nightly, customs and activities, religious beliefs of pagan, Christian, Muslim, and Jew, key works of oral and written literature, traditional music and art, holidays and feasts, food and drink, plants and animals (real and mythical)
The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle AgesPublication Date: 2010Four volumes. Key aspects of European history, society, religion, and culture from 500 to 1500. Since neighbouring areas of Asia and North Africa impinged on and helped shape the civilization of the West, relevant aspects ofthe Byzantine Empire, the Islamic dynasties, and Asiatic peoples such as the Avars and the Mongols are included.
