Monsters and Marvels in Early Modern Cultures
I. Research Guides
Research guides help conceptualize a research project and provide an overview
and an initial bibliography.
Crosby, Everett Uberto. Medieval Studies : A Bibliographical Guide. New York :
Garland Pub., 1983.
Davis Reference Desk Z5579.5 .C76 1983
Eberhart, George M. Monsters, a Guide to Information on Unaccounted for
Creatures, Including Bigfoot, Many Water Monsters and Other Irregular Animals.
New York : Garland Pub., 1983.
Davis Reference Z7997 .M65 E24 1983
Kohl, Benjamin G. Renaissance Humanism, 1300-1550 : A Bibliography of
Materials in English. New York : Garland Pub. Co., 1985.
Davis Reference Z7128 .H9 K64 1985
Medieval Studies : An Introduction. Ed. James M. Powell. Syracuse, NY :
Syracuse University Press, 1992.
Davis Reference D116 .M4 1992
Use the following subject headings to search for research guides in the catalog:
animals--folklore--bibliography
civilization, medieval--bibliography
humanism--bibliography
middle ages--historiography
middle ages--history--sources--bibliography
monsters--bibliography
renaissance--bibliography
II. Background Information
Tools such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, atlases, and chronologies
provide basic, contextual information and they can help you choose or refine a
topic. Also, many provide bibliographies.
A. Dictionaries & Encyclopedias for the Monstrous & Fabulous
The Book of Fabulous Beasts : A Treasury of Writings from Ancient Times
to the Present. Ed. Joseph Nigg. New York : Oxford University Press, 1999.
Davis Reference GR820 .B66 1999
Melton, J. Gordon. The Vampire Book : The Encyclopedia of the Undead.
Detroit : Gale Research, c1994.
Davis Reference GR8330 .V3 V367 1994
Mythical and Fabulous Creatures : A Source Book and Research Guide.
Ed. Malcolm South. New York : Greenwood Press, 1987.
Davis Reference GR825 .M87 1987
Rose, Carol. Giants, Monsters, and Dragons : An Encyclopedia of Folklore,
Legend. and Myth. Santa Barbara, CA : ABC-CLIO, c2000.
Davis Reference GR825 .R67 2000
Rovin, Jeff. The Encyclopedia of Monsters. New York : Facts on File, c1989.
Davis Reference P96 .M6 R68 1989
Use the following subject headings to search the catalog for books on the monstrous & fabulous:
abnomalities, human, in literature
abnormalities, human--early works to 1800
abnormalities, human--history
animals, mythical
animals--abnormalities--early works to 1800
bestiaries
dragons
fairies
giants
hermaphroditism in art
hermaphroditism in literature
hermaphroditism--history
history of medicine
monsters
monsters in literature
science, medieval
teratology
vampires
B. Dictionaries & Encyclopedias for Study of the Middle Ages & the Renaissance
Campbell, Gordon. The Oxford Dictionary of the Renaissance. Oxford;
New York : Oxford University Press, 2003.
Davis Reference CB361 .C27 2003
Dictionary of the Middle Ages. Ed. Joseph R. Strayer. New York :
Scribner, c1982-1989. 13 vols.
Davis Reference D114 .D5 1982
Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment. Ed. Michel Delon. [translation of
Dictionnaire Europeen des Lumieres. Chicago; London : Fitzroy Dearborn,
2001. 2 vols.
Davis Reference D286 .D52813 2001
Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment. Ed. Alan Charles Kors. Oxford; New York : Oxford
University Press, 2003. 4 vols.
Davis Reference B802 .E53 2003
Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages. Ed. Andre Vauchez. Paris : Cerf;
Cambridge : J. Clarke; Rome : Citta Nuova, 2000. 2 vols.
Davis Reference CB351 .E53 2000
Encyclopedia of the Renaissance. Ed. Paul F. Grendler. New York : Scribner's
published in association with the Renaissance Society of America, 1999. 6 vols.
Davis Reference CB361 .E52 1999
The Hutchinson Encyclopedia of the Renaissance. Ed. David Rundle.
Boulder, CO : Westview Press, 1999.
Davis Reference CB361 .H88 1999
Lexikon des Mittelalters. Ed. Robert Auty, et al. Munchen; Surich : Artemis-Verlag,
[1971]-1999. 10 vols.
Davis Reference D101.5 .L49
The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation. Ed. Hans J. Hillerbrand.
New York : Oxford University Press, 1996. 4 vols.
Davis Reference BR302.8 .)93 1996
Use the following subject headings to search the catalog for books on the Middle Ages and Renaissance:
civilization, medieval--dictionaries
enlightenment--dictionaries
enlightenment--encyclopedias
europe--church history--16th century--encyclopedias
europe--intellectual life
middle ages--dictionaries
middle ages--encyclopedias
middle ages--history--dictionaries
philosophy--encyclopedias
reformation--encyclopedias
reformation--biography--encyclopeidas
renaissance--dictionaries
renaissance--encyclopedias
theology, doctrinal--europe--history
C. Selected Symbols & Motifs Dictionaries
Below is a brief sampling of dictionaries outlining the traditional significance
of various symbols and motifs. See also the research guide for
Secular Iconography for more detailed guidance in this area.
Carr-Gomm, Sarah. The Hutchinson Dictionary of Symbols in Art. Oxford :
Helicon; London : Duncan Baird Publishers, 1995.
Davis Reference N33 .C377 1995
Chevalier, Jean. A Dictionary of Symbols. [translation of Dictionnaire
des Symbols.] Oxford; Cambridge : Blackwell, 1994.
Davis Reference Desk GR931 .C4413 1994
Cirlot, Juan Eduardo. A Dictionary of Symbols. [translation of Diccionario
de Simbolos Tradicionales. London : Routledge & K. Paul [1971]. 2nd edition.
Davis Reference BF1623 .S9 C513 1971
Companion to Literary Myths : Heroes and Archetypes. Ed. Pierre Brunel.
[translation of Dictionnaire des Mythes Litteraires.] London; New York :
Routledge, 1992.
Davis Reference PN56 .M95 D4813 1992
Vries, Ad de. Dictionary of Symbols and Imagery. Amsterdam; London : North-
Holland Pub. Co., 1974.
Davis Reference Desk BL600 .V74
Use the following subject headings to search the catalog for symbols dictionaries & other related reference sources:
art--dictionaries
emblems--dictionaries
folklore--dictionaries
mythology--dictionaries
signs and symbols--dictionaries
symbolism--dictionaries
symbolism in folklore
D. General Histories of the Middle Ages & the Renaissance
The New Cambridge Medieval History. Ed. Rosamond McKitterick. New York :
Cambridge University Press, 1995-. v. 2. c. 700-c. 900; v. 3. c. 900-c. 1024;
v. 5. c.1198-c. 1300; v. 6. 1300-1415; v. 7. c. 1415-c. 1500. [In progress.]
Davis Reference D117 .N48 1995
The New Cambridge Modern History. Cambridge : University Press, 1957-79.
Davis Reference D208 .N4
Use the following subject headings to search the catalog for Medieval & Renaissance histories:
europe--history--476-1492
history, modern
middle ages--history
Chronology of European History, 15,000 B.C. to 1997. Ed. John Powell.
Pasadena, CA : Salem Press, c1997.
Davis Reference D11 .C57 1997
Mas Latrie, L. de. Tresor de Chronologie d'Histoire et de Geographie pour
l'Etude et l'Emploi des Documents du Moyen Age. [New York : Stechert Hafner, 1962.]
Davis Reference D114 .M139 1962
Storey, R.L. Chronology of the Medieval World, 800 to 1491. London :
Barnes and Jenkins, 1973.
Davis Reference D118 .S855 1973
Use the following subject headings to search the catalog for chronologies:
chronology, historical
europe--history--chronology
middle ages--history
middle ages--history--chronology
F. Atlases for Medieval & Renaissance Study
Anderson, Charles S. Augsburg Historical Atlas of Christianity in the Middle
Ages and Reformation. Minneapolis : Augsburg Pub. House, [1967].
Davis Reference G1796 .E4 1967
Atlas of the Renaissance. Ed. Christopher F. Black, et al. London :
Cassell, 1994.
Art Reference CB361 .A88 1994
Cultural Atlas of the Renaissance. Ed. Christopher F. Black, [et al.]
New York : Prentice Hall General Reference, c1993.
UL Folio N6370 .C84 1993
Hooper, Nicholas. Cambridge Illustrated Atlas, Warfare : The Middle
Ages, 768-1487.Cambridge; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Davis Reference G1034 .H6 1996
Use the following subject headings to search the catalog for atlases:
art, renaissance--maps
church history--middle ages, 600-1500
ecclesiastical geography--europe--maps
europe--maps
middle ages--maps
military art and science--history--medieval, 500-1500--maps
military history, medieval--maps
renaissance--historiography--maps
renaissance--maps
war and society--maps
III. Secondary Sources
Secondary sources are books, articles, reports, etc. written after an event,
usually by a non-participant, which describe, interpret, and/or analyze the event.
A. 1. Subject Searching in the Library Catalog
For efficient subject searching in the library's catalogs, you need to use the proper
subject heading(s). These subjects are determined through a controlled vocabulary
known as Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). If you do not know this terminology
or its syntax (e.g.,Middle Ages--History is the accepted order), use keywords
to find relevant records of books and then determine what the L.C. Subject Headings
are from the full records. Caveat: keyword searching can be very sloppy, so
use keywords to determine the authorized headings. For example, doing a keyword search
in the catalog
for "monsters" and "europe" retrieves 9 book records, some relevant
and some not. Searching the catalog for subject headings of the relvant books
will be far more productive. Examples of useful subjects from this search:
animals--folklore
animals, mythical
curiosities and wonders
marvelous, the
monsters
monsters--bibliography
monsters in literature
A. 2.
Library of Congress Classification Outline
Most academic libraries use the LC Classification System to determine subject
classification in assigning Call Numbers to books and journals. Familiarizing
oneself with this system will help when browsing any collection world wide that
utilizes the Library of Congress system. Many public libraries and a few
academic libraries (including Duke University) still use the
Dewey Decimal Classification System for assigning Call Numbers.
B. Subject Indexes
Indexes identifying scholarly journal articles and books exist for various subject
disciplines. Below is a selection of indexes. To identify other indexes and
databases, go to
Article Databases & More and browse by subject, e.g., history, literature.
Most of the indexes below are bibliographic rather than full-text, i.e., they
refer to bibliographic citations of books and journal articles. To search for a
specific book, search
UNC-Chapel Hill's catalog by book author/editor or by title. If an index's
citation is to a book chapter, search the catalog for the book's editor/author or title,
not the chapter author or title.
Only a fraction of existing journal literature exists electronically. UNC-Chapel Hill
has many journals in print format. If your index citation is to an article in a
scholarly journal, search the
UNC-Chapel Hill catalog by the title of the journal,
not the article title, and limit your search to "Journal/Magazine." If UNC-
Chapel Hill does have a journal electronically, you should be able to find it
by searching for it on the
E-Journal Finder.
Art Index
Art Index indexes and abstracts more than 300 key, international arts publications,
1984-present.
Article Databases & More
Art Index Retrospective
Coverage is 1929-1984.
Article Databases & More
ATLA Religion Database
The ATLA Religion Database is the major index to journal articles, book reviews,
and essay collections in the field of religion. It covers over 1,400 journals,
including over 600 being currently indexed, and nearly 16,000 collections of essays.
Article Databases & More
Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA)
Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA) is the most comprehensive art
bibliography available worldwide, covering European and American art from late
antiquity (4th c. A.D.) to the present. It indexes and abstracts books,
conference proceedings, dissertations, exhibition and dealer catalogs, and articles
from more than 2,500 periodicals. Coverage: 1973-present.
Article Databases & More
Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index
Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index covers journal articles, book reviews,
and essays in books about women, sexuality, and gender during the Middle Ages.
Historical Abstracts
Historical Abstracts covers the history of the world from 1450 to the present
(excluding the United States and Canada). It contains annotated references to
information on topics from the Renaissance to Tiananmen Square. Coverage: 1955-present
Article Databases & More
International Medieval Bibliography
This bibliography of the European Middle Ages (c. 450-1500) has been produced in
print form since 1968 by the International Medieval Institute (University of Leeds).
Coverage is drawn from over 4,000 periodicals as well as from miscellaneous
collections of conference proceedings, essay collections, and Festschriften.
Coverage: 1967-present.
Article Databases & More
ITER: Gateway to the Middle Ages and Renaissance
A bibliography of approximately 225,000 records from the complete runs of more
than 300 scholarly journal titles pertaining to the Middle Ages and Renaissance
(400-1700).
Article Databases & More
MLA International Bibliography (Literature)
MLA International Bibliography is produced by the Modern Language Association.
Index to articles in literature, languages, linguistics, and folklore from
several thousand journals and series published worldwide. Also covers relevant
monographs, working papers, proceedings, and bibliographies. Coverage: 1963-present.
Article Databases & More
Philosopher's Index
The Philosopher's Index provides indexing and abstracts from books and journals
of philosophy and related fields. It covers the areas of ethics,aesthetics, social
philosophy, political philosophy, epistemology, andmetaphysic logic as well as
material on the philosophy of law, religion,science, history, education, and language.
Coverage: 1940-present.
Article Databases & More
C. Book Reviews
Book reviews help to evaluate a book's worthiness.
Finding Book Reviews is a
selective guide to resources for locating and identifying book reviews.
D. Dissertations
Dissertations generally have extensive bibliographies.
Digital Dissertations
ProQuest Digital Dissertations, or Dissertations Abstracts, indexes U. S.
dissertations from 1861 to as recent as last semester. The full text of
dissertations done at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1997
on are available for free downloading in PDF format.
Article Databases & More
IV. Published Primary Sources
Primary sources provide "firsthand" records and may include letters, diaries, and works
of literature or philosophy. Beolw are some major electronic collections of
primary texts.
ARTFL Project (American and French Research on the Treasury of the French Language)
At present the corpus consists of nearly 2000 texts, ranging from classic works of
French literature to various kinds of non-fiction prose and technical writing.
The eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries are about equally represented,
with a smaller selection of seventeenth century texts as well as some medieval
and Renaissance texts. See "Collections" for the full scope of this project.
Article Databases & More
Early English Books Online (EEBO)
Early English Books Online [EEBO] includes the total surviving published record
of the English-speaking world for 227 years in digital format. It reproduces
images of over 125,000 books, pamphlets and broadsides published in England and
her colonies in any language between 1475 and 1700, and in English worldwide for
this period.
Article Databases & More
Literature Online (LION)
LION now comprises more than 350,000 works of English-language literature, including
poems, plays, prose, and novels. Caveat: these texts are reproduced as they
were originally written, with many variant spellings ("love" or "loue").
Article Databases & More
Past Masters (Philosophy)
These works serve the needs of the scholarly community in philosophy by
providing cohesive digital collections of excellent editions, in both original
language and in English translation.
Article Databases & More
V.
Library Tutorial
This tutorial is designed to teach basic reasearch skills so that you will be able
to use UNC-Chapel Hill's libraries effectively.
For additional assistance, please contact Tom Nixon, Reference Librarian.
Phone: 962-1151
Email: tommy_nixon@unc.edu
Can't Find What You Are Looking For? How Can We Help You?
E-mail Reference questions to our e-mail reference service
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This page was last updated Wednesday, January 11, 2006.