Mythology: A Research Guide

In early times, when people did not have the knowledge to explain certain things, they developed myths that usually involved gods or divine beings that usually had supernatural powers. These myths, often having religious significance, told us a lot about people and the way they lived. The materials listed below provide beginning researchers with a starting point for finding information on gods and deities, myths and legends, and mythology from many different places and times. The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library's catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.

Dictionary of World Mythology by Arthur Cotterell. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. ISBN: 0192177478. Available at www.oxfordreference.com.
Presents the gods of Greece, Rome, and Scandinavia, the mystical deities of Buddhist and Hindu India, and the spirits of the African and American continents.

Facts On File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, 2nd ed. edited by Anthony S. Mercatante and James R. Dow. 2 vols. New York: Facts On File, 2004. ISBN: 0816047081.
Illustrated guide to who's who in world mythology.

The Golden Hoard: Myths and Legends of the World by Geraldine McCaughrean and Bee Willey. New York: M. K. McElderry, 1996. ISBN: 0689807414.
Features myths, legends, and folktales from many different cultures and ethnicities.

Greek and Roman Mythology A to Z: Young Reader's Companion, rev. ed. by Kathleen N. Daly and Marian Rengel. New York: Facts On File, 2003. ISBN: 0816051550.
Alphabetically listed entries identify and explain the characters, events, important places, and other aspects of Greek and Roman mythology.

The Illustrated Book of Myths: Tales and Legends of the World by Neil Philip and Nilesh Mistry. Boston: Dorling Kindersley, 1995. ISBN: 0789402025.
Myths from all over the world, including a selection of the great classical tales of Greece and Rome and myths from Norse, Celtic, Egyptian, Native American, Aboriginal, African, and Asian traditions.

The Illustrated Bulfinch's Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch and Giovanni Caselli. New York: Macmillan USA, 1997. ISBN: 0028614755. Original text available at www.bulfinch.org.
Illustrated edition of classic tales of the gods and goddesses, Greek and Roman antiquity; Scandinavian, Celtic, and Oriental fables and myths.

The Illustrated Dictionary of Greek and Roman Mythology by Michael Stapleton. New York: P. Bedrick Books, 1986. ISBN: 0872260631.
Illustrated stories of gods such as Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Athena, and their Roman counterparts.

Mythology by Edith Hamilton and Steele Savage. Boston: Back Bay Books, 1998. ISBN: 0316341517.
A collection of Greek and Roman myths arranged in sections on the gods and early heroes, love and adventure stories, the Trojan war, and a brief section on Norse mythology.

Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists by Ananda K. Coomaraswamy and Sister Nivedita. Mumbai; Delhi: Jaico House, 1999. ISBN: 8172248210.
Indian myths retold include almost all of those, which are commonly illustrated in Indian sculpture and painting.

Who's Who in Classical Mythology by Michael Grant and John Hazel. New York: Routledge, 2002. ISBN: 0415260418.
Guide to all the Greek and Roman mythological characters, from major deities such as Athena and Bacchus to the lesser-known wood nymphs and centaurs. Includes such heroic mortals as Jason, Aeneas, Helen, Achilles, and Odysseus.

Who's Who in Non-Classical Mythology by E. Sykes and A. Kendall. London: Routledge, 2002. ISBN: 041526040X.
Presents accounts of the gods, heroes, and myths of Europe (including the Celts, Teutons, Slavs, and Basques), the Americas, Africa, Australia, China, Japan, and Indonesia.

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Bulfinch's Mythology: The Age of Fable
www.bulfinch.org
The complete original text with information about the author.

Encyclopedia Mythica
www.pantheon.org
Encyclopedia on mythology, folklore and legends, divided into several areas including mythology, folklore, bestiary, heroes, image gallery, and genealogy tables.

Godchecker Mythology Encyclopedia
www.godchecker.com
Currently features over 1,600 deities including African, Australian, Aztec, Chinese, Egyptian, Finnish, Greek, Incan, Mayan, Native American, and Norse Gods.

Mythography
www.loggia.com/myth/myth.html
Presents resources and reference materials about Greek, Roman, and Celtic mythology.

Myths and Legends
www.myths.com/pub/myths/myth.html
Annotated list of Web sites arranged by geography.