MCC LIBRARY RESOURCES

Non-Western Mythology

This guide has been prepared by the MCC reference librarians to assist you with research for your class. If you need further assistance, please stop by the reference desk to consult with a librarian.

Reference Sources

Reference Sources are a good place to start your research. They can give you a concise overview of your topic, background information, facts & statistics, plus help you define and spell words, and focus your topic. Reference Sources include both books located in the Reference Collection and databases accessible on the Library Web Site under the link Reference Databases.

Call Number Title
Mythology:

 
REF BL 311 .M97 Myths and Legends of the World 4 Vols
REF BL 312.L44 Oxford Companion to World Mythology
REF BL 312.S76 Thematic Guide to World Mythology
REF BL 325.C7L44 Encyclopedia of Creation Myths
REF BL 435.A53 Legends of the Earth, Sea, and Sky: an Encyclopedia of Nature Myths
REF BL 473.J67 Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses
REF BL 930.D58

Encyclopedia of Russian and Slavic Myth and Legend

REF BL 1005.D5313 Asian Mythologies
REF BL 1111.4.W55 Handbook of Hindu Mythology
REF BL 1825.W3 Chinese Mythology
REF BL 2400.S24 Dictionary of African Mythology
REF GR 35.G75 Greenwood Encyclopedia of World Folklore and Folklife
REF GR 380.K53 Pacific Mythology
REF GR.825.M87 Mythical and Fabulous Creatures
Religion:  
REF BL 31.E46 Encyclopedia of Religion Vol 9
REF BL 31.E5 Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics Vol 9
REF BL 31.M47 Encyclopedia of World Religions
Culture:  
REF GN550 .E53 Encyclopedia of World Cultures (see Vol 10 Indexes)
Symbols:  
REF AZ 108.B4313 Continuum Encyclopedia of Symbols
REF AZ 108.C66 Complete Dictionary Symbols
REF AZ 108.J63 Dictionary of Mythology, Folklore, and Symbols
REF AZ 108.L446 Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants and Trees
REF AZ 108.W35 Woman's Dictionary of Symbols & Sacred Objects

Reference Databases:

Some reference sources are available not only in print, but also online through the library web site. These sources often combine a variety of information found in other sources. They are full-text, and most are available off-campus with passwords you may obtain from the Reference Desk. Some of the reference databases useful for this subject area are listed below:

Database Name

 

Daily Life

 
Literary Reference Center  
Oxford Reference Online  

Books & Media

The Stacks contain books and audiovisual items that may be borrowed or "checked out" of the library. These resources are useful when you need a more in-depth study of a topic than can be provided in reference sources alone. Use the Library's Online Catalog to determine what resources are available on your topic and the call number and location in the library. If our library does not own the necessary resources for your research needs, you may request additional items be ordered through interlibrary loan.

Possible search terms to use for your topic are:

Indian mythology

 

creation myths

 
nature and mythology

 
mythology, African OR mythology, Asian, etc.  
Gods, Indic OR Gods, Chinese OR Gods, Hindu  

Article Databases

Periodicals consist of popular magazines, newspapers, trade and scholarly journals. Magazine & newspaper articles can be good sources to use for very current information, to focus on specific topics or aspects of a topic, to find reviews, and for opinions. Trade journals are helpful to follow trends and career opportunities within a field, and to find practical tips and techniques to use "on the job". Scholarly journals give details of actual research studies that have been conducted and/or scholarly treatment of discipline specific topics. All of these resources can be located using the article databases located on the library web site.

Recommended Databases for Non-Western Mythology:

Database Name Vendor Name
Academic Search Premier EBSCO
JSTOR (on campus only) JSTOR
ProQuest ProQuest
ArticleFirst, ECO FirstSearch

Passwords to access the library databases from off-campus are available on the pink handout MCC Library Database Chart. If you have not received this handout, please ask for it at the Reference Desk.

Internet Resources

Recommended web sites for this subject are listed below. For additional web sites on this subject, refer to MCC Library's Web Sites by Subject link on the library web site.

Web Site Address
Folklore & Mythology Electronic Texts www.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html
World Myths and Legends in Art

www.artsmia.org/world-myths/
Indians of Arkansas: Archeology, History, and Culture arkarcheology.uark.edu/indiansofarkansas/index.html


Remember to carefully evaluate information found on the Internet. Unlike most traditional print sources, Internet sources may not go through any review process before the information is made available to the public. Anyone can create and publish a web site. If you need help evaluating your sources, please ask at the Reference Desk for guidance. For critieria to use to evaluate your sources refer to our handout on Evaluating Sources. It is available at the Reference Desk.

Reserves

Books, videos, and CDs have been placed on reserve for this class. Go to the MCC Library Catalog and select Reserve Desk at the top of the screen. Search the course number for a list of the reserves. To obtain reserve items, take the call numbers to the Circulation Desk.

http://www.mchenry.edu/library