Research Guides: Folklore

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Folklore Reference Items

The following are recommended Reference titles available from Steely Library.

These are suggestions only & do not reflect the full range of materials that may be useful to you. For additional assistance, Ask Steely Library!

Credo Reference E-Books
An interdisciplinary collection of online reference works. An excellent place to garner background information on a figure or concept in folklore.
Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia
Location: GR549 .R65 1998x
"In more than 2,000 alphabetically arranged entries, readers will meet angels, demons, elves, encantados, fairies, familiars, keremets, nats, nymphs, and many other strange beings from around the world. Carol Rose introduces the reader to the little--and not so little--folk, delightfully various and, at the same time, strikingly similar from country to country." (Amazon.com)
Encyclopedia of Urban Legends
Location: GR105.34 .B78 2001
An exhaustive reference work that contains alphabetical entries on urban legends and methodology in researching folklore from around the world. Includes urban legends that circulate throughout the internet. Each entry includes a citation for more information. The e-book version of the same work can be found in Credo Reference.
A Guide to Folktales in the English Language
Location: GR74.6 .A83x
Indexes English language fairy and folk tales using the Aarne-Thompson system. Includes an explanation of the Aarne-Thompson classification system. Anecdotes, religious tales, romantic stories, and the Grimm Brothers' stories are included.
American Folklore: An Encyclopedia
Location: GR101 .A54 1996
Compiled by scholars in the field, this work contains folklore from the US and Canada. It covers urban, rural, older and contemporary, and ethnic folklore and entries on figures in the field. Arranged alphabetically, each entry includes definitions and citations.
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Folktales and Fairytales
Location: GR74 .G73 2008
This multivolume set covers the international world of folktales and their similarities and differences in re-tellings around the world. Many of the citations include current web resources for researchers and students alike.
Dictionary of Mythology, Folklore, and Symbols
Location: GR35 .J6
This multivolume dictionary provides brief entries on figures in folktales, fairytales, researchers, and authors from around the world. Comprehensive in its scope, this dictionary covers both ancient and contemporary folktales.

The Folklore Research Guide is maintained by Ellie Jones. Suggestions and comments are welcome.