Background Research

The items listed below are intended as a starting point for your research, and are by no means comprehensive. General reference works such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, and directories offer background information, and quick answers to specific questions. Included are also several works that will provide a general introduction to research in philosophy.

Encyclopedias | Dictionaries | Atlases | Handbooks and Guides

Encyclopedias

Broughton, Bradford B. Dictionary of Medieval Knighthood and Chivalry: People, Places, and Events (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1988). *R-BTN 88-5088

Dictionary of the Middle Ages, edited by Joseph R. Strayer, 13 vols. (New York: Scribner, 1982-1989). *R-BTH 83-219
Substantive articles with bibliographies; index is in the last volume.

Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature, edited by Robert Lambdin and Laura Lambdin (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2000). *R-NABR 00-10462

Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, edited by Andre Vauchez et al., 2 vols. (Cambridge, Eng.: J. Clarke, 2000; Paris: Cerf, 2000) *R-BTH 01-10619
Scholarly essays on people, events, themes, movements, and ideologies of the medieval period.

Favier, Jean. Dictionnaire de la France médiévale (Paris: Fayard, 1993) *R-DDD 94-111

Medieval England: An Encyclopedia, edited by Paul E. Szarmach et al. (New York; London: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1998) JFF 99-1350

Medieval Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs, and Customs 2 vols. (Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2000) *R-ZBC 02-1953

Medieval France: An Encyclopedia, edited by William Kibler et al. (New York: Garland Pub., 1995) *R-DDD 02-1712

Medieval Scandinavia: An Encyclopedia, edited by Phillip Pulsiano (New York: Garland, 1992) *R-GEC 93-11034

Dictionnaire de la Renaissance (Paris: Encyclopaedia Universalis; Albin Michel, 1998). JFD 00-6623

Encyclopedia of the Renaissance, Paul F. Grendler, editor-in-chief, 6 vols. (New York: Scribner’s, published in association with the Renaissance Society of America, 1999). *R-BTT 00-4873
Detailed, scholarly articles on all aspects of the age of the Renaissance.

Encyclopedia of the Renaissance, Thomas G. Bergin, consulting editor, and Jennifer Speake, general editor (New York: Facts on File Publications, 1987) *R-BTT 88-3123 and JFF 99-2533
Brief entries on the Renaissance, with a particular focus on personalities.

The Hutchinson Encyclopedia of the Renaissance David Rundle, general editor (Oxford: Helicon, 1999) *R-BTT 00-1266
Short, concise articles on significant elements of the Renaissance.

Munkler, Herfried. Lexikon der Renaissance (Munchen: Beck, 2000) JFD 02-585

Dictionaries

Broughton, Bradford B. Dictionary of Medieval Knighthood and Chivalry: Concepts and Terms (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1986) *R-BTN 86-4677

Adams, Ian H. Agrarian Landscape Terms: A Glossary for Historical Geography (London: Institute of British Geographers, 1976. L-11 3172 no. 9

Bonnassie, Pierre. Les cinquante mots clefs de l’histoire médiévale (Toulouse: Privat, 1981) JFD 83-192

Bosworth, Joseph. An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (London: Oxford University Press, 1972). Reprint of the 1898 edition. *R-RNT 73-113

Brumble, H. David. Classical Myths and Legends in the Middle Ages and Renaissance: A Dictionary of Allegorical Meanings (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1998). JFE 98-4789

Dahmus, Joseph Henry. Dictionary of Medieval Civilization (New York: Macmillan, 1984). *R- BTH 84-3867

LeGoff, Jacques. Dictionnaire raisonné de l’Occident médiéval (Paris: Fayard, 1999). *R-BTH 00-1172

Lexikon de Mittelalters Bd. 1-9 in progress (Munchen; Zurich: Artemis-Verlag, 1977- ) JFM 80-36

Vocabulaire historique du Moyen Âge: Occident, Byzance, Islam 3^rd ed. (Paris: La Boutique de l’histoire, 2000). JFE 7953

Weijers, Olga. Dictionnaires et répertoires au Moyen Âge: une étude de vocabulaire (Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 1991). JFF 92-1711

Atlases

Atlas of Medieval Europe, edited by Angus Mackay and David Ditchburn. (London; New York: Routledge, 1997). Map Div. 97-1463

The Atlas of the Crusades, edited by Jonathan Riley-Smith (New York: Facts on File, 1991). Map Div. 91-4709

Atlas of the Renaissance (London: Cassell, 1993). JFG 93-890

Atlas of the World in the Middle Ages (London: Longman, 1980). JFG 83-85

Haywood, John. The Cassell Atlas of the Medieval World, A.D. 600-1492 (London: Cassell, 1998). Map Div. + 99-4403

Hill, David. An Atlas of Anglo-Saxon England (Oxford: Blackwell, 1981). Map Div. 83-384

Handbooks and Guides

Caenegem, R.C.van. Guide to the Sources of Medieval History (Amsterdam; New York: North-Holland Pub. Co., 1978). *RS-BTH 80-3304
This standard work includes sections on the typology of sources, archives and libraries, reference works for the study of medieval texts and bibliographies salient to the discipline.

Cambridge Companion to Renaissance Humanism, edited by Jill Kraye (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996). JFE 96-8230
A collection of essays relating the advent of humanism with the literature, scholarship, and thought of the Renaissance.

Cheney, C. R. Handbook of Dates for Students of English History (London: Offices of the Royal Historical Society, 1945) JFD 94-6244
A useful work which discusses the calendar, variations in the beginning of the year, saints’ days, and legal chronology.

Davis, R.H.C. Medieval European History 395-1500, 2^nd ed. (London: The Historical Association, 1968) D-19 3858
A succinct introduction to the field, with a superb, albeit somewhat dated, bibliography arranged by subject and geographical area.

Fletcher, Stella.The Longman Companion to Renaissance Europe, 1390-1530 (Harlow, England; New York: Longman, 2000). *R-BTT 00-2136
Useful for its dynastic listings, chronologies, and description of the systems of commerce and types of currencies.

Hampson, Robert T. Medii aevi kalendarium; or Dates, charters, and customs of the middle ages; with kalendars from the tenth to the fifteenth century; and an alphabetical digest of obsolete names of days; forming a glossary of the dates of the middle ages; with tables and other aids for ascertaining dates, 2 vols. (London: H.K. Causton, 1841). BTH
A superb introduction to the questions of chronology and dating in the Middle Ages, complemented by a thorough examination of holy days and other observances and the ceremonies and customs attendant upon them. Volume two provides a glossary of terms and concepts (e.g., Lammas Day with an examination of its origins, meanings, and events associated with that day).

Labarte, Jules. Handbook of the arts of the middle ages and renaissance as applied to the decoration of furniture, arms, jewels, &c. &c. (London: J Murray, 1855). MNC (Labarte J Handbook of the arts)

Meyer, Otto. Clavis mediaevalis (Wiesbaden: O. Harrassowitz, 1962). C-12 4079
A handbook of significant terms and concepts for the student of medieval history.

Medieval Studies: An Introduction, edited by James M. Powell, 2^nd ed. (New York: Syracuse University Press, 1992) JFE 96-13262
Essays by scholars on different areas and topics of medieval studies; extensive bibliographies included.

Storey, R.L. Chronology of the Medieval World: 800 to 1491 (Oxford: Helicon, 1994) *R-BAH 94-10180
Chronological arrangement of notable events, complemented by contemporary developments in literature, philosophy, scholarship, religion, and cognate areas.

Williams, Neville. Chronology of the Expanding World, 1492 to 1762 (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1994) JFF 01-271
Arranged by year, this includes not only significant dates but also notable trends in politics, science, literature, and the arts.