Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Encyclopedias | Dictionaries | Atlases | Handbooks and Guides

Encyclopedias

Medieval

Broughton, Bradford B. Dictionary of Medieval Knighthood and Chivalry: Concepts and Terms (Westport, CT:  Greenwood Press, 1986)  *R-RMRR  CR4505  .B76 

Broughton, Bradford B. Dictionary of Medieval Knighthood and Chivalry: People, Places, and Events (Westport, CT:  Greenwood Press, 1988)   *R-RMRR CR4505 .B76. 

Dictionary of the Middle Ages, edited  by Joseph R. Strayer,   (New York: Scribner, 1982-1989), 13 vols.
 *R-RMRR D114 .D5.  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-RMRR PN669  .E53.  

Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, edited by Andre Vauchez et al. (Cambridge, Eng.: J. Clarke, 2000; Paris: Cerf, 2000), 2 vols.    *R-RMRR CB351  .D5413.  This is also available electronically. 
Scholarly essays on people, events, themes, movements, and ideologies of the medieval period.  

The Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, edited by Norman F. Cantor et al.  (New York: Viking, 1999)   *R-RMRR  D114  .E53.   

Favier,  Jean. Dictionnaire de la France médiévale  (Paris: Fayard, 1993)  *R-RMRR DC60 .6  .F38.  

Medieval Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs, and Customs,  (Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2000), 2 vols.   *R-RMRR GR35 .M43.    

Renaissance

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

Encyclopedia of the Renaissance, Paul F. Grendler, editor-in-chief   (New York: Scribner’s, published in association with the Renaissance Society of America, 1999), 6 vols., *R-RMRR  CB361  .E52.  
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-RMRR CB361  .B43  
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-RMRR  CB361 .H87x. 
Short, concise articles on significant elements of the Renaissance.

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

Dictionaries

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-RMRR PE279  .B5.  

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-RMRR  CB351  .D24.  

Dictionary of the History of Ideas; Studies of Selected Pivotal Ideas, edited by Philip P. Wiener  (New York: Scribner, 1973-1974),  5 vols.  *R-RMRR   CB5  .D52. Examine the index in volume 5 under the Middle Ages for appropriate references; included are such topics as individualism, perfectibility, syncretism, and universe. 

Gerhards, Agnès. Dictionnaire historique des orders religieux (Paris: Fayard, 1998) JFE 98-12885.

Gerhards, Agnès. La société médiévale (Paris: MA editions, 1986) JFC 88-1614. 

LeGoff, Jacques. Dictionnaire raisonné de l’Occident médiéval  (Paris: Fayard, 1999) *R-RMRR  CB351  .L414. 

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

Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (New York: Oxford University Press, 1991), 3 vols. 
*R-RMRR  DF521   .O93   and *O-*OPN 92-14088.

Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed.  (Oxford: Clarendon Press; New York: Oxford University Press, 1989), 20 vols.  *R-RMRR  PE1625. O87.  An indispensable tool for etymology, supplying spelling, definition, usage, and changes in meaning for words.  Also available electronically.  

Riché, Pierre.  Dictionnaire des Francs: les Carolingiens (Etrepilly: Bartillat, 1997) JFD 98-563.   

Riché, Pierre.  Dictionnaire des Francs: les temps Mérovingiens (Etrepilly: Bartillat, 1996) JFD 97-287.     

Robert, Paul.  Dictionnaire alphabétique et analogique de la lingue française, 2nd ed.  (Paris: Dictionnaires Le Robert, 2001), 6 vols.   *R-RMRR  PC2625  .R552. (For other editions, check CATNYP.)   Historical and etymological dictionary of the French language which includes the medieval and Renaissance eras.  

Thesaurus linguae Latinae (Lipsiae: In aedibus B. G. Teubneri, 1900-  ), in progress
*R-RMRR  PA2361   .T4. The most comprehensive dictionary for the Latin language, similar in scope to “The Oxford English Dictionary.”  Useful for its coverage of Latin vocabulary in the medieval period.  Also available electronically.

Vocabulaire historique du Moyen Âge: Occident, Byzance, Islam   3rd ed.  (Paris: La Boutique de l’histoire, 2000)  JFE  01-7953.   

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

Atlases

Atlas of Medieval Europe, 2nd ed., edited by Angus Mackay, Simon MacLean, and David Ditchburn.  (London; New York: Routledge, 2007)  Map Div. 07-4172.  

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.  

McKitterick, Rosamond.  Times Medieval World  (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004)   Map Div. 05-827  and  JFF 05-959.  

Handbooks and Guides

Caenegem, R.C.van.   Guide to the Sources of Medieval History (Amsterdam; New York: North-Holland Pub. Co., 1978)  *R-RMRR  D117  .C25.
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, Charles Till, comp. Sources of Medieval History (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1967), 2 vols.  E-13  630.   A selection of texts illuminating medieval history and culture, with appropriate introductions. 

Davis, R.H.C.  Medieval European History 395-1500, 2nd 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-RMRR  D203  .F58.
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  (London: H.K. Causton, 1841), 2 vols.    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).       

Identifier sources et citations, edited by Jacques Berlioz and others  (Turnhout: Brepols, 1994) 
JFE 95-4929  A useful tool for determining sources in medieval writings; arranged by subjects (e.g.,  liturgy, law, literature, etc.) with extensive bibliographies and historical explanations.  

Labarte, Jules.  Handbook of the arts of the middle ages and renaissance as applied to the decoration of furniture, arms, jewels, &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, 2nd ed. (New York: Syracuse University Press, 1992)  JFE 96-13262.
Essays by scholars on different areas and topics of medieval studies; extensive bibliographies included. 

Pullan, Brian S., comp. Sources for the History of Medieval Europe from the Mid-Eighth to the Mid-Thirteenth Century  (Oxford: Blackwell, 1966)  JFD 95-7867   An anthology of medieval documents and writings.   

Storey, R.L.  Chronology of the Medieval World: 800 to 1491  (Oxford: Helicon, 1994)  *R-RMRR  D118  .S85.
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.