Anthropology 412: Folklore: A Guide to Resources

Indexes

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There are other databases, in addition to those listed here, that may be relevant to your topic. Select from the list on the Databases page.

• Anthropology Plus, UT Libraries Database, late 19th century -

The most comprehensive, bibliographical database for anthropology and archaeology. Combines coverage for Anthropological Literature (Harvard University) and Anthropological Index (British Museum).Indexes journal articles, reports, commentaries and edited works for all fields of anthropology including ethnology, folklore, material culture, and interdisciplinary studies.

• America: History & Life (United States and Canada) and Historical Abstracts (world), UT Libraries Database, 1950s-

Includes article abstracts and citations, book reviews and dissertations on the history and culture from prehistoric times to the present. Browse the "Subject Index" to find subject terms. Links to some full-text articles in JSTOR and Project Muse.

• Academic Search Premier, UT Libraries Database, 1975-

A multidisciplinary database provides full-text for over 3,900 scholarly publications.

• Art Full Text, UT Libraries Database, 1984-

Indexes and abstracts articles from periodicals published throughout the world. Includes full te articles on material culture and, arts and crafts.

• eHRAF Collection of Ethnography, UT Libraries Database

A cross-cultural database with full-text information on all aspects of cultural and social life. A cross-cultural database with full-text information on all aspects of cultural and social life.

• MLA International Bibliography, UT Libraries Database, 1926-

Print 4th floor, PB1.M462 1963-1995; Reference, 1956-1962 Books and Articles on literature, language, and folklore. The MLA Bibliography coverage was expanded in 1981 to include all folklore studies.

• Social Sciences Abstracts, UT Libraries Database, 1983-


• Abstracts of Folklore Studies. American Folklore Society, 1963-1975.

Hodges, 4th floor, GR1.A52. Lists articles by the journal in which it appeared. Includes subject indexes.

General Bibliographies

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• American Folklore: A Bibliography 1950-1974.
  Cathleen C. Flanagan and John T. Flanagan. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1977. 3rd Floor Stacks: Z5984.U6F55


• A Bibliography of North American Folklore and Folksong. Haywood, Charles. Dover, 1961.
  Stacks and Reference GR101.H39 1961.
  Some references are incorrectly cited.


• Folklore and Folklife: A Guide to English-Language Reference Sources.
  Steinfirst, Susan. 2 vols. Reference GR66.S74 1972.


• Tennessee Folk Culture: An Annotated Bibliography.
  Goehring, Eleanor. Reference & Stacks 3rd Floor, Z5984.U6G63 1982.

A bibliography of folklore and folklife arranged by broad subject areas. Indexes by subject and author including the Tennessee Folklore Bulletin and the Kentucky Folklore Record.

Motif Indexes

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• Motif-Index of Folk-Literature: etc. Thompson, Stith. Reference GR67.T52

This six part motif classification index lists plot events, characters, and symbols that recur in fairy tales and folklore around the world, as well as the collections where they can be found.

• Tale Type- and Motif-Indexes. Azzolina, David S. Reference GR74.6.A9 1987

Annotated bibliography. Lists motif-index and similar resources.

• Type and Motif Index of the Folktales of England and North America. Baughman, Ernest Warren. Reference GR67.B3

Classifies the tales of the two countries and indicates the relationship between them.

Journals - Print and Electronic

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Select other journals from the E-Journals (Electronic Journals) or from the online catalog on the library's main web page.

• Folklore GR1.F5 (P-2005 & EL)


• The Folk-lore Journal. GR1.F45 (P & EL 1883-1889)


• The Folk-lore Record. GR1.F44 (P & EL 1878-1882)


• Journal of American Folklore. GR1.J8 (P & EL) Vol.101, no.402 is an index covering 1988-1994.


• Journal of Folklore Research. GR1.I5 (P & EL)


• Kentucky Folklore Record. GR1.K45 1955-1987.


• Southern Folklore. GR1.S652 1989-2000.


• Southern Folklore Quarterly. GR1.S65 1937-1981 (vols. 1-45) Bibliography included 1937-1973.


• Tennessee Folklore Society Bulletin. GR1.T36 (P) 1935-2004 4th floor stacks; current issues in Periodicals/Documents & Microforms.


• Western Folklore. GR1.C26 (P & EL)

Encyclopedias and Handbooks

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Encyclopedias provide background information on the topic, related issues, names of authorities, important works in the field, and topical bibliographies that may lead to other resources. They are a great place to start if you are selecting a research topic or trying to narrow down or focus a topic.

• The Greenwood Encyclopedia of World Folklore and Folklife. Clements, William M., ed. 4 vols. Reference GR35.G75 2006

A guide and comparative analysis of the world's folklife and folklore. Volume 1, Africa, Australia and Oceania; v.2, Southeast Asia, India, Central and East Asia, and the Middle East; v.3 Europe; and v.4. North and South America. Volume 1 contains a series of essays on issues of concern to the field, devoted to either a people or a specific place, with discussion of topics. Many black and white photos are included throughout. The introductory essays as well as the entries each conclude with a bibliography.

• American Regional Folklore: A Sourcebook and Research Guide. Terry Ann Mood. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2004. Reference: GR105.34.M66 2004

Divided into a section on the U. S. as a whole and then geographically by parts of the country. Each section begins with an overview essay written by a folklore scholar about folklore in that region, followed by a selective, annotated bibliography of books and related resources. Index leads user to entries in the numbered bibliographies.

• Archetypes and Motifs in Folklore and Literature: A Handbook. Garry, Jane and El-Shamy, Hasan., eds. Stacks GR72.56.A73 2005.

Examines recurring thematic and linguistic patterns in folklore and literature. Good reference on folk, wonder, and fairy tales.

• Folklore: An Encyclopedia of Beliefs, Customs, Tales, Music, and Art. Green, Thomas A, ed. 2 vols. Reference GR35.F63 1997.

The work cited above builds on the general coverage found in these volumes, citing specific cultural contexts and comparisons.

• Encyclopedia of American Folklife. Bronner, Simon J., ed. Reference GR105.E53 2006.

Emphasis is on folklife rather than folklore with a focus on diverse living traditions.

• Encyclopedia of Folklore and Literature. Brown, Mary Ellen and Rosenberg, Bruce A., eds. Reference PN41 .E48 1998.

Contains entries for authors, titles, national literatures, themes, and motifs in literature and folklore.

• Encyclopedia of Urban Legends. Brunvand, Jan Harold. ABC-CLIO, 2001. Reference GR105.34.B78 2001.

Consists of over 500 entries, lacks references to texts of the legends and has a short bibliography.

• Folklore, Cultural Performances, and Popular Entertainments. Bauman, Richard, ed. Stacks GR35.F64 1992.

Articles in this compact book are drawn from the Encyclopedia of Communication. Each chapter provides a succinct definition of a genre of folklore and an introduction to the major issues in the study of that genre.

• American Folklore: An Encyclopedia. Brunvand, Jan Harold, ed. Reference GR101.A54 1996 &online in NetLibrary.

North American folklore, excludes Native American folklore. Scholarly, signed articles. Most articles include a bibliography.

• Handbook of American Folklore. Dorson, Richard Mercer, ed. Stacks. GR105.H36 1983.

The chapters in this work are useful introductions to the study of various folklore topics (e.g. "The Folklore of Students," "American Sports and Folklore") and folklore methodologies (e.g. "Studying American Folkloric Films," "Developing a Folklore Archive"). Relevant to American folklore and folklore in general.

• Encyclopedia of Folk Heroes. Graham Seal. ABC-CLIO, 2001. Stacks GR 35 .S4 2001.

Emphasis on heroes from Europe, North America, China, Japan, parts of Africa and Australia. Excludes gods and goddesses but includes real people when larger than life and heroes and heroines of fairy tales and story cycles. Includes indexes and bibliography.

Dictionaries

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• The Penguin Dictionary of American Folklore. Alan Axelrod and Harry Oster. Reference GR105.34.A94 2000.


• Dictionary of American Folklore. Tallman, Marjorie. 1959. 4th Floor. GR105.T3


• A Dictionary of English Folklore. Jacqueline Simpson and Steve Roud. Oxford, 2000. Reference GR141.S573 2000.

1,250 entries about people, customs, animals, plants, minerals, legends, music, games, places, dates, dances, birds, numbers, gestures, life-cycle events, colors, and other subjects of folklore including modern phenomenon.

• Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend. Leach, Maria. 1972. Reference GR35.F82.

Useful reference work with entries on customs and beliefs. Theory and folklore study information is historical rather than reflective of current thought.

Guides

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• Folklore: A Study and Research Guide. Brunvand, Jan H. St.Martin's, 1976. 4th Floor, Z5981 .B78.

  Lists reference works, journals and genres.

• Folklife Sourcebook: A Directory of Folklife Resources in the United States. Also 4th Floor GR37.B37 1994

Contains a comprehensive list of folklore and ethnomusicology archives in the United States and Higher Education Programs in Folklore and Folklife. Some information may be out of date.

Myths and Legends

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• Dictionary of Native American Mythology. Gill, Sam D. and Irene F. Sullivan. Reference, E98.R3G46 1992


• The Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend. Mercatante, Anthony S. Reference BL303.M45 2004.

Covers over 3000 myths and legends from around the world, mostly from Europe.

• The Mythical West: An Encyclopedia of Legend, Lore, and Popular Culture. Richard W. Slatta. ABC-CLIO, 2001. Reference GR109.S53 2001

Articles on the West as mythologized in literature, art, Hollywood, television, and on the Internet.

Internet Collections

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• Greenwood Library of American Folktales. Green, Thomas A., ed. Reference GR105.G75 2006.

Tales from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries are "designed to facilitate access to a range of traditional narrative genres" from regional collections in the United States.

• Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Lists the collections of the American Folklife Center. Includes online documents from the collection and links to other sites.

• Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

A research and educational unit of the Smithsonian Institution promoting the understanding and continuity of diverse, contemporary grassroots cultures in the United States and around the world. The Center produces exhibitions, documentary films and videos, symposia, publications, and educational materials. The Center conducts ethnographic and cultural heritage policy oriented research.

• American Memory

Governmental archives site from the Library of Congress Historical Collections for National Digital Libraries. A very large site including historical documents, motion pictures, photographs, and sound recordings concerning topics in the history of the United States. Part of the official Library of Congress website.

• North Carolina Folklife Resources

Academic site with searchable collection of one of the largest archives of Southern traditions, especially strong in its holdings of Southern music.

Organizations

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• The American Folklife Center

American Folklife Center holds the Library of Congress's Archive of Folk Culture, a repository for American folk music. The website includes full-text publications; digital presentations of collections; links to other resources in ethnographic studies; the Folkline information service, and Folklife Sourcebook:A Directory of Folklife Resources in the United States.

• American Folklore Society

Not-for-profit organization providing folklore research information including membership info., publications, upcoming events, conferences, jobs, internships, graduate and other degree programs, and related site links.

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