LibGuides: Mythology and Folklore: Symbols and Iconography

Articles and databases

Many of the databases useful for researching mythology and folklore generally are also good places to look for articles about symbols and iconography.

JSTOR
Description: JSTOR provides full text journal titles from more than 60 disciplines. It contains complete backfiles of scholarly journals starting with the first issues, many of which date back to the 19 century. More than 1,840 of its journals include articles from 2020-2025.
Time Period: 19th century to present.
Sources: Provides the full text for approximately 2,800 journals.
Subject Headings: Architecture and Planning, Business, Education, English & Linguistics, Fine Arts, Health, Medicine, and Nursing, History and Culture, Music, Philosophy & Religion, Political Science and Law, Psychology, Mathematics and Science, Social Sciences, Technology
Material Types: Journal Articles, Reviews, Documents, Images, Audio
Project MUSE
Description: Project Muse is a full text humanities and social sciences database containing journal articles and books in disciplines such as art, literature, history, political science, and economics. Some full text will come from JSTOR, in PDF format.
Time Period: Books from 1905 to present and articles from 1900 to the present
Sources: More than 800 journals and 100,000 books from 400 university presses.
Subject Headings: Art, Architecture and Planning, Dance, English, Literature and Languages, Fine and Performing Arts, History and Culture, Philosophy and Religion, Psychology
Material Types: Books/e-books, Citations, Journal Articles
Academic Search Complete
Description: Academic Search Complete is a good database for most research topics and contains lots of full text and peer reviewed articles.
Time Period: 1909 to present
Sources: Searches more than 20,000 academic and peer reviewed journals, magazines, and trade publications and provides full text for more than 5,700 titles.
Subject Headings: Architecture and Planning, Business, Education, English Literature and Languages, Health, Medicine, and Nursing, History and Culture, Political Science and Law, Music, News, Philosophy and Religion, Psychology, Mathematics and Science, Social Sciences, Technology
Material Types: Case Studies, Conference Proceedings, Symposiums, Images, Journal Articles, Periodical Articles, Reviews

Encyclopedias and other reference resources

The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols by Jean Chevalier; Alain Gheerbrant (Editor); John Buchanan-Brown (Translator)
Call Number: General Collection GR931 .C4413 1996

Publication Date: 1997-03-01
Encyclopedia of Comparative Iconography by Helene E. Roberts (Editor)
Call Number: General Collection N7560 .E53 1998

Publication Date: 1998-04-01
The Continuum Encyclopedia of Animal Symbolism in Art by Hope B. Werness (Illustrator)
Call Number: General Collection GR705 .W47 2004

Publication Date: 2003-11-13
The Book of Codes by Paul Lunde (Editor)
Call Number: General Collection Z103 .B56 2009

Publication Date: 2009-09-01
The Illustrated Dictionary of Symbols in Eastern and Western Art by James A. Hall
Call Number: General Collection N7740 .H35 1994

Publication Date: 1995-02-14

Books about symbols, signs, and iconography

Find more books about symbols and iconography in OneSearch using search terms like "signs and symbols," "symbolism," or "iconography."

Christ to Coke by Martin Kemp
Call Number: General Collection, N72.S6 K36 2012

Publication Date: 2011-11-10
Visible Writings by Marija Dalbello (Editor, Introduction by); Mary Shaw (Editor, Introduction by); et al.
Call Number: General Collection, P93.5 .V545 2011

Publication Date: 2011-03-15
On the Dot by Alexander Humez; Nicholas D. Humez
Call Number: General Collection, P301.5.P86 H86 2008

Publication Date: 2008-10-02
Messages, Meaning, and Symbols by Charles T. Meadow
Call Number: General Collection, P91 .M3764 2006

Publication Date: 2006-03-03
Symbols and Meaning by Mari Womack
Call Number: General Collection, GN452.5 .W66 2005

Publication Date: 2005-04-07