Research Guide for Wicked Witches, Private Eyes, and Femme Fatales: Mythology Then and Now
Prepared by Elinor Appel
NSCC Librarian (contact
info.)
Link to Academic Research at North Seattle Community College for more information on finding books, articles, websites and citing these resources appropriately.
Primary sources are the actual stories, myths, folktales, television shows, movies, etc. about the archetype you are researching.
If you are researching trickster figures primary sources could be myths and folktales about Brer Rabbit, Anansi (or Ananse) the Spider, Raven, Coyote, Loki, and Vishnu. Primary sources could also be Bugs Bunny cartoons or Charlie Chaplin movies.
- The Tales of Uncle Remus, the Adventures of Brer Rabbit [GR 103.L4 1987 ESL]
- West African Trickster Tales [GR 350.3.B46 1994]
- Charlie Chaplin Festival [VHS 1680-1682]
Secondary sources are materials that discuss, compare, or describe the archetype you are researching. Examples of scholarly secondary sources discussing the trickster archetype:
- The Zande Trickster [GR 360 Z28 E9]
- "The Rabbit as Trickster," Journal of Popular Culture [article in ProQuest]
Library books are shelved by subject area. Once you find a good book title in the catalog, browse the shelves nearby for books on related topics. Books on your topic may be shelved as mythology (BL), folklore (GR), literature and film (PN, PR), or in some cases in the history sections (organized by country). Or in all of the above!
Reference Books (some examples)
Excellent secondary sources are available in the NSCC library's reference collection on the first floor of the library. These encyclopedias and dictionaries range from mythology
- Dictionary of African Mythology [Ref BL2400. S24 2000]
- Handbook of Chinese Mythology [Ref BL1825. Y355 2005]
- Indian Mythology: An Encyclopedia of Myth and Legend [Ref BL1216. 2.K7 1991]
- Oxford Companion to World Mythology [Ref BL312. L44 2005]
to television and movies
- Encyclopedia of Television, 3. vols. [Ref PN1992.8.18.E53 1997]
- Film Encyclopedia [Ref PN1993.45.K34 1979]
- Women and American Televison: An Encyclopedia [Ref PN1992.8.W65 L69 1998]
Circulating Books (some examples)
Upstairs you will find both primary
- Aboriginal Myths and Legends [BL 2610.R6 1969]
- Chinese Myths and Fantasies [GR 335.B57 1992]
- Legends of the Klickitats [E 99.K74 B8]
and secondary sources
- Folklore of Women [GR 470.T3 1975]
- Kings, Gods & Spirits from African Mythology [BL 2400. K58 1986]
- Heroic Epic and Saga [PN 56.E65 H4]
Search for journal articles in the periodical databases, under Search for Articles on the library web page. Good databases to start with are:
- ProQuest - remember to select "scholarly journals, including peer reviewed."
- Academic Search Premier - remember to select "scholarly (peer reviewed) journals."
Take some time to consider keywords you will be using in your search.
Search using Boolean operators and, or and symbols ( ) " "
trickster and "charlie chaplin" and (movie or film)
Sometimes it can take a while to come up with a good search strategy. Refer to this page on finding articles for help -- or ask a librarian! :-)
Page created by Elinor Appel. Last update: February 24, 2007.
