Useful General Reference Sources



Encyclopedias, Atlases and Dictionaries


Britannica Encyclopedia Online (Local access only)

Historical Atlas of Europe and the Middle East

Artlex (Illustrated Online Dictionary of common Art Terms)

Words of Art ("An online glossary of theory and criticism for the visual arts")

Glossary of Print Terms


Judeo-Christian Background Resources


Bible Search Facility

Bible: Douai Version, King James Version, Biblia vulgata

Index of Christian Art (Demo Site of Famous Princeton U Iconography)

Parallel Latin/English Psalter

On-Line Calendar of Saints' Days

The Book of Hours from the Middle Ages to the Present (English/Latin Texts)

Ante-Nicean & Post-Nicean Fathers (38 vols in e-text in English with search engine)

The Catholic Encyclopedia (Excellent reference source for information on popes, saints, and historical background)

Rule for Monasteries: St. Benedict

Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologica


Mythological Background


Mythology in Western Art (includes "Attributes in Iconography"page and many images).

Bullfinch's Mythology (Complete E-Text)

Mythology Links (J Criss)

Encyclopedia Mythica

Greek Mythology

Of Gods and Men: Mythology and Legend A to Z

The Principal Greek Gods' Family Tree (Edith Hamilton)

Internet Medieval Sourcebook (Superbly rich e-text site to early documents)


Herbiaries, Bestiaries, and Symbols


Plants, Roots, Shrubs, & Aromatic Herbs (An online visual reference guide from THAIS)

The Planets and their Children: A Blockbook of Medieval Popular Astrology

The Scripture Alphabet of Animals