Typical questions

Considerations

General encyclopedias cover the more common saints but try and make sure you have a specific dictionary or encyclopedia, too.

Where to look

Printed sources

Farmer, D. H. (2004) The Oxford dictionary of saints, Oxford University Press

This dictionary contains concise accounts of the lives, cults and artistic associations of around 1250 saints from Great Britain and Europe. Make sure you have a copy!

Watkins, B. (2002) The book of saints, 7th edn, ARC Books

Biographical dictionary of 10,000 saints.

Electronic sources

Catholic Online: Saints and Angels www.catholic.org/saints

An excellent resource. Most saints are covered. Lives, patronages and feast days are all shown.

SIGNS & SYMBOLS

See also Alphabets & Scripts

Typical questions

Considerations

Signs and symbols are used almost everywhere, on labels giving washing instructions, on the machines that do the washing, on keyboards and on documents. And this is before looking at the symbolism used in art and in cultural history. Information about many symbols, in art or on road traffic signs, for example, will be covered in books on the subject or in general encyclopedias in the case of cultural symbols such as the cross or swastika. A number of specialist works do exist which display symbols whose meaning may be unknown. Obviously, arrangement is problematical!

Where to look

Printed sources

Foley, J. (1993) The Guinness encyclopedia of signs and symbols, Guinness Publications

Modern symbols such as trade marks.

Liungman, G. (1995) Dictionary of symbols, W. W. Norton Strong on classical symbols.

Shepherd, R. and Shepherd, R. (2002) 1000 symbols: what shapes mean in art and myths, Thames & Hudson

For domestic symbols, such as washing temperatures and cleaning symbols, books on household work are useful, such as:

Phillips, B. (1989) The Daily Mail book of household hints and tips, Dorling Kindersley

Electronic sources

Symbols www.symbols.com

4500 Western signs in 54 groups from ‘ideograms carved in mammoth teeth by Cro Magnon man, to hobo signs and subway graffiti’. Interactive facility whereby you can describe the symbol you want.