Fisher, Medieval Literature of Western Europe: a Review of Research, Mainly 1930-1960, Main, PN 671 .F5. Surveys of research from c. 1930-c. 1964 on medieval Latin, Old English, Middle English (to 1400), French, German, Old Norse, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, and Celtic literatures. Chapters examine bibliographical and reference works; background, language, and general studies; literary histories; and research on major forms, authors, and works. Indexed by scholars and authors. Update this with the next title on list, Cooke, ed, below.
Cooke, ed. Present State of Scholarship in 14th-Century Literature, Main, PN 681 .P73. Published in 1982. See essay by John H. Fisher on English literature, pp. 1-54 which surveys research tools and bibliographies, anthologies and translations, facsimiles, thematic studies, language, major authors, works, and genres, and concludes with a selective, classified bibliography of 386 books published since the early 1960s. Update Cooke and Fisher by using the Year's Work in English Studies, Year's Work in Modern Language Studies, and MLA International Bibliography, described in the ANNUAL BIBLIOGRAPHIES AND INDEXES TO ARTICLES section of this guide.
Manual of Writings in Middle English, 1050-1500, Ref., PR 255 .S4 v. 1-8. Volumes cover 1) Romances; 2) Pearl Poet, Wyclif and his Followers, Translations and Paraphrases of the Bible, and Commentaries, Saints' Legends, Instructions for Religious; 3) Dialogues, Debates, and Catechisms, Thomas Hoccleve, Malory and Caxton, 4) Middle Scots Writers, Chaucerian Apocrypha; 5) Dramatic Pieces (miracle, mystery, morality, and folk plays), Poems Dealing with Contemporary Conditions; 6) Carols, Ballads, John Lydgate; 7) John Gower, Piers Plowman, Travel and Geographical Writings; Works of Religious and Philosophical Instruction; 8) Chronicles and Other Historical Writings. This work is a survey of scholarship and bibliography. Each chapter (and sometimes sections thereof) has two parts: 1) the commentary, which for each work discusses content, manuscripts, date, dialect, source, and form, and summarizes scholarship and critical trends; and 2) a classified bibliography, with sections for manuscripts, editions, textual matters, language, versification, date, authorship, sources, literary criticism, and bibliography. Many entries have brief annotations. Indexed by authors, titles, early printers, subjects. This is an indispensable starting point for most research in Middle English literature.
New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature, Ref., PR 83 .Z8 C3 1969. Treats hundreds of major and minor figures with listings of both primary and secondary sources. Includes references on travel, sports, education, etc. as well as literature. Previous edition still also useful occasionally. V. 1 covers 600-1660. Published in the 1970s.
Guide for Readers to the New Pelican Guide to English Literature, Main, PR 85 .G78 1984. Consists of the bibliographical and bio-bibliographical appendices from the individual volumes of the New Pelican Guide to English Literature. We have one of the two volumes on medieval literature.
Greenfield and Robinson, Bibliography of Publications on Old English Literature to the End of 1972, Main, Z 2012 .G83 1980. Fairly exhaustive bibliography of books, editions, articles, notes, reviews published from 15th c. to end of 1972 on Old English literature. Use MLA Bibliography to update, or Anglo-Saxon England, a journal in Main at DA 152 .A5.
Leyerle and Quick, Chaucer, a Bibliographical Introduction, Main, PR 1852 .A2 L49 1986. Three sections: materials for the study of Chaucer's works, materials on the works themselves, and background works on the world of Chaucer, in fine arts, economy, society, politics, education, religion, philosophy, thought, science, and literature.
Bromwich, Medieval Celtic Literature, a Select Bibliography, Main, Z 7011 .B76. A guide to the native literary tradition of Ireland and Wales from earliest times to circa 1450. Excludes historical source material, such as annals. Most works described are in English. References to bibliographies, catalogs of manuscripts, the study of Irish and Welsh languages, literary history and critical works, Celtic mythology, texts, and translations.
Taylor, Litterature Occitane du Moyen Age, Bibliographie Selective et Critique, Main Z 7033 .P8 T38. In French. A guide to the medieval literature of Provence and the South of France. Describes bibliographies; revues; collections; anthologies; other reference works; studies on the history of Occitane literature, its origins, and particulars; studies on individual poets and troubadours; non-poetic, narrative, dramatic, and didactic literature; translations; works on related literatures of the time period.
Critical Bibliography of French Literature, Reference, Z 2171 .C3. V. 1 covers the medieval period. V. 2 covers the 16th century. Older source.
Old-Norse-Icelandic Literature, a Critical Guide, Main, PT 7103 .I7 v. 45. Chapters by different authors on mythology and mythography, Eddic poetry, Skaldic poetry, Kings' sagas, Icelandic family sagas, and Norse romance.