Home›Sources›The Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and LegendSourcesThe Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and LegendCitation FormatsGeneral ReferenceGeneral Reference Citation TextDivinity Atlas. "The Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://divinity.interactivelion.com/sources/the-facts-on-file-encyclopedia-of-world-mythology-and-legend.Copy General ReferenceAPA StyleAPA Style Citation TextDivinity Atlas. (n.d.). The Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://divinity.interactivelion.com/sources/the-facts-on-file-encyclopedia-of-world-mythology-and-legendCopy APA StyleBibTeXBibTeX Citation Text@misc{divinityatlas-the-facts-on-file-encyclopedia-of-world, author = {Divinity Atlas}, title = {The Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend}, year = {2026}, url = {https://divinity.interactivelion.com/sources/the-facts-on-file-encyclopedia-of-world-mythology-and-legend}, note = {Accessed August 30, 2026} }Copy BibTeXAnthony S. Mercatante wrote the original edition and James R. Dow revised and expanded it, and this Facts on File reference, confirmed via the Internet Archive's own metadata for the item, is a two volume encyclopedia of over 2,500 alphabetical entries on world myth and legend and their later influence on Western art and literature. Its strength is comprehensive cross-tradition scope in a single accessible reference, useful for the cross-tradition Heroines grouping recorded here, which this general encyclopedia's breadth plausibly covers. Its limit is the tradeoff any encyclopedia of this scale carries, individual entries are necessarily brief summaries rather than deep original research, so a claim needing extended argument about one specific figure is better served by a focused scholarly study than by an encyclopedia entry, however well sourced.FactsClaims Backed By This Source (109 claims)Comments (0)Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)FactsAssessmentReliability TierWell-attested1A two volume reference encyclopedia of over 2,500 entries on world myth and legend, edited and revised for a general readership.NotesWell-attestedISBN 978 0 8160 4708 6. Two volume revised edition, originally published 1988; over 2,500 alphabetical entries on world myth and legend and their influence on Western art and literature. Confirmed via the Internet Archive item's own metadata record (identifier factsonfileencyc0001merc: title, creator, publisher and date read directly). Backs the Heroines subcategory, a cross-tradition grouping this general reference's scope plausibly covers.CitationAuthorWell-attestedAnthony S. Mercatante, revised and expanded by James R. DowPublisherWell-attestedFacts on FilePublication YearWell-attested2004URLWell-attestedhttps://archive.org/details/factsonfileencyc0001mercSource TypeWell-attestedencyclopediaClaims Backed By This Source (109 claims)This source backs 109 claims across the atlas. As facts: 58 well-attested. As cited relationships: 10 holds. Plus 41 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.Disposition By TopicConstellations, 46 claims: 23 well-attested, 23 general references.Articles, 33 claims: 22 well-attested, 2 holds, 9 general references.Mythical Creatures, 16 claims: 3 well-attested, 6 holds, 7 general references.Sources, 8 claims: 8 well-attested.Myths & Sacred Narratives, 5 claims: 2 well-attested, 2 holds, 1 general references.Subcategories, 1 claims: 1 general references.Well-attested58ArticlesA Labor Chosen to Risk a Goddess's AngerA Real Animal, Reported SecondhandA Servant, Not a Devil: Ruprecht Beside KrampusA Shared Name, Two Different JobsA Third Companion, Carried Across the AtlanticThe heroinesTwo Deer Held Sacred by Unrelated TraditionsTwo Figures Who Escort the Dying From Unrelated TraditionsWhat a Myth IsWhat a Pantheon IsConstellationsAquilaAraAurigaBootesCanis MajorCanis MinorCassiopeiaCentaurusCorona AustralisCraterDracoEquuleusHerculesHydraLupusLyraOphiuchusOrionPegasusPisces AustralisSagittaTriangulumUrsa MinorMythical CreaturesBelsnickelCharunZarMyths & Sacred NarrativesThe Zuni Emergence MythSourcesThe Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and LegendHolds10ArticlesTwo Deer Held Sacred by Unrelated TraditionsTwo Figures Who Escort the Dying From Unrelated TraditionsMythical CreaturesBelsnickelKnecht RuprechtLadonNatsScylla and CharybdisMyths & Sacred NarrativesThe Zuni Emergence MythGeneral References41ArticlesA Labor Chosen to Risk a Goddess's AngerA Real Animal, Reported SecondhandA Servant, Not a Devil: Ruprecht Beside KrampusA Shared Name, Two Different JobsA Third Companion, Carried Across the AtlanticTwo Deer Held Sacred by Unrelated TraditionsTwo Figures Who Escort the Dying From Unrelated TraditionsWhat a Myth IsWhat a Pantheon IsConstellationsAquilaAraAurigaBootesCanis MajorCanis MinorCassiopeiaCentaurusCorona AustralisCraterDracoEquuleusHerculesHydraLupusLyraOphiuchusOrionPegasusPisces AustralisSagittaTriangulumUrsa MinorMythical CreaturesBelsnickelCeryneian HindCharunKarkadannKnecht RuprechtNatsZarMyths & Sacred NarrativesThe Zuni Emergence MythSubcategoriesHeroinesComments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.View At A Past YearThe atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.Show This Year