Professor Carolyne Larrington
Emeritus Research Fellow in Medieval English Literature, St John's College
Professor Carolyne Larrington's research interests are in medievalism, Old Norse-Icelandic, Arthurian literature, myths, legends and folklore. She also works in medieval literature more generally with a particular interest in emotion.
About
Professor Carolyne Larrington has published widely on Old Norse-Icelandic, medieval emotion, medievalism with particular reference to Game of Thrones, siblings and Arthurian literature especially Arthurian women. Recent publications include the edited collection, Popularising the Middle Ages (2026); The Little Book of Trolls and The Little Book of Dragons (British Library, 2025) and The Little Book of Fairies (2026), as well as Approaches to Emotion in Middle English Literature (2024) and the edited collection Saga Emotion (2025). She has published The Norse Myths (2017) and The Norse Myths that Shape the Way We Think (2024) with Thames and Hudson. She is a regular podcaster and has written a radio series on British folklore for Radio 4. She is currently working on medievalism topics in relation to the depiction of Vikings and Norse myth in contemporary media, medievalist fantasy, and on Arthurian myth and legend, ahead of a forthcoming Bodleian Library exhibition, co-curated with Ad Putter. She is also writing a trade book on women and global myth.
Expertise
- Old Norse, Vikings, medieval Iceland, Norse mythology, Germanic legend, sagas, Eddic poetry
- Medieval English literature, including Chaucer, romances and medieval travel literature
- Arthurian literature across Europe
- British folklore, legends and myths
- Reception and retellings of medieval tales in modern literature and in TV and film adaptations, such as Game of Thrones
- Women in global myth and legend
Selected publications
- Popularising the Middle Ages in Modern Fantasy: Neomedievalism, Video Games, and Vikings (2026)
- Saga Emotions (2025)
- Approaches to Emotion in Middle English Literature (2024)
- The Norse Myths That Shape the Way We Think (2023)
- The Land of the Green Man: A Journey through the Supernatural Landscapes of the British Isles (2019)
- The Norse Myths: A Guide to the Gods and Heroes (2017)
- Winter is Coming: The Medieval World of Game of Thrones (2016)
- The Poetic Edda (2014)
- King Arthur's Enchantresses: Morgan and Her Sisters in Arthurian Tradition (2006)
Media experience
Dr Larrington has made frequent appearances on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4, including on BBC Radio 4's In Our Time and Woman's Hour. She also appeared in the BBC 4 TV series The Beauty of Books. She has presented a BBC Radio 4 series, The Lore of the Land, examining the enduring relevance of the creatures of British folklore.
Languages
English