Richard North

Professor Richard North (University College London, Department of English Language and Literature) is a leading expert in Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse studies. His career spans teaching and research in Old English, Middle English, and Old Icelandic literatures, with particular focus on Beowulf, medieval sensory perception, and pre-Christian Germanic religions. Affiliated with UCL since 1989, he was promoted to Reader in 1999 and Professor in 2007.

Research interests include:

• Anglo-Saxon paganism and Christian syncretism
• Old Norse mythological analysis (Freyr, Loki, Baldr)
• Viking Age cultural exchange between England and Scandinavia
• Historical linguistics across Germanic languages
• Medieval manuscript studies

His publications demonstrate interdisciplinary approaches combining literary analysis with archaeology, agronomy, and sensory studies. Recent works explore Cnut's political ideology, Old English poetic meter, and medieval animal symbolism.