Walker Horsfall

Walker Horsfall is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures and the Program in Medieval Studies at the University of Illinois. He holds a PhD from the University of Toronto’s Centre for Medieval Studies. His research focuses on intersections between medieval literature and natural philosophy, particularly examining Middle High German religious and love poetry (12th–14th centuries), Arthurian romances, and mystical texts. He investigates how these texts contribute to understanding gender, sexuality, religion, and science in the High Medieval period, including studies on communities of pleasure and astronomical encoding in medieval German and Scandinavian texts.

Education: PhD in Medieval Studies from the University of Toronto.

Research Interests: Medieval German literature, natural philosophy, gender/sexuality studies, history of science, and textual analysis. His work bridges literary and scientific discourses, exploring how medieval authors encoded astronomical knowledge and navigated cultural norms.

Recent Publications: Focus on astronomical inaccuracies in Heinrich von Mügeln’s poetry, authorship studies of Konrad von Würzburg, and analyses of Frauenlob’s poetry. His 2024 article in Writing the Heavens and co-authored 2023 Handbuch Frauenlob highlight his contributions to medieval literary and scientific studies.

Awards: None explicitly listed in provided texts.

Teaching & Grants: Teaches courses like GER 211/212, GER 470/571 (Medieval German Studies), and Viking Mythology. No grants or advising roles detailed here.

Labs/Teams: Affiliated with the Program in Medieval Studies, fostering interdisciplinary medieval research.