Staff profile

Harriet studied English and Related Literature (BA) and Medieval Studies (MA) at the University of York. After completing her dissertation on Old Norse literature, she continued her association with the Centre for Medieval Studies, studying with Dr Matthew Townend and Dr Steve Ashby for her PhD on animal-human relationships in Viking-age and medieval Iceland.

Post-PhD, Harriet worked on a number of projects, including a research assistant post on the Melting Pot project, and continued teaching Old Norse and medieval literature for the Department of English and Related Literature at York.

Harriet is currently working on the Leverhulme-funded project: COHABITing with Vikings: Social space in multi-species communities with Dr Karen Milek and Loïc Harrault. 

• Medieval texts, especially Icelandic sagas and legal texts
• animal studies and animal-human relationships, especially domestic animals and farming societies
• emotions
• spatial analysis and architecture

Authored book

• Evans Tang, H. J. (2022). Animal-Human Relationships in Medieval Iceland: From Farm-Settlement to Sagas. D. S. Brewer

Book review

• Evans Tang, H. (2019). Representing Beasts in Early Medieval England and Scandinavia. Saga-book, 43, 183-186

Chapter in book

• Evans Tang, H. J. Grasbítar and Those Who Know Them: Sheep and Men in Brennu-Njáls saga. In T. Bourns, & C. Phelpstead (Eds.), Eco-Norse: Essays on Old Norse Literature and the Environment. Viking Society for Northern Research
• Evans Tang, H. J., & Ruiter, K. Horses in Viking Age ritual action. In L. Gardeła, S. Bønding, & P. Pentz (Eds.), The Norse Sorceress: Mind and Materiality in the Viking World. Oxbow
• Evans Tang, H. J., & Ruiter, K. (2023). Exploring Animals as Agents and Objects in Early Medieval Iceland and Scandinavia. In L. Gardela, & K. Kajkowski (Eds.), Animals and Animated Objects in the Early Middle Ages. Brepols Publishers
• Evans, H. (2017). Schwein – E.1 – IV.1 Narrative Texte. In S. Obermaier (Ed.), Tiere in der Literatur des Mittelalters Ein interdisziplinäres Lexikon. Online
• Evans, H. (2014). The Horse and his Hero in Old Norse Literature: A symbiotic relationship in the heroic poetry of the Poetic Edda. In A. Broome, P. Chow, & N. Smalley (Eds.), Illuminating the North: Proceedings from the Nordic Research Network Conference 2013 (45-60). Norvik Press

Journal Article

• Evans Tang, H. J. (2023). Reading animal-human relations: Sámr and Gunnarr in Njáls saga. Scandinavian Studies, 95(1), 35-55
• Evans Tang, H. J., & Ashby, S. (2021). Of pots and porridge : food, cooking, and serving in Old Norse sources. Viking and Medieval Scandinavia, 17, 221-251
• Evans Tang, H. J. (2021). Feeling at home with anymals in Old Norse sources. Home Cultures: The Journal of Architecture Design and Domestic Space, 18(2), 83-104. https://doi.org/10.1080/17406315.2021.1963622