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EUARTHURS Doctoral Project Descriptions & Requirements

STRAND I: MATERIALITY (subprojects 1–6)  

 

Doctoral Project 1 Bangor University

Main supervisor: Prof. Raluca Radulescu (Bangor University) and Dr Aled Llion Jones (Bangor University)

Co-supervisor: Prof. Richard Trachsler (Zürich University)

Consultants: Dr Marjolein Hogenbirk (University of Amsterdam) and Dr Martine Meuwese (Utrecht University)

 

Enquiries: Prof. Raluca Radulescu (r.radulescu@bangor.ac.uk)  

Main supervisor’s research profile: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/staff/sacl/raluca-radulescu-010323/en

 

This project focuses on the analysis of post-Geoffrey of Monmouth chronicle and prophecy in multi-text manuscripts in medieval Britain, examining Arthurian romances and the texts that accrue around them in multi-text multilingual manuscripts. The project selects one multi-text manuscript from border regions in the British Isles, and aims to approach the selection of the texts and their thematic groupings from the viewpoint of specific socio-cultural conditions. Its aim to investigate the localised uses of Arthurian matter in the borders or peripheries of areas of linguistic contact. In a comparative perspective the project will investigate similar phenomena in French manuscripts, particularly in relation to prophetic adaptation. This project's aims are to demonstrate the multi-generic and multi-thematic adaptation of Arthurian matter in changing historical and cultural circumstances.  

 

Requirements:

  • MA in English literature/history or cognate subject (medieval studies)
  • Middle English (essential)
  • Medieval Latin (desirable)
  • Old French (or willingness to acquire competence by training within the network)
  • Middle Welsh (willingness to acquire competence by training within the network)
  • Experience, or at least beginner’s training, in medieval palaeography and codicology of insular manuscripts

 

Research environment: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/centre-for-arthurian-studies

The Bangor Doctoral Academy: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/doctoral-academy

For visa requirements see: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/international/support/visa_immigration

 

Doctoral Project 2 Zürich University

Main supervisor: Prof. Richard Trachsler

Co-supervisors: Prof. Raluca Radulescu and Dr Aled Llion Jones (Bangor University)

Consultant: Prof. Fabrizio Cigni (Pisa)

 

Enquiries: Prof. Richard Trachsler (rtrachsler@rom.uzh.ch)

Main supervisor’s research profile: https://www.rose.uzh.ch/de/seminar/personen/trachsler.html

 

In Geoffrey of Monmouth's Latin version of the prophecies attributed to Merlin, Geoffrey drew on the tradition of political prophecy, using metaphors, especially animal metaphors, to encode a political message. These metaphors, which were more or less intelligible, are at the origin of a long tradition in fiction, where they generally serve to reinforce intradiegetic coherence and illustrate Merlin's omniscience.  

Around 1270, the Franco-Venetian Prophecies de Merlin, drawing on both the French romance tradition and, much less distinctly, Galfridian predictions, used the same techniques of animal metaphor to weigh in on the conflict between the Guelphs and Ghibellines. Compared to the original Prophetia Merlini, the encryption techniques are quite different, since animal metaphors are rivalled by a system that consists of indicating characters and places by initials, which vary greatly in the textual tradition. 

This doctoral project will compare the use of Merlin's prophecy in the medieval French-speaking political sphere and develop a “grammar” for it. How was political prophecy encoded and decoded? In addition to Merlin's prophecies in Latin, French and Franco-Italian, and their circulation on the Continent, the field of investigation will occasionally also include the British Isles.

  

Requirements:  

  • MA in Old French (Language or Literature) or Romance Philology
  • Experience in medieval palaeography and codicology
  • Fluency in French at higher level (the thesis will be written in French) and good knowledge of Italian

 

Research environment: https://www.phil.uzh.ch/en/studies.html

For further particulars see: https://www.uzh.ch/en/studies/application/doctoralstudies.html

For visa requirements see: https://www.uzh.ch/en/studies/application/entry.html 

 

Doctoral Project 3 UvA Amsterdam

Main Supervisor: Prof. Dr. I. van Renswoude (UvA/Huygens Institute) and Dr. M. Hogenbirk (University of Amsterdam)

Co-supervisor: Dr. M. Meuwese (Utrecht University)

Consultant: Prof. Richard Trachsler (Zürich University)

 

Enquiries: Dr Marjolein Hogenbirk (m.hogenbirk@uva.nl)

Main supervisor’s research profile: https://www.uva.nl/en/profile/h/o/m.hogenbirk/m.hogenbirk.html

 

The project focusses on Middle Dutch Arthurian romances and historiography and the manuscripts in which these genres have survived. These manuscripts were produced in various regions of the Low Countries and date from the late 13th to the 15th century. Compared to many French manuscripts from the region, they have a rather modest appearance. The doctoral candidate in this project studies the way in which reader guidance is achieved internally, for example by means of temporal structuring or other narrative junctions, but also through paratextual elements such as layout, decoration, paragraph marks and punctuation. Quantitative data on size, number of columns, words per column, intervals between display letters etc. will be gathered and compared to the data of the mirror project in Zurich (Doctoral Project 4). From the beginning of the 14th century, the paratextual design of vernacular Dutch literature is taking its shape, which may be connected to the emergence of individual reading. To gain better understanding about how audiences in the Low Countries engaged with Arthurian texts and how the development from listening to reading may have taken place, this project will compare Middle Dutch manuscripts first of all with their French counterparts from the same region (which is part of the mirror project) and to manuscripts from other neighbouring traditions (Middle High/Low German manuscripts).  

 

Requirements: 

  • MA in Dutch language and Culture or Medieval Studies (or equivalent, such as Book History) with demonstrable specialization in Middle Dutch (Arthurian) literature
  • Ability to read Middle Dutch; basic knowledge of Old French and, ideally, Middle High German
  • Experience in working with medieval manuscripts
  • The doctoral thesis will be written in English
  • This project takes up to four years (UvA regulations): PhD - Amsterdam School for Heritage, Memory and Material Culture (AHM) - University of Amsterdam

 

Research environment: Amsterdam School for Heritage, Memory and Material Culture (AHM) - University of Amsterdam

 

Doctoral Project 4 Zürich University

Main supervisor: Prof. Richard Trachsler (Zürich University) 

Co-supervisor: Dr. M. Hogenbirk (University of Amsterdam)

Consultants: Dr. M. Meuwese (Utrecht University) and Prof. Lino Leonardi (Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa)

 

Enquiries: Prof. Richard Trachsler (rtrachsler@rom.uzh.ch)

Main supervisor’s research profile: https://www.rose.uzh.ch/de/seminar/personen/trachsler.html

 

This project focusses on Old French Arthurian romances and historiography in manuscripts produced in Flanders and the North of France from the late 13th to the 15th century. We want to gather hard data on the layout of manuscripts, such as size, number of columns, words per column, intervals between capital letters, etc. which will then be compared to the data of the mirror project. The doctoral candidate in this project also studies the way in which reader guidance is achieved by means of paratextual elements such as decoration, paragraph marks and punctuation, but also internally through, for example, temporal structuring or other narrative junctions. We hope to gather information on the emergence of individual reading. To gain better understanding about how audiences in Flanders engaged with Arthurian texts and how the development from listening to reading may have taken place in Old French literature, this project will compare Old French manuscripts first of all with their Dutch counterparts from the same region and other regions (which form a part of the research in the Amsterdam project) and to manuscripts from other neighbouring traditions (for instance Italian manuscripts).  

 

This project will make use of software for machine assisted transcription such as Transcribus or eScriptorium. 

 

Requirements

  • MA degree in French Language or Literature with a demonstrable specialization in Old or Middle French
  • Experience in working with medieval manuscripts
  • Ability to read Old French, with, ideally, basic knowledge of Middle Dutch and Medieval Italian
  • The doctoral thesis will be written in French

 

Research environment:  https://www.phil.uzh.ch/en/studies.html

For further particulars see: https://www.uzh.ch/en/studies/application/doctoralstudies.html

For visa requirements see: https://www.uzh.ch/en/studies/application/entry.html

 

Doctoral Project 5 Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa  

Main Supervisor: Prof. Fabrizio Cigni 

Co-supervisor: Prof. Raluca Radulescu (Bangor University) 

Consultant: Dr Martine Meuwese (University of Utrecht)

 

Enquiries: Prof. Fabrizio Cigni (fabrizio.cigni@unipi.it)

Main supervisor’s research profile: https://www.fileli.unipi.it/dipartimento/persone/?p=fabrizio-cigni

 

This project encompasses an extensive chronological and geographical scope of inquiry, with a focus on the 13th and 15th centuries. The research centers on the dissemination of the Tristan legend—in various literary branches in both verse and prose—within the Italian peninsula. Particular emphasis will be placed on the italian communal and courtly contexts. By examining primary textual sources alongside the figurative heritage, the project aims to reconstruct a cultural network. Through an interdisciplinary methodology—integrating philological analysis with art-historical investigation—the study seeks to elucidate the channels of transmission for Tristanian themes as they migrated from anglo-french world into medieval Italy. A central component of this research is dedicated to the manuscripts. The production of arthurian copies is situated within the "Franco-Italian" literature. While significant advancements have been made in this field over the last decades, recent philological and iconographic scholarship necessitates a more profound exploration of manuscripts that have hitherto remained overlooked. This includes uncovering latent connections, such as those within the Pisan-Genoese group. Furthermore, there is a critical need for rigorous investigation into artistic evidence. Although may appear detached from the written word, medieval art is intrinsically linked to the texts in both the original language and Italian vernacular (examples include the Tristan quilts); however, other objects and paintings depicting chivalric subjects await comprehensive scholarly analysis.

 

Requirements

  • MA on a subject related to Old French or Old Italian or Medieval Philology attained no earlier than six years prior to the deadline of the call.
  • Experience in medieval manuscript studies will be an asset.
  • Along with the letter of motivation, a specific research programme will be appreciated, in which the candidate identifies a particular topic within the project based on her/his interests and skills, and describes how she/he intends to carry out the research during the doctoral years.
  • The thesis will be written in Italian or in French; knowledge of Italian is required.
  • The PhD course at the Scuola Normale Superiore will start on 1 November 2026.
  • The PhD course at the Scuola Normale Superiore includes a fourth year after the three years funded by the MSCA-DN programme. The scholarship amounts to €18,848.00 gross, inclusive of a lodging allowance. This amount increases by 50% for stays abroad for research activities; in addition to that, each student is entitled to a budget for research activity in Italy and abroad amounting to no less than 10% of the annual amount of the grant.

 

Research environment: https://www.sns.it/en 

PhD Programme: https://www.sns.it/en/romance-and-italian-philology-digital-turn; https://froid.sns.it

 

 

Doctoral Project 6 Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa

Main Supervisor: Prof. Lino Leonardi

Co-supervisor: Prof. Richard Trachsler (Zürich University)

Consultant: Prof. Sofía Lodén (Stockholm University)

 

Enquiries: Prof. Lino Leonardi (lino.leonardi@sns.it)

Main supervisor’s research profile: https://www.sns.it/en/persona/lino-leonardi 

 

The project focuses on the transmission of Arthurian literature in Old French, namely the Lancelot-Graal cycle, between France and Italy in the 13th–15th centuries. Depending on the candidate's skills and interests, the project will focus on one of the following aspects: 

  • Examination of the manuscript transmission of the prose novels of the Lancelot-Graal cycle, focusing on one part of the cycle (preferably the Mort le roi Artu). The research will aim to investigate some manuscripts that are particularly interesting from a textual and philological point of view, and to explore the possibility of classifying them within a general framework of textual tradition.
  • Map the spread of Arthurian imagery depending on the Lancelot-Graal cycle in medieval Italian literature. From the first Sicilian poems at the court of Frederick II to the story of Paolo and Francesca in Dante's Inferno, themes and characters from Arthurian literature in French have nourished the imagination of Italian poetry. A new review of this thematic network will shed light on the presence of Arthurian texts on the Italian peninsula and their reception in the various cultural circles that saw the birth of early Italian literature. 

   

Requirements  

  • MA on a subject related to Old French or Old Italian or Medieval Philology attained no earlier than six years prior to the deadline of the call.
  • Experience in medieval manuscript studies will be an asset.
  • Along with the letter of motivation, a specific research programme will be appreciated, in which the candidate identifies a particular topic within the project based on her/his interests and skills, and describes how she/he intends to carry out the research during the doctoral years.
  • The thesis will be written in Italian or in French; knowledge of Italian is requested
  • The PhD course at the Scuola Normale Superiore will start on 1 November 2026.
  • The PhD course at the Scuola Normale Superiore includes a fourth year after the three years funded by the MSCA-DN programme. The scholarship amounts to € 18,848.00 gross, inclusive of a lodging allowance. This amount increases by 50% for stays abroad for research activities; in addition to that, each student is entitled to a budget for research activity in Italy and abroad amounting to no less than 10% of the annual amount of the grant.  

  

Research environment: https://www.sns.it/en 

PhD Programme: https://www.sns.it/en/romance-and-italian-philology-digital-turn; https://froid.sns.it

 

STRAND II: MEDIATION (subprojects 7–11) 

  

Doctoral Project 7 University of Iceland 

Main supervisor: Prof. Sif Ríkharðsdóttir (University of Iceland) 

Co-supervisor: Prof. Sébastien Douchet (University of Clermont Auvergne) 

Consultants: Dr Martha Baldon (University of St Andrews) and Prof. Fanny Moghaddassi (University of Strasbourg)

 

Enquiries: Prof. Sif Ríkharðsdóttir (sifr@hi.is)

Main supervisor’s research profile: https://sif.hi.is 

 

This doctoral project will have a strong theoretical focus grounded in gender and emotion studies. It is intended to interrogate the intersections between gender configurations and emotive scripts in Arthurian-Tristanian literature broadly speaking with a view to how such intersections configured gender identities and, indeed, have modelled behaviour for their subsequent reading communities, both medieval and post-medieval. The project is intended to consider firstly the configurations of gendered emotions as depicted in Thomas’s Tristan (Anglo-French) and secondly the adaptation and re-configurations of such gendered emotions into Old Norse and/or Middle English, and other language traditions if applicable. 

 

Requirements:

  • Background in comparative literature, medieval studies, or in literature in any of the relevant languages (Scandinavian, French, English, German, Italian) which includes knowledge of medieval literature
  • Basic language skills in French and Old Norse and/or Middle English and willingness to improve those skills if needed
  • Any other language skills relevant to the Tristanian tradition are optional but preferable
  • Interest in emotion and comparative studies

 

Research environment: https://english.hi.is/about-ui/schools-and-faculties/school-humanities/faculty-icelandic-and-comparative-cultural-studies

For further information see: https://english.hi.is/study/doctoral-studies/doctoral-studies-school-humanities 

Applications for the 2 EUARTHURS positions at the University of Iceland (including as second, third, or fourth preference) should be submitted via a separate link. To apply for Doctoral Project 7, please find more information here. To apply Doctoral Project 8, please find more information here.

 

Doctoral Project 8 University of Iceland

Main Supervisor: Prof. Sif Ríkharðsdóttir (University of Iceland) 

Co-supervisor: Prof. Raluca Radulescu (Bangor University) 

Consultant: Prof. Sofia Lodén (Stockholm University)

 

Enquiries: Prof. Sif Ríkharðsdóttir (sifr@hi.is)

Main supervisor’s research profile: https://sif.hi.is

 

This doctoral project will intersect the two main strands of the project, encompassing both Arthurian literature and artefacts. The focus of the project is on Arthurian emotions and their transmission, evolution and the legacies of such emotional codes and practices in both literature and cultural artefacts, including visual imagery or medieval artefacts. The student will be expected to explore such transmissions and evolutions of Chrétien de Troyes’ romances and associated motifs comparatively across a combination of select languages out of those offered by the project team, including material transmission. The specific transmission vectors and combinations will depend on the doctoral candidate in conjunction with the team, but could include Middle English, Old Norse and other Scandinavian languages, Middle High German and Italian along with any associated artefacts. The student will receive training in the National Museum of Iceland.

 

Requirements:

  • Background in comparative literature, medieval studies, or a degree in literature (Scandinavian, English, or German) which includes knowledge of medieval literature
  • Background in archaeology, art history, or museology is optional
  • Preference will be given to applicants who can show language skills in Old Norse
  • Language skills in other languages associated with the transmission of Chrétien de Troys’ works are preferable

 

Research environment: https://english.hi.is/about-ui/schools-and-faculties/school-humanities/faculty-icelandic-and-comparative-cultural-studies

For further information see: https://english.hi.is/study/doctoral-studies/doctoral-studies-school-humanities

Applications for the 2 EUARTHURS positions at the University of Iceland (including as second, third, or fourth preference) should be submitted via a separate link. To apply for Doctoral Project 7, please find more information here. To apply Doctoral Project 8, please find more information here.

 

Doctoral Project 9 Bangor University

Main supervisor: Prof. Raluca Radulescu (Bangor University) 

Co-supervisor: Prof. Sébastien Douchet (University of Clermont Auvergne) 

Consultants: Prof. Lino Leonardi (Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa) and Prof. Fanny Moghaddassi (University of Strasbourg) 

 

Enquiries: Prof. Raluca Radulescu (r.radulescu@bangor.ac.uk) 

Main supervisor’s research profile: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/staff/sacl/raluca-radulescu-010323/en 

 

This project focuses on the interactions between and among Arthurian and non-Arthurian texts in multi-text manuscripts in the British Isles from the perspective of emotional scripts articulated in each text in an anthology, and across texts in an anthology, comparing them with decipherable processes in similar manuscripts from the Continent, particularly in France and Italy, and compares those assemblages with the modern utilisation of ‘e-readers’, and the driving force behind modern reader-driven assemblages of modern equivalents of these medieval texts, where available. It utilizes the history of emotions from the perspective of neuropsychology applied to the understanding of the medieval text. 

 

Requirements 

  • MA in English literature/history or cognate subject (medieval studies)
  • Middle English (must),
  • Medieval Latin (desirable);
  • Old French (or willingness to acquire competence by training within the network)
  • experience or at least beginner’s training in medieval palaeography and codicology of insular manuscripts
  • Experience (or interest) in theoretical approaches, particularly the history of emotions

 

Research environment: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/centre-for-arthurian-studies

The Bangor Doctoral Academy: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/doctoral-academy

For visa requirements see: https://www.bangor.ac.uk/international/support/visa_immigration

 

 

Doctoral Project 10 University of Clermont Auvergne 

Main Supervisor: Prof. Sébastien Douchet (University of Clermont Auvergne) 

Co-supervisor: Prof. Raluca Radulescu (Bangor University) 

Consultant: Prof. Sofía Lodén (Stockholm University)

 

Enquiries: Prof. Sébastien Douchet (sebastien.douchet@uca.fr) 

Main supervisor’s research profile: https://celis.uca.fr/le-celis/membres/membres-permanents/sebastien-douchet  

 

This doctoral project will examine the European scholarly reception and reconfiguration of Arthurian and Tristanian legends from the late 17th to early 19th centuries. Focusing on England and France, it will explore how the medieval heritage was reconstructed through material and intellectual transmission. The thesis will trace an intellectual history of medievalism through three key pillars: reading history (analysis of libraries, annotated manuscripts, and incunabula), scholarly networks (reconstruction of intellectual debates and correspondence regarding legendary origins), philology & editing (comparative study of how editorial practices shaped modern perceptions of myth). Bridging book history and intellectual history, the project applies interdisciplinary models to link micro-analysis with global trends. Notably, it addresses gender biases within the transmission of ideas. Candidates will conduct transnational research using a corpus of manuscripts, scholarly drafts, and library catalogues to reveal the social and political stakes of medieval reception in modern Europe.

 

Requirements 

  • A strong background in Comparative Literature, Theatre Studies, or Cultural History.
  • The ability to work with archival sources and multilingual corpora.
  • An interest in Reception Studies and interdisciplinary research frameworks.
  • The thesis will be written in French.

 

Research environment 

  

Applications for the 2 EUARTHURS positions at the University of Clermont Auvergne (including as second, third, or fourth preference) should be submitted via a separate link. More information to follow soon.

 

Doctoral Project 11 University of Clermont Auvergne 

Main Supervisor: Prof. Sébastien Douchet (University of Clermont Auvergne) 

Co- Supervisor: Prof. Fabrizio Cigni (Pisa) 

Consultant: Prof. Sofia Lodén (Stockholm University) 

 

Enquiries: Prof. Sébastien Douchet (sebastien.douchet@uca.fr) 

Main supervisor’s research profile: https://celis.uca.fr/le-celis/membres/membres-permanents/sebastien-douchet  

 

This doctoral project will investigate the creative reception of Arthurian and Tristanian legends on the European stage from the 17th to the 19th centuries. By focusing on the under-researched pre-Romantic era, it will trace the evolution of medievalism across France, England, and Italy. The research will employ a tripartite, interdisciplinary framework: textual production: Comparative analysis of plays and opera librettos across social strata; stagecraft: investigation of production design and stage direction via theatrical archives; reception: study of public and critical commentary to assess cultural impact. A key innovation is the integration of gender-sensitive analysis to examine how biases influenced the legends’ transmission. This study utilizes diverse archival sources to illuminate the ideological shifts that paved the way for the massive 19th-century ‘medievalism’ revival.

 

Requirements 

  • A strong background in Comparative Literature, Theatre Studies, or Cultural History.
  • The ability to work with archival sources and multilingual corpora.
  • An interest in Reception Studies and interdisciplinary research frameworks.
  • Fluency in French at higher level (the thesis will be written in French) and good knowledge of English and Italian.

 

Research environment 

 

Applications for the 2 EUARTHURS positions at the University of Clermont Auvergne (including as second, third, or fourth preference) should be submitted via a separate link. More information to follow soon.