Digital Commons Network^™

Piranesi And Neptune: How Susanna Clarke’S Spellbinding Story Orbits Planet Narnia, Jennifer Agee

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This essay is a critical consideration and celebration of the novel Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. The book makes clear references to the Chronicles of Narnia; these connections have been noted and explored elsewhere. But what hasn’t been noticed is Piranesi’s connection to Dr. Michael Ward’s critical theory as described in Planet Narnia (2008). Ward claims that the Narnia books are secretly organized around a medieval planetary scheme that incorporates the atmosphere, imagery, and influence of the “visible planets,” which C.S. Lewis believed were spiritual symbols of permanent value. This essay briefly explains Dr. Ward’s theory and argues that Susanna Clarke …

Recollections And Reflections On The Book That Created Itself, Verlyn Flieger

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Too long for a fairy tale, too fanciful for a novel, too adult for children, too juvenile for adults. Dearth of sex bars it as romance and its cast of Elves and Dwarves—oh, and Hobbits—bans it as realism. For lack of a better word we call it fantasy, but the fact is that until The Lord of the Rings’ incursion onto the scene in 1954 there existed no such formal category or critical term by which to classify this ground-breaking work. How did The Lord of the Rings create the modern category of fantasy?

Signed, Unknown Friend: Hints Of William Lindsay Gresham’S Associates In A Curious Letter, G. Connor Salter

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

One of the more surprising items in William Lindsay Gresham's archives, a handwritten copy of the poem "Courage, Mon Ami!" with a cryptic note from a friend congratulating Gresham for a unspecified event, led to surprising discoveries about Gresham's circle of acquaintances, including famous writer friends who also knew his understudied brother.

Tolkien’S Thomist Triad: A High Medieval Response To Contemporary Jus Ad Bellum, Jeffrey S. Dixon

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This paper reviews the development of the component of just war theory dealing with whether it is just to wage a war in the first place (jus ad bellum) from the early medieval to early modern eras and compares its principles to J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels about Middle-Earth. Tolkien’s views on the concept of jus ad bellum can be dated to a specific point in the medieval era, just before a number of modern, consequentialist criteria were added to Catholic thought on just war. I conclude that Tolkien’s fictional works permit broader justifications for war than do most modern just war …

From Maldon To Mordor: Hobbits And The Lord-Retainer Relationship In The Lord Of The Rings, Samuel A. Masters

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Content warning: this paper discusses suicide and suicidal thoughts.

Tolkien’s interest in Old Germanic heroism had a profound impact upon the hobbits of The Lord of the Rings, and the Christianised form of heroism that they represent. In his essays, ‘Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics (1936) and ‘The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son’ (1953), Tolkien praises the loving, paternalistic relationship between a lord and his retainers in Old English poetry; this aspect of medieval heroism is retained in Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin However, Tolkien also highlights several shortcomings of the Old Germanic ‘Northern Courage’. In …

From Viðkenning To Valarindi: The Enigma Of Goldberry And The River-Woman, Derek Simon

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

THIS IS A TWO-PART ARTICLE. IN ORDER TO READ OR DOWNLOAD THE OTHER PART, FOLLOW THE LINK AT THE END OF THIS ABSTRACT.

Building upon the previous examination of the eddic and skaldic contours of Goldberry’s River kenning names, this reading of Goldberry’s enigma focuses on the mythological referents of her kinship relations and their narrative consistency in the legendarium.  Tending to the intrinsic connection between “[t]he incarnate mind, the tongue, and the tale” (Tolkien, On Fairy Stories, 41), I contend that the poetics of kenning diction sustain if not demand a reading of the River-woman references mythologically through …

The Significance Of Ioreth, Wise Woman Of Gondor, In J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings, Jane Beal Phd

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Using key ideas from the field of Narrative Medicine, this essay considers the significance of Ioreth in her role as a wise-woman (midwife) and healer of Gondor. J.R.R. Tolkien developed the character of Ioreth from the static fairy-tale type of the “Wise Old Woman” to a dynamic minor character in her own right in The Lord of the Rings. He gave her a defining characteristic of talkativeness, and he purposefully attributed to her prophetic utterances of proverb, rhyme, and instruction that positively influenced those around her, including her healthcare colleagues Gandalf, Aragorn, and the herb-master, her unnamed kinswoman from the …

Galadriel: A Source Of Lore For The Silmarillion, Zachary Rhone

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Tolkien provided evidence to suggest that Galadriel, with her extensive experience and knowledge, is a significant source of lore for the Silmarillion. Galadriel represents several characteristics that Tolkien valued in his historians and lore masters; accordingly, the story of the Silmarillion provides information and narrative perspectives unique to Galadriel. Furthermore, throughout Tolkien's writing of the Silmarillion and especially near the end of his life, he continued to develop and further incorporate Galadriel into his legendarium even when concepts for other historians and loremasters faded.

“The Silmaril Was Bound Upon His Brow”: Elwing And Eärendil And The “Living Light” Of Love, Douglas Charles Kane

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This paper shows the development of the story of Eärendil and Elwing from the time that Tolkien was first inspired by the lines “Hail Earendel, brightest of angels above middle-earth sent unto men” in a medieval Anglo-Saxon poem to Eärendil becoming the Evening Star, most beloved of the Elves, through the agency of Elwing's supportive love and the "Living Light" of the Silmaril recovered by Beren and Lúthien. It provides an example of how "the small gaps, contradictions, and inconsistencies in Tolkien’s work contribute substantially to readers’ experiencing it as somehow different than other pieces of literature, and how the …

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Gethsemane: Christian Art And Tradition In The Passion Of Albus Dumbledore, John Anthony Dunne

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This essay contends that Professor Dumbledore drinking a potion from a goblet administered by Harry Potter in the cave from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince evokes Jesus’s prayer in Gethsemane from the Gospels and his request that "the cup" be removed from him. Even though the Gospels portray Jesus all alone, and Dumbledore has Harry with him, I argue that Harry Potter evokes the expanded Lukan account of Gethsemane, which contains a textually uncertain passage about an angel ministering to him (Luke 22.43–44). I argue further that this Lukan text informs Harry Potter specifically as mediated through visual representations …

The Romantic Imagination Of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer And J.R.R. Tolkien, Mariana Rios Maldonado, Andoni Cossio

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Studies on the presence of Romantic elements in J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary production have steadily risen to prominence, especially since the publication of Julian Eilmann’s landmark monograph J.R.R. Tolkien: Romanticist and Poet (2017) and, more recently, the edited collection The Romantic Spirit in the Works of J.R.R Tolkien (2024). Our paper seeks to contribute to this scholarly upsurge by presenting a comparative analysis of Tolkien’s works and those penned by one of the most noteworthy authors of Spanish Romanticism, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer (1836–1870). Akin to the Kunstmärchenof German Romanticism and Tolkien’s Fairy-stories, Bécquer’s Leyendas—e. g. “El monte de las …

The Soldier’S Stigmata, Part Ii: Figura, The Four Senses Of Interpretation, And Other Matters In Lois Mcmaster Bujold’S “The Borders Of Infinity”, Andrew Hallam

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

THIS IS A TWO-PART ARTICLE. IN ORDER TO READ OR DOWNLOAD THE OTHER PART, FOLLOW THE LINK AT THE END OF THIS ABSTRACT.

This article will explore the connection between Lois McMaster Bujold’s novella “The Borders of Infinity,” the Aristotelian theory of habitus as developed further in the letters of the Apostle Paul and by the sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, and the four senses of interpretation of scripture first conceived in antiquity and later refined by medieval philosophers. Habitus as a durable disposition, state, or condition (Aristotle) is a structured and structuring social practice or set of social practices (Bourdieu) that …

What Are C.S. Lewis's Eldila And Why Do They Matter?, Joseph Weigel

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This article explores the eldila from C.S. Lewis’s Ransom Trilogy. Many of the eldila in the trilogy are angelic beings. However, Lewis uses the nine orders of angels in the trilogy and different eldils correspond to different types of angels within the hierarchy. Additionally, eldila, on occasion, can refer to the entirety of the supernatural realm, including the mysterious longaevi. Through the trilogy, Lewis is portraying the rich supernatural worldview presented in the Scriptures that is so often ignored, even by Christians. For Lewis, angels, devils, and the whole realm of spirits, was a reality of the cosmos, …

Pier’S Barn And Aslan’S Stable: Satire And Sublimity In Langland’S Piers Plowman And Lewis’S The Last Battle, Tiffany E. Schubert

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

The stable in The Last Battle is rather mysterious. It seems a random bit of architecture plopped in Narnia, whose primary structures are cozy caves or castles by the sea. Of course, the stable is an important Christian symbol, the humble birthplace of Christ himself. Nevertheless, Lewis’s stable does not function in any straightforward way as the Narnian version of “Away in a Manger.” Rather, it is a place of deception and violence, housing the false Aslan and serving as the focal point of an apocalyptic battle that ends with the destruction of all Narnia. There is medieval precedent for …

Editorial, Janet Croft

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

I do keep saying that this is the biggest Mythlore issue ever, then topping it an issue or two later. With Mythlore #148, I’m afraid I’ve done it again.

We switch up our usual order a bit this time and start with C.S. Lewis. Tiffany E. Schubert explores the parallels between the medieval poem Piers Plowman and The Last Battle, and shows how Lewis used this source. Joseph Weigel systematically examines the angelology of the Space Trilogy, attempting to pin down exactly how we should conceive of the eldils.

Evaluation Of Fasted And Fed Gastrointestinal Transformation Of Withania Somnifera Plant Extracts And Bioactive Compounds Via Uplc-Ms/Ms And Untargeted Metabolomics, Sarah Barr, Wendy Strangman, R. Thomas Williamson, Amala Soumyanath, Melissa Bollen

Oxford ICSB

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a widely consumed botanical supplement recognized for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-aging properties. Despite its extensive use, limited information exists on how its complex chemical composition changes during gastrointestinal digestion. An untargeted UPLC-MS/MS-based metabolomics approach enables analysis of discrete changes in complex mixtures. Previous in vitro studies of W. somnifera relied on simulated gastric and intestinal models composed primarily of buffers and digestive enzymes. This study advances those methods by incorporating bile salts and phospholipids under fasted and fed conditions to better simulate physiological digestion of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of W. somnifera root and leaf. …

Whole-Brain Emotional Processing Through The Meld Framework: A Music-Based Trauma-Informed Intervention, Janita Daggy, Arij Abdul, Tammy Griffin

Liberty University Research Week

The MELD Framework integrates music, emotion, language, and dialogue as a trauma-informed intervention supporting emotional regulation and self-expression. Grounded in neurobiology and trauma theory, this approach recognizes that traumatic experiences are stored in nonverbal, right-hemisphere systems and require embodied processing before verbal integration occurs. Using music and lyric analysis, the framework facilitates safe access to emotional states while promoting bilateral brain integration and narrative coherence. This mixed-methods study examines the impact of a single 20–25 minute MELD session on participants' emotional regulation, self-expression, and integration through pre- and post-intervention self-report measures and qualitative reflective writing prompts. Analysis focuses on shifts …

Everything You Know About The Piano Is Wrong, Khuong Vo

Liberty University Research Week

No abstract provided.

Unmasking Ashwagandha Controversy: Safety, Toxicity, And Adulteration, Tahir Maqbool Mir

Oxford ICSB

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an adaptogenic shrub valued for its roots, which support systemic health. Increasing use has raised safety concerns about adulteration and hepatotoxicity. The roots of ashwagandha are primarily preferred for systemic health, while the leaves were traditionally reserved for topical applications to treat joint inflammation and promote wound healing.  Although generally considered safe, ashwagandha supplements have been linked to drug-induced liver injury, including cholestasis, jaundice, and pruritus. Reports from various organizations like LARB in the Netherlands indicate a rise in liver toxicity cases, possibly due to cytotoxic withafrin A and DNA-damaging withanone. A major concern is widespread …

Advancements In Botanical Toxicology, Characterization, And Regulatory Frameworks, Paula Brown

Oxford ICSB

No abstract provided.

Determinants Of Opioid-Relevant Exposure From 7-Hydroxymitragynine Products In The Evolving U.S. Marketplace, Igor Koturbash, Scott Alsbrook, George Pro

Oxford ICSB

Kratom’s U.S. market has rapidly evolved from largely botanical powders and capsules to products enriched in 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a potent mu-opioid receptor agonist that is typically present only at trace levels in leaf material. To quantify downstream behavioral health burden and contextualize it with real-world signals of product diffusion, we analyzed National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data (2021-2023) alongside public health alert trends and systematic online product surveillance. In NSDUH, 5.8% of adults met criteria for serious mental illness (SMI). SMI increased by 150% among adults with combined opioid use disorder (OUD) and kratom use between 2021 …

Naturally Derived Kratom Extracts: Toxicological Evaluation In Humans And Rodents, Sibyl Swift

Oxford ICSB

Peer-reviewed literature provides limited toxicological data on the consumption of naturally derived kratom extracts. Given the increasing use of kratom products, understanding their safety profile is critical for public health and regulatory decision-making. To address this gap, we conducted a rodent toxicology assessment and a controlled human clinical study. Human Clinical Study: Healthy male and female participants consumed specified kratom extracts daily for 14 consecutive days under controlled conditions. Clinical observations and biochemical markers were monitored throughout the study. Rodent Toxicology Study: Equivalent extract doses were administered to rodents for 90 days to evaluate subchronic exposure. Assessments included body weight, …

Dramatic Interpretation, Christine Johnson

Liberty University Research Week

No abstract provided.

Cheating On Cognitive Dissonance Theory: An Investigation Of Moral Disengagement, Javier Mora, Jana Michelle Hackathorn

Steeplechase: An ORCA Student Journal

Cognitive dissonance theory (Festinger, 1957) theorizes that when individuals experience discrepancies between attitudes, actions or beliefs, the resulting psychological discomfort leads individuals to use one of many “dissonance reduction strategies” such as justification, attitude change, etc. to feel better (Mcgrath, 2017).

Moral disengagement theory refers to tendency of people to lessen the implications of their perceived immoral actions, through various behaviors such as blaming others, diffusing responsibility, etc. (Bandura et al, 1996).

However, no known research has examined whether moral disengagement is merely a dissonance reduction process.

Epigenetic Variation Of American Alligators (Alligator Mississippiensis) In The Okefenokee Swamp, Mark Hoog, Kimberly M. Andrews, Aaron W. Schrey

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

An animal's survival is heavily influenced by how well adapted it is to the environment in which it lives; however, phenotypes are only able to change so quickly. Epigenetics allows for greater phenotypic plasticity through molecular mechanisms without altering the DNA sequence. DNA methylation is the most widely studied epigenetic mechanism. It has shown the ability to alter gene expression and may even be able to compensate for a lack of genetic variation. Changes in DNA methylation are often caused by stressors that range from anthropogenic causes to natural occurrences. We sought to examine the effect of environmental factors on …

“Welcome To The Next Level:” How Optical Media Revolutionized The Video Game Industry, Schuyler Ogden

Liberty University Research Week

The world of entertainment took the world by storm in the twentieth century, like a hurricane ravaging the gulf coast. The twentieth century brought many forms of entertainment that defined American culture. From sports like football and baseball, to radio shows, to television. Each one of these contributed their fair share of economic progress, but one that proved to have a great impact was the video game industry. Video games have changed drastically in its history, but not as big as the introduction of optical media in the early to mid 1990s, specifically CD-ROMs. CD-ROM stands for Compact Disc Read …

Transfer Learning With Resnet Architectures For Leukemia Detection From Microscopy Images, John Fayek

Liberty University Research Week

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric cancer, accounting for approximately 30–34% of childhood cancer diagnoses. Early detection is critical for improving survival outcomes; however, many resource-limited settings lack access to advanced diagnostic technologies such as flow cytometry and cytogenetic analysis. Manual microscopy remains widely used but is time-consuming and subject to inter-observer variability, limiting diagnostic efficiency and consistency. This study evaluates the effectiveness of transfer learning using pre-trained ResNet architectures for automated classification of leukemia cells from microscopy images, with a focus on the impact of model depth and fine-tuning strategies. Using the C-NMC Challenge dataset (10,661 …

Evaluation Of Social Connectedness And Loneliness Scale As Predictors Of Flourishing, Abigayle Minger, Aaron Hall, Faith Davis, Isaac Uehling, Kailyn Rowland, Tanner Simoneaux

Liberty University Research Week

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the roles of social connectedness and loneliness as predictors of the subsequent levels of flourishing. This study will use multiple regression analysis from data collected on 478 U.S. adults to determine how each of the six levels of the Secure Flourishing Index are predicted by the UCLA Loneliness Scale and Social Connectedness Instrument. More specifically, how does social connection, or loneliness, act as a predictor for happiness and life satisfaction, mental & physical health, meaning & purpose, character & virtue, close social relationships, and financial & material stability. Previous literature indicates that …

Development Of A Laboratory Aquaculture System For Education And Research: Experimental Culture Of Fathead Minnows, Jill Crunkilton

Liberty University Research Week

As global fish consumption rises and wild stocks continue to decline, aquaculture has become essential for meeting protein demands sustainably. To prepare college-level graduates for careers in this expanding field, hands-on education in aquaculture systems and fish husbandry is critical. This project focuses on the development of a laboratory aquaculture system centered on the experimental culture of fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas), a model species widely used in aquatic research and toxicity testing. The system will serve dual purposes: (1) providing students with experiential training in aquaculture techniques, including breeding, water quality management, and biosecurity; and (2) establishing a platform for …

Comparative Analysis Of Lower-Extremity Musculoskeletal Injuries In Ice Hockey Players And Figure Skaters – A Level 4 Case Study, Emma Rivas

Liberty University Research Week

Background – (Patient Populations): Although ice hockey players and figure skaters often share the same training environment, the biomechanical demands of their sports differ substantially. These sports-specific movement patterns may contribute to distinct lower-extremity musculoskeletal asymmetries and injury risk.

Differential Diagnosis – (Purpose – Objective): To examine the kinematic differences between ice hockey skating stride mechanics and figure skating jumping mechanics, and to identify how these sport-specific demands influence susceptibility to lower-extremity overuse injuries.

Treatment – (Data sources): A comprehensive literature review was conducted to evaluate existing research on biomechanical loading patterns, muscle activation profiles, and injury prevalence among ice …