The Signum Scene

This recording from October 10, 2026. Signum University presents Thesis Theater with Shannon (Shae) Rossi, "To Work an Enchantment upon Them: Movement through Enchantment into the Otherworld in Tolkien’s Legendarium." The connection between J.R.R. Tolkien and the Celtic Otherworld has been much discussed. This paper is a study of the methods that Tolkien uses to move both his readers and his own characters into the Otherworld, also known as Enchantment or Faërie. In order to identify the author’s influences, an overview of the Celtic Otherworld is presented, as would have been familiar and available to Tolkien during his life. Themes of Time, Liminality, Music, Supernaturality, and Abundance are explored and discussed. The paper then turns to Tolkien and explains the connection between these themes, the Otherworld, Tolkien’s Faërie, and the state of or physical manifestation of Enchantment. A deep dive and close reading of a number of Tolkien’s works is then undertaken, in order to parse the techniques the author uses to evoke Enchantment / Faërie in the reader or characters. Rather than copying the original Celtic stories, Tolkien leans into the tales and themes as a basis for his own, using them to lend weight and credence to his own legendarium, so that immersion leads to credibility and realism. His works are not direct copies, however, but build upon the stable ground an understood reality provides. About the Presenter: Shannon (Shae) Rossi is a Tolkien scholar, writer, game designer, and cancer survivor. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English with a concentration in Folklore from Smith College and will soon graduate with a Masters degree in English Language and Literature, with a concentration in Tolkien studies, from Signum University. When not studying, Shae does yoga, tai chi, belly dance, medieval reenactment, sings, swims with her mermaid pod, and hikes the woods with her aging pup, Bjorn in hopes of stumbling into Faërie. While currently a Senior Quest Designer on Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft, Shae previously wrote and designed quests for The Lord of the Rings Online. A love of languages led her to studying Spanish, Japanese, and Old Norse, as well as working as a course writer for Pimsleur Language Programs. A newfound obsession with k-dramas is adding Korean to the list. Learn about Signum University’s mission, leadership and more: https://signumuniversity.org/about/. To learn more about Signum's rigorous academic graduate program: https://signumuniversity.org/degree-p... Want to enjoy Signum’s educational offerings? Start here! https://signumuniversity.org/non-degr.... Support The Signum Scene

This recording from August 1, 2026. Signum University presents Thesis Theater with Galen Miller-Atkins, "Early Runic Meter: Word-Foot Theory and the Early Runic Language." Several early runic inscriptions exhibit alliterative patterns, broadly reminiscent of later alliterative verse patterns; however, previous work has failed to definitively conclude whether these inscriptions are poetry, alliterative prose, or elevated speech. Previous scholarship has typically compared the Early Runic inscriptions to verse categories described by Eduard Sievers, highlighting the ways in which these inscriptions do (or do not) scan properly into the known categories. The Early Runic word stress patterns, however, do not easily conform to the verse patterns described by Eduard Sievers. Recent work by Nelson Goering and Geoffrey Russom demonstrates how the correspondence between the stress patterns of a language and its poetry can help generate expectations for verse structure. This thesis analyzes three runic inscriptions, the Strøm whetstone, the Tjurkö bracteate, and the Tune runestone, for their poetic qualities given their linguistic context, comparing them to known and predicted verse patterns. Ultimately this thesis argues that the Strøm whetstone, the Tjurkö bracteate, exhibit poetic features predicted by word-foot theory and cannot be discounted as verse; the Tune runestone, however, may be better characterized as an alliterative legal document prepared for public display. About the Presenter: Galen Miller-Atkins is an archaeologist based in Ellensburg, Washington. He holds an M.A. in Anthropology from Washington State University and works as a cultural resource management archaeologist across Washington and Oregon. He has recently published work Tolkien’s Old English adaptation of the Atlakviða poem and presented a poetic analysis of a late medieval Icelandic grimoire, the Jarðskinna manuscript. His current research interests focus on metrical analyses of runic inscriptions and late medieval Icelandic poetry. About Signum Thesis Theaters: Each of our master’s students writes a thesis at the end of their degree program, exploring a topic of their choice. The Thesis Theater is their opportunity to present their research to a general audience, and answer questions. All are welcome to attend! Learn about Signum University’s mission, leadership and more: [https://signumuniversity.org/about/] We are open for Fall 2026 registration! Term begins Monday, August 31st. To view our upcoming courses: https://signumuniversity.org/degree-programs/graduate/upcoming-courses/ To learn more about Signum's rigorous academic graduate program: https://signumuniversity.org/degree-programs/graduate/ma-in-language-and-literature/ Want to enjoy Signum’s educational offerings? Start here! https://signumuniversity.org/non-degree-programs/ Support The Signum Scene

This recording from May 13, 2026. Signum University presents Thesis Theater with J. Michael Southards, "It's All in Plato: Bringing the Sophistic Critique into the Lewis-Plato Conversation." The scholarly conversation surrounding the relationship between C.S. Lewis and Plato is robust but does not yet include Plato’s critique of the sophists. By conducting a series of close readings on Plato, the sophists, and Lewis’s Abolition of Man, Last Battle, and Silver Chair, this paper concludes that Lewis’s argument against subjectivism in Abolition reflects a distinctly Platonic stance, and that his depiction of Shift the Ape and the Green Witch mirrors both Plato’s critique of the sophists and Lewis’s own critique of subjectivism. This paper concludes that Plato’s sophistic critique should be brought into the scholarly Lewis-Plato conversation. About the Presenter: During his time at Signum, J. Michael Southards (BA, Patrick Henry College) has concentrated in Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance literature as well as in Germanic Philology. He teaches upper school humanities at Dominion Christian School, where he loves helping students see and appreciate a holistic picture of the world. In his spare time, he enjoys reading history, philosophy, theology, and law; he also loves nature walks and sport climbing. He is excited to share his research on Plato and C.S. Lewis in his [upcoming] thesis theater. About Signum Thesis Theaters: Each of our master’s students writes a thesis at the end of their degree program, exploring a topic of their choice. The Thesis Theater is their opportunity to present their research to a general audience, and answer questions. All are welcome to attend! Learn about Signum University’s mission, leadership and more: https://signumuniversity.org/about/ To learn more about Signum's rigorous academic graduate program: https://signumuniversity.org/degree-programs/graduate/ma-in-language-and-literature/ Want to enjoy Signum’s educational offerings? Start here! https://signumuniversity.org/non-degree-programs/ Support The Signum Scene

This recording from April 11, 2026. Signum University presents Thesis Theater with Tamara Bootsma, "The Old Swedish Bjärköarätten: an English Translation." The complete Bjärköarätten, the Trading Town Law, of medieval Sweden, exists only in one manuscript, written about 1345. Originally composed for Stockholm in the late 13th century, this version might be amended for the city of Lødose, or it may be a direct copy of the Stockholm law, of which there is no other extant copy. This is the first English translation of the Bjärköarätten. Each chapter of the law is presented first in semi-normalised Old Swedish based on the original manuscript, then in a modern English translation. Footnotes provide key legal and linguistic commentary. The law’s focus is on criminal, maritime, and commercial law; the importance of the bailiff and council, witnesses and oaths, and compensatory fines are evident throughout. This law is historically significant, as it was strongly influenced by the earlier Visby city law, and was itself a basis for Magnus Erikssons Stadslag, the Swedish city law that would hold for the next 400 years. This translation places the Trading Town Law in its historical and cultural context and will serve as a vital source for scholars of medieval Scandinavian history, law, and language. About the Presenter: Tamara Bootsma is a graduate of Indiana University with Bachelor of Arts degrees in French and Art History. Her dual fascinations with linguistics and history brought her to study Germanic Philology with a focus on Old Norse. She resides in her native Canada, where she enjoys voracious reading, fast walking, forests, rocky shores, and dogs, especially her own dog Molly. About Signum Thesis Theaters: Each of our master’s students writes a thesis at the end of their degree program, exploring a topic of their choice. The Thesis Theater is their opportunity to present their research to a general audience, and answer questions. All are welcome to attend! Learn about Signum University’s mission, leadership and more: https://signumuniversity.org/about/. Registration for Summer 2026 is now open. Term begins April 27. To view our Upcoming Courses: https://signumuniversity.org/degree-programs/graduate/upcoming-courses/ To learn more about Signum's rigorous academic graduate program: https://signumuniversity.org/degree-programs/graduate/ma-in-language-and-literature/ Want to enjoy Signum’s educational offerings? Start here! https://signumuniversity.org/non-degree-programs/ Support The Signum Scene

This recording from December 13, 2025. Signum University presents Thesis Theater with Elizabeth (Libby) Lyon on Saturday, December 13, 2025 at 11am ET. This thesis explores Chaucer’s perplexing conclusion to his Canterbury Tales, reflecting particularly on parallels between the Parson’s Prologue and Chaucer’s Retraction in order to discover ways these final elements influence the collection as a whole. Supported by critical scholarship, historical context, and a close reading of primary source material, the thesis argues that the Parson’s Tale and Retraction were neither accidentally included nor hastily appended to the CT; rather they are Chaucer’s meticulously designed conclusion to the Tales. Despite the penitential tone of Fragment X, what ultimately emerges from Chaucer’s final lines, through his signature techniques of purposeful irony and ambiguity, is a poetic challenge to 14th century ecclesial concerns over the perils of narrative fiction as Chaucer subtly champions the transformative potential of stories. About the Presenter: Elizabeth (Libby) Lyon hails in part from the wilds of northern Wisconsin, where she raised and homeschooled her brood of six alongside her late husband, Dr. John Lyon. She earned her BA in the Program of Liberal Studies at the University of Notre Dame. She has taught high school Biology, Algebra, and Composition at a classical academy, and served as a volunteer EMT with Bayfield Ambulance near the shores of Lake Superior. As a Masters degree student with Signum University, she has presented for Mythmoots X and XI, OzMoot, and Prancing Pony Podcast Moot on topics ranging from LotR to Huckleberry Finn to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Libby currently resides a stone’s throw from the Michigan state line, in northwestern Indiana. Besides taking Signum courses, her favorite pursuits are running, knitting, traveling, playing violin, and aggressively spoiling her grandchildren. About Signum Thesis Theaters: Each of our master’s students writes a thesis at the end of their degree program, exploring a topic of their choice. The Thesis Theater is their opportunity to present their research to a general audience, and answer questions. All are welcome to attend! Learn about Signum University’s mission, leadership and more: https://signumuniversity.org/about/. Registration is open for Spring 2026! Term begins the week of January 12th, 2026. To view our Upcoming Courses: https://signumuniversity.org/degree-programs/graduate/upcoming-courses/ To learn more about Signum's rigorous academic graduate program: https://signumuniversity.org/degree-programs/graduate/ma-in-language-and-literature/ Want to enjoy Signum’s educational offerings? Start here! https://signumuniversity.org/non-degree-programs/ Support The Signum Scene