[Valesse]

One "Jonathan Massullo", Lalwendë. I am without any other information as to who this person is.

I completely agree with you about that 'lack of English cultural identity' comment, I believe he might have been seduced by his own poetic license by that part of the article.

From what we know about Tolkien's life it's clear that he could have pulled the term "Middle Earth" out of either considering his 'day job' would have put him in the path of both works. I do tend to prefer the idea of him taking it from Caedmon's Hymn rather than Cynewulf as it is, in my opinion, 'more his style reading' and as you pointed out Lalwendë, uncannily close to the Middle Earth this forum is most familiar with.