Here are some examples of songs that, in the Old Country, contained supernatural elements but that either are losing or have lost those elements, at least in these versions. All are taken from Dr; Patrick Gainer's FOLK SONGS FROM THE WEST VIRGINIA HILLS, 1975.

1. "The Devil's Questions" ("Riddles Wisely Expounded", Child #1)
The title indicates that the questioner is the Devil, but the text gives no such indication. Perhaps this is an example of a song that is losing the supernatural element.

2."O Where Are You Going? I'm Going to Linn" ("The Elfin Knight", Child #2) Dr. Gainer says, "In the old-world ballad of Child's work, the title of this ballad is "The Elfin Knight", but in the West Virginia versions the knight loses the character of the supernatural and is simply a young man who has a playful sort of game between himself and his former lover. He imposes certain impossible tasks upon her, and she in turn imposes even more impossible tasks upon him."

3. "The Six King's Daughters" (Lady Isabel and the Elf-Knight", Child #4) The Elf-Knight is become simply a serial killer.

4. "Old Badman" ("Sir Lionel", Child 18, also known as "Bangum Went to the Wild Boar's Den") The boar remains, but the giant who owned the boar is gone.

5."The House Carpenter's Wife" ("James Harris" or "The Daemon Lover", Child #243) has, in this version, lost the demonic nature of the lover and the visions of heaven and hell.

Kent