It is quite widely accepted in the academic community that Niles' material is unreliable. A number of songs, including some very lovely ones, that he claimed to have "collected" are known to have been written by him. Some he claims to have found in fragmentary form ("I Wonder as I Wander" for example), others he wrote from scratch ("Venezuela"). None of the scholars with whom I exchange information take his Ballad Book seriously.

Another example would be the Judas ballad. It has not been reported from tradition anywhere in the English-speaking world for centuries, and many believe that Child simply included it in order to establish that the ballad form existed at the time it was written down. Niles, on the other hand, alone among our collectors, claims to have found several versions. Let's say that possibility is "extremely unlikely," to put it mildly. I would also be suspicious of the "Fair Flower of Northumberland" that you recently contributed here. Better to check Bertrand Bronson's The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads for authentic source material. If he includes it, you can believe it.

This is NOT to suggest that Niles' versions should not be sung at all. Many are very beautiful songs and deserve to have lives of their own. It's just that they can't be used by serious folklorists in researching the occurrence of a particular ballad in oral tradition.

Sandy (who still may sing "I Wonder as I Wander" in season)