Hi,

I've been listening to "Anne Briggs: A Collection" this week, and I've noticed how many of the ballads that she sings deal with unplanned pregnancy and seem to be very much from a woman's point of view.

Would these songs have traditionally been sung mainly by women?

Would they likely have been written by women?

And could anyone suggest a good academic survey of the cultural history of the ballads?

Cheers, Hester