'John Barleycorn: The Evolution of a Folk-song Family', by Peter Wood, in The Folk Music Journal, 2004, volume 8 number 4. Not in the least tedious if you want a good picture of the way a whole group of related songs grew, through a series of re-makings, from a 16th century song which barely mentions the death-and-resurrection theme, the bulk of which seems to be a rather later addition; likely 18th century, when the revival of Classical studies led to a growth of interest in such things.