Was there ever a purely oral tradition, since literacy became more common than not, about the Reformation? yes, people learned songs at their mother's knee, but whwre did mother get her songs from? Bllad sheets were being published from the 16th century onwards, and though only the tiniest fraction of these has survived, many of the "traditional" songs can be traced back to these. And probably the publishers got them orally from street or pub singers.

And every now and then, someone rooting around in a collection of old books comes across some jovial shepherd's (*) little collection of handwritten songs, whatever had taken his fancy that he wanted to sing.. a little gold mine.

To my mind, it's not the means of transmission that preserves or ossifies the songs, but the authority given to the source. A song is just as surely fossilised if the only accepted way to sing it is in accordance with the source, whether that be written or oral. and written songs come alive when singers internalise them and make them their own.

This is incidentally why I rather disagree with the author of the song in the trhead down there (Dublin in my tears was it?), saying that as he wrote it, other versions must be wrong. He should be flattered that it has entered the traditon, and accept that, as a mark of life, it will change. Though he has the right to protest if people traduce the spirit of the song; and has every right to claim his whack if anyone makes serious money out of it.

(*) or jolly farmer, or tinker, or miller, or collier laddie, or servant girl, or whatever.