What I do see plenty of evidence for is a tradition of stylistic song-making and transformation which indicates both the fluidity in which the songs existed in their natural habitat and the essentially improvised nature of song-making as an integral aspect of their performance.

Yes. It's what some people call "the folk process". I think you've just demonstrated that this argument was pointless from the word go.

Looks like another thread has been ruined by Mudcat's Nannying Interference Police.

No. "No personal attacks" is the rule, and (being a rule) it applies to everyone. Nothing personal(!) against glueman.