Let's get some perspective here!

In medieval times, wandering English minstrels were the equivalent of newspapers or newsreaders. They wandered around the countryside singing the news in exchange for food and lodging.

According to the history books, they used the Lute for accompaniment, or sang unaccompanied.

Agreed, the Lute and the Guitar differ significantly. But they also have many similarities, which makes the less-cumbersome guitar an obvious successor as a portable, intimate means of providing both accompaniment and instrumental interludes.

This sort of overlaps into the 'open tunings' threads, too...