Speaking of "The Twa Corbies"—

The first version I learned was "The Three Ravens" from Thomas Ravenscroft's Melismata (1611). I heard it sung on a record by Richard Dyer-Bennet, then learned it (from the dots) in Dyer-Bennet's folio of twenty songs. Some years later, I ran across another version, American, in a collection of folk tales and folk songs by Richard Chase. This one had a somewhat different set of words and it use the same tune as "Ye Banks and Braes of Bonny Doon." Absolutely exquisite version!

The folk process had been very good to it.

Then sometime later I found yet another version of it. Same song, but hardly recognizable. "Billie Magee Magaw." About a pack of crows chowing down on a dead horse!

The folk process had crapped all over the ballad!

So—the folk process is a highly mixed "blessing."

Don Firth