Another thing it resembles is a Breton dance tune.

I made a stab at transcribing it, but it's just too tiresome a task. I don't mean the music is tiresome, just that is hard to get down.

Helen, I've had an idea. Why don't you explore Breton tunes online and see if you can find one that you like just as much but has the advantage of being notated already?

The fascination of that piece (Hell's Ditch) does not lie in the notes in it. It lies in the use of stress - artfully getting louder and softer to create excitement.   

(Who remembers when the theme from 'Zorba the Greek' blew the minds of America's youth with its sexy, pulsing introduction? Same thing.)