"but they do not provide justification (for instance of murder)."
I think this hits the nub of the whole argument
How do you define "murder" - national liberation struggle, a fight against injustice and oppression - war maybe
Does the taking of life have to be blessed by some higher authority before is ceases to be murder and becomes acceptable - when does a murderer become a national hero or a fighter for justice?
As far as the accuracy of the songs, John is quite right (as he usually is), as was Bert all those years ago
The point about song and lore is that it provides information on the subject from a point of view not usually taken into consideration, and in doing so, it becomes evidence
In the absence of other evidence, once it is examined for flaws, it becomes a feasible account of an event or situation, particularly when it was made contemporary to events described.
Jim Caarroll