That, leeneia, is a longstanding matter of debate...

Many (most?) question the authenticity of songs "collected" by Niles, and suspect that he composed the melodies himself and called them "traditional." This one, in particular, is usually attributed to Niles - and it's a melody that Niles himself claims to have written.

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Here's an extraordinary live 1969 performance by Nina Simone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWmCbEbMmeU

I think she bases her interpretation on the Niles tune.

Here's a sample of the Niles sheet music: https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0114897