I am interested in genealogy also.
the old songs were possibly listened
to and played by my ancestors, in
fact one of my great-uncles was said
to be a fiddler, though i never heard
himplay--wich i knew what tunes he
played so i could learn those and
think about him when i play them!
druinig the times that bards were
the "news reporters" oral (aural?)
tradition was the source of stories about
ancestors, etc.