IMHO there is not much abnegation, self- or otherwise in British Folk Music. There is, however, an excess of meiosis (or litotes) evident in the support for and presentation of English Folk Music, which is frequently misunderstood by those races such as the Celts and some inhabitants of our former Colonies whose sense of irony is inadequately developed.

An illustration of this is the case of the English folksong "Wild Rover". Once this song, originally collected from one Sam Larner in the vicinity of Norwich, had been recorded by denizens of the Celtic fringe (the "Dubliners"), it was henceforth assumed to be of Irish origin. The fact that most of those associated with English folksong were only too pleased to see the back of that particular ditty and modestly denied its origins allowed the Irish to perpetuate the canard, leading them to apply the same acquisitive logic to other respectable traditional English songs and even to contemporary works by Australians of Scottish origin and Mancunian thespians.

There are those of us who would prefer that British Folk Music became better known for its synecdoche, for making the part stand for the whole has been a laudable British trait for some years.

To come in future editions: "Tmesis and British Folk Music" - "absobloodylutely fascinating" (J Offer) and "Onomatopoeia in British Folk Music" - "A crashing bore" (TROLL)

"Don't criticise what you don't understand" R Zimmerman

Alan