The devil whisked the excise men away

I just came back from a lecture by a professor of medieval literature who was so damaged by years of trying to interest students in the middle ages that he spent about two hours cracking jokes about everything. It was sort of entertaining, but every semi-interesting point was drowned out by the next wisecrack. The thing that really got on my tits though, was the musical accompaniment, a series of earnestly performed British and Irish folk songs about leprechauns. I can't say I'm an expert on this kind of music, but I have a sneaking suspicion that like a lot of countryside traditions, this one stems from 19th century bourgeois angst about the industrial revolution. That would also explain why all these supposedly medieval songs have lyrics in recognisable modern English, with the occasional ye olde English touch, i.e. why they all sound like Gilbert and Sullivan present: A country lad goes a-courtin. I can't wait to tell the only Irishman I know about the leprechaun song and wait for the blast of bile to hit me.