"Down in Yon Forest" was collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams from Mr. Hall of Castleton, Derbyshire. The earliest version is more directly related to the medieval stories of the Grail Quest including the wounded knight who must be cured for the waste land to become fertile again. An extensive study of the transition from pagan rituals to Christian romance is covered in Jesse's Weston's From Ritual to Romance (1920). Weston's book is an academic examination of the roots of the King Arthur legends and seeks to make connections between the early pagan elements and the later Christian influences. The book's main focus is on the Holy Grail tradition and its influence, particularly the Wasteland motif. The origin of Weston's book is in James George Frazer's seminal work on folklore, magic and religion, The Golden Bough (1890). This is included in The Oxford Book of Carols (#61). It was recorded by Joan Baez. I learned it from her recording.