The earliest known printed version with seven stanzas was found in 1850 in the collection of hymns from
August von Haxthausen and Dietrich Bocholtz-Asseburg. The actual origin of the song is unclear. Occasionally this song is dated in the 16th century, which at least may not be proved. However, in the
Andernach Hymnal of 1608 a song "Jesus and his mother tender" was printed with the note "to the tune of Maria went through this forest", in which sometimes a nucleus of this Advent song is suspected. Songbooks of the
German Youth Movement at the beginning of the 20th century increased the song's popularity, but they also contributed to its transformation from the pilgrimage origin to an Advent hymn. In 1910, the song appeared in the today well-known three-stanza version initially published in the
Jugenheimer Liederblatt. In 1912, the song was absorbed by the collection '
and, in 1914, issued in the songbook ' created by , co-founder of the
Catholic youth movement Quickborn. In the
Gotteslob, the current common prayer- and hymnbook of Catholic dioceses in Germany, Austria, and South Tyrol, the song is published as no. 224. There is a choral setting of the carol in English, "Mary walked through a wood of thorn", by the composer
Philip Radcliffe. The carol was translated to Irish by a schoolteacher, Tadhg Ó Séaghdha, under the title 'Chuaigh Muire tríd an draighneach críon'. Ó Séaghdha was the choirmaster in the churches of Ros an Mhíl and an Tulach in County Galway. Feeling there was a dearth of Irish language Christmas carols he took it upon himself to translate carols from European languages to Irish. Twelve carols, including 'Maria durch ein Dordwald ging' feature on the 2013 CD 'Carúil Nollag', recorded by the choir Cór Chois Fharraige. == Text ==