The Driving of the Deer
Bella Hardy Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lord Peverel stood on the Lordis Seat,
And an angry man was he
For he heard the sound of a hunter′s horn
Slow winding up the lea
He look'd to north, he look′d to south,
East and west looked he
"Oh Holy Cross" the Norman cried,
"Who hunts in my country?"

"Belike they think the Peverel dead,
Or far from forest walk.
Woe worth their hunting, they shall find
Abroad is still the Hawk"
Again he looked where Helldon Hill
Joins with the Konying's Dale
And then once more the bugle blast
Came swelling along the gale.

"Mount, mount and ride" the baron cried
"The sound come's o′er the lea,
These outlaws, who now drive my deer
Shall soon our quarry be"
All down the slope, along the flat
Against the hill they ride,
Non pull the rein till every steed
Stands fast at Gautriss side.

"Hold hard! They′re here" the Peverel said
And upward held his hand
While all his many kept behind
To wait their Lords command
And westwards, on the Bolt-edge Moor
Beyond the rocky height,
Both hounds and hunters, men and horse,
And deer were all in sight.

Who are these who break forest law?
Who fear not Peverel's sword?
Up spoke Sir Payne Peverel, and said
"Of Bowdon he′s the Lord,
Sir Bruno, hight, a Franklin brave
One of the Saxon swine
Who feast each day on fat fed beef
And guzzle ale not wine"
"Beshrew his horn and beshrew his heart,
This land he may not ride.
If he kills a deer, by the conquerors bow
By forest law he'll bide."
"Ride on, Sir Payne, and tell the churl
To cease his hunting cheer,
And come before his surzerain lord
Who waits his presence here"

Sir Payne rode swiftly across the dale
Followed by his gentle′s three,
Nor stayed his horse 'till he had reached
The hunters company.
And then he said "Fair sirs, you ride
And drive our deer as free,
As if this land were all your own
And not in forestry"

Sir Franklin cried "I′m not his man,
And Peverel knows full well,
Though within the bounds of his forest walk
It likes me sooth to dwell."
"My manor of Bowden I hold in chief
For good king Harry's might
And you can only force me hence
If strongest in the fight"

Each Saxon then upraised his spear
Or twanged his good yew bow
And the Normans who rode out unarmed
Couldn't match this threatening show
Lord Peverel viewed their bows and spears
And marked their strong array,




And so grim he smiled, and softly said
"We′ll right this wrong someday"

Overall Meaning

Bella Hardy’s “The Driving of the Deer” is a ballad that tells the story of a Norman lord named Peverel and his intent to stop the Saxons who are breaking the laws of forestry by hunting on his land. The song begins with Peverel hearing a hunting horn and realizing his land is being hunted upon. He looks in all directions trying to find the hunters and ends up spotting them on a hill. Peverel orders his men to mount and ride to chase the hunters down. The chase ends when Peverel’s men corner the hunters and their dogs, and Peverel realizes that he cannot overtake them in a fight. He threatens them with future retaliation and then lets them go their way.


The ballad is believed to have originated from the medieval times and has been sung in various versions by countless artists over the years. It speaks to the brutality of colonialism and the oppression of the colonized by the colonizer. The Normans in the song represent colonizers who impose their values and way of life on the Saxon population. The Saxon hunters, on the other hand, represent those who oppose colonialism and stand up to protect their way of life. However, they are ultimately forced to compromise and give in to the demands of the colonizers.


The song is a reminder that imperialism and colonial rule have long-lasting effects on the people it subjugates. It also speaks to the power struggle between different communities and how that affects the lives of those involved. The lyrics of this song showcase the beauty and tragedy of the medieval period, and the melody perfectly compliments the story being told.


Line by Line Meaning

Lord Peverel stood on the Lordis Seat,
Lord Peverel was standing at a high point


And an angry man was he
He was feeling angry at the moment


For he heard the sound of a hunter′s horn Slow winding up the lea
Lord Peverel heard a hunter's horn blown in a far-off place


He look'd to north, he look′d to south, East and west looked he
He looked around in all directions


"Oh Holy Cross" the Norman cried,"Who hunts in my country?"
Peverel expressed his displeasure at the possibility of someone hunting


"Belike they think the Peverel dead,Or far from forest walk.Woe worth their hunting, they shall findAbroad is still the Hawk"
He feels the hunters were taking advantage of his absence to hunt and he is still keeping a close watch


Again he looked where Helldon HillJoins with the Konying's DaleAnd then once more the bugle blastCame swelling along the gale.
Lord Peveril sees them again and they sounded their hunting horn


"Mount, mount and ride" the baron cried"The sound come's o′er the lea,These outlaws, who now drive my deerShall soon our quarry be"
Lord Peverel immediately took action and wanted to go after the hunters who were taking away his deer


All down the slope, along the flatAgainst the hill they ride,Non pull the rein till every steedStands fast at Gautriss side.
Peverel and his men rode quickly to reach the hunters and wait for them


"Hold hard! They′re here" the Peverel saidAnd upward held his handWhile all his many kept behindTo wait their Lords command
Peverel and his men halted and waited for his orders, while Peverel signalled to stop


And westwards, on the Bolt-edge MoorBeyond the rocky height,Both hounds and hunters, men and horse,And deer were all in sight.
They could see the hunters, dogs, horses and the stolen deer on the far side of the hill


Who are these who break forest law?Who fear not Peverel's sword?Up spoke Sir Payne Peverel, and said"Of Bowdon he′s the Lord,Sir Bruno, hight, a Franklin braveOne of the Saxon swineWho feast each day on fat fed beefAnd guzzle ale not wine"
Peveril questioned who the hunters were, and Sir Payne revealed Sir Bruno was a Saxon Lord who ate beef and drank ale daily.


"Beshrew his horn and beshrew his heart,This land he may not ride.If he kills a deer, by the conquerors bowBy forest law he'll bide."
Peverel is angry that he is not aware of this Saxon Lord, and declares that despite their stature, they would be punished if they broke the forest law


"Ride on, Sir Payne, and tell the churlTo cease his hunting cheer,And come before his surzerain lordWho waits his presence here"
Sir Payne is instructed to approach Sir Bruno and bring him to the Lord Peverel


Sir Payne rode swiftly across the daleFollowed by his gentle′s three,Nor stayed his horse 'till he had reachedThe hunters company.
Payne swiftly rode towards the hunting party accompanied by three knights


And then he said "Fair sirs, you rideAnd drive our deer as free,As if this land were all your ownAnd not in forestry"
Sir Payne tells Bruno and the hunters they are hunting like they own the land, even though they don't have the right to do so as it is in the forest.


Sir Franklin cried "I′m not his manAnd Peverel knows full well,Though within the bounds of his forest walkIt likes me sooth to dwell.""My manor of Bowden I hold in chiefFor good king Harry's mightAnd you can only force me henceIf strongest in the fight"
Sir Bruno claims he is not a subject of Peverel, and that he is bound to Bowden's manor under King Harry's command


Each Saxon then upraised his spearOr twanged his good yew bowAnd the Normans who rode out unarmedCouldn't match this threatening show
The Saxon hunters showed that they were ready to fight with their bows and spears, making the Normans unable to respond as they were unarmed


Lord Peverel viewed their bows and spearsAnd marked their strong array,And so grim he smiled, and softly said"We′ll right this wrong someday"
Peveril recognized the strength of the Saxons, and vowed to correct this injustice in the future.




Writer(s): Bella Hardy

Contributed by Audrey I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@keithgsa1

love her voice

@hjd832

Very good, unusual voice.....& excellent accompaniment...

@philfromearth

Beautiful

@MarkSmith-mj6oo

Divine!

@chand3102

I love it!

More Versions