Poem- Harrowing of the North

An independent State they cherish

But many lives will perish

For the people of the North

Rebel against the Norman King

They could lose everything

For the freedom of the North

Northern Earls take a chance

To William’s tune they will not dance

Sit tight under York’s holy steeple

King William is not amused

Ready now to light the fuse

Dark times for Northern people

Norman army marches north

Soldiers and cavalry sally forth

To punish Northern people

Rape, plunder and to pillage

Bloodshed found in every village

No pity for Northern people

1070 was that fateful year

That every Northerner had to fear

Starvation for Northern people

No house or field is left unturned

Crops are wasted; fields are burned

Lesson learnt for these poor people

Northern Earls flee in disorder

Finding safety across the border

Independence had lost its zeal

The devastation was so great

Northerners would have to wait

A decade for the scars to heal