This song is about the death of King William ii (Rufus) The Red. The Norman Conquest took the English throne from the Saxons and put King William I (William the Conqueror) , of Normandy, on the English throne. This was not popular with the English people. King Williams 1st born son was actually Robert Cuthose who lived to 83 and was never killed in the New Forest (artistic license). Robert was an often estranged son and was beaten to the throne by Rufus who imprisoned him in Cardiff castle for the rest of his life. King Williams 2nd son was Richard, now he did die in a hunting accident in the New Forest. King Williams 3rd son was William Rufus and he took the throne that should have gone to Robert. Becoming King William ii, he too died in a hunting accident in the New Forest. It is believed that he was killed with an arrow from his friend Lord Tyrell. So. His 2nd and 3rd born sons blood ran upon the English earth. However, William the Conqueror's 4th son, Henry Beauclerc, survived and became King Henry I of England. Although the Normans kept the throne until it passed to the Plantagenet family, this song is about the unhappiness of the people and the curse they felt was put on the family of William the Conqueror.