| Lady Godiva | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Godiva |
|
Born |
Unknown |
|
Died |
Between 1066-1086 |
Origin[]
Lady Godiva was a late Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who is relatively well documented as the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and a patron of various churches and monasteries. Today, she is mainly remembered for a legend dating back to at least the 13th century, in which she rode naked – covered only by her long hair – through the streets of Coventry to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation that her husband imposed on his tenants.
According to the typical version of the story, Lady Godiva took pity on the people of Coventry, who were suffering grievously under her husband's oppressive taxation. Lady Godiva appealed again and again to her husband, who obstinately refused to lower the taxes. At last, weary of her repeated requests, he said he would grant her request if she would strip naked and ride on a horse through the streets of the town. Lady Godiva took him at his word, and after issuing a proclamation that all persons should stay indoors and shut their windows, she rode through the town, clothed only in her long hair. Just one person in the town, a tailor ever afterwards known as 'Peeping Tom', disobeyed her proclamation in what is the most famous instance of voyeurism. In most versions of the story, Tom is struck blind or dead for his transgression.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Liber Eliensis
- Evesham Chronicle
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- Gesta pontificum anglorum
- Flores Historiarum
- Chronicle of England
- Percy Folio
- Journey from Chester to London
- Godiva (1842)
Notes[]
- The DC superhero [[1]] is named after and inspired by Lady Godiva.