Lady Godiva
Born in 000
In the legend of Lady Godiva she was the wife of the Earl of Coventry who rode through the town naked. This was not mere exhibitionism but an early and innovative form of tax reduction. The story goes that the poor mothers of Coventry came to Lady Godiva with heart rending tales of deprivation. Her husband’s taxes were so high that they couldn’t even afford to buy bread for their children. When Lady Godiva took their case up with the Earl he wouldn’t listen. Lady Godiva pressed him to the extent that she even offered to lay down her life for the breadless children. As a way out the Earl proposed that if she was prepared to ride naked through the town he would remit the taxes.
Lady Godiva took him on. However there were caveats. She made it quite clear that all the locals had to stay indoors and not look out as she rode by. A further safeguard to her modesty, according to some versions of the legend, was that her hair was so long that it covered her entire body down to her knees. So fully covered for any eventuality she set off on her horse and rode the entire length of Coventry high street and back. Surprisingly only one person peeped out to check if she really was naked. This was not a good move as he was struck blind. Also he was referred to ever afterwards as “Peeping Tom”; a high price to pay for some fairly harmless voyeurism. On the other hand the Earl of Coventry kept his word and taxes were considerably reduced.
The legend was probably woven around a Lady Godiva who was the wife of Leofric the Earl of Mercia who lived between 1040 and 1080, similarly generous of heart in that she is known to have endowed religious houses in Stow and Coventry. Her name appears in the Doomsday book but many years before the legend grew up.
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