Godiva (or Godgifu) (c. 990? – September 10, 1067) was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry in England in order to gain a remission of the oppressive toll imposed by her husband on his tenants.

The historical figure

Godiva was the wife of Leofric (968 – 1057), Earl of Mercia. Her name occurs in charters and the Domesday survey, though the spelling varies. The Anglo-Saxon name Godgifu or Godgyfu meant "gift of God"; Godiva was the Latinised version. Since the name was a popular one, there are contemporaries of the same name and care should be taken not to confuse them."Lady Godiva, the book, and Washingborough", Lincolnshire Past and Present, 12 (1993), pp.9-10.

It also appear from the chronicles of Ely, Liber Eliensis (end of 12th century), that she was a widow when Leofric married her. Both Leofric and Godiva were generous benefactors to religious houses. In 1043 Leofric founded and endowed a Benedictine monastery at Coventry.Anglo-Saxons.net, S 1226 Writing in the 12th century, Roger of Wendover credits Godiva as the persuasive force behind this act. In the 1050s, her name is coupled with that of her husband on a grant of land to the monastery of St Mary, Worcester and the endowment of the minster at Stow St Mary, Lincolnshire.Anglo-Saxons.net, S 1232Anglo-Saxons.net, S 1478 She and her husband are commemorated as benefactors of other monasteries at Leominster, Chester, Much Wenlock and Evesham.The Chronicle of John of Worcester ed. and trans. R.R. Darlington, P. McGurk and J. Bray (Clarendon Press: Oxford 1995), pp.582-583

Her mark, "di Ego Godiva Comitissa diu istud desideravi", appears on a charter purportedly given by Thorold of Bucknall to the Benedictine monastery of Spalding. However, this charter is considered spurious by many historians.Anglo-Saxons.net, S 1230 Even so, some genealogists have argued that Thorold, who appears in the Domesday Book as sheriff of Lincolnshire, was probably her brother.

At Leofric's death in 1057, his widow lived on until after the Norman Conquest. She appears in the Domesday survey as one of the few Anglo-Saxons and the only woman to remain a major landholder after the conquest. By the time of this great survey in 1086, Godiva had died, but her former lands are listed.K.S.B.Keats-Rohan, Domesday People: A prosopography of persons occurring in English documents 1066-1166, vol.1: Domesday (Boydell Press: Woodbridge, Suffolk 1999), p.218 It appears that she died between 1066 and 1086. Some sources maintain that she died on September 10, 1067."A History of Penn and its People", Wolverhampton History & Heritage Society

The place where Godiva was buried is a matter of debate. According to one source, she was probably buried at the Church of the Blessed Trinity at Evesham,"Countess Godiva", Cecilia Parsons, 1999, 2000, revised by John Collier, 2004, which is no longer standing. However the novelist Octavia Randolph says that Godiva was buried next to her husband at the priory church in Coventry."The Historical Godiva", Octavia Randolph

Dugdale (1656) says that a window with representations of Leofric and Godiva was placed in Trinity Church, Coventry, about the time of Richard II.

The legend

According to the popular story, the beautiful 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 remit the tolls. At last, weary of her entreaties, he said he would grant her request if she would ride naked through the streets of the town. Lady Godiva took him at his word and, after issuing a proclamation that all persons should keep within doors or shut their windows, she rode through, clothed only in her long hair. Only one person in the town, a tailor ever afterwards known as Peeping Tom, disobeyed her proclamation in the first instance of voyeurism.Lady Godiva, Historic-UK.com In the story, Tom bores a hole in his shutters so that he might see Godiva pass, and is struck blind."The Historical Godiva", Octavia Randolph In the end, Godiva's husband keeps his word and abolishes the onerous taxes.

The oldest form of the legend has Godiva passing through Coventry market from one end to the other while the people were assembled, attended only by two knights."Lady Godiva (Godgifu)", Flowers of History, University of California San Francisco This version is given in Flores Historiarum by Roger of Wendover (died 1236), a somewhat gullible collector of anecdotes, who quoted from an earlier writer. The still later story, with its episode of "Peeping Tom", appeared first among 17th century chroniclers.

At the time, it was customary for penitents to make a public procession in only their shift — a sleeveless white garment similar to a slip today and one which was certainly considered "underwear". Thus, scholars speculate, Godiva may have actually traveled through town as a penitent, humiliated in her shift. Godiva's story may have passed into folk history to be recorded in a romanticized version.

Another theory has it that Lady Godiva's "nakedness" may refer to her riding through the streets stripped of her jewelery, the trademark of her upper class rank. However, there is no trace of the story in sources contemporary with Godiva. Thus, it remains doubtful as to whether there is any historical basis for the famous ride.

Like the story of Peeping Tom, the claim that Godiva's long hair effectively hid her from sight is generally believed to have been a later addition (Compare Rapunzel). Certain other thematic elements are familiar in myth and fable: the resistant Lord (Esther and Ahasuerus), the exacted promise, the stringent condition and the test of chastity. Even if Peeping Tom is a late addition, his being struck blind demonstrates the closely knit themes of the violated mystery and the punished intruder (compare Diana and Actaeon).

Popular culture

The Godiva procession — a commemoration of the legendary ride instituted on May 31, 1678, as part of Coventry fair — was celebrated at intervals until 1826. From 1848 to 1887, it was revived and continued into the 21st century.

The wooden effigy of Peeping Tom which, since 1812, has looked out on the world from a house at the northwest corner of Hertford Street, Coventry, represents a man in armour and was probably an image of Saint George. It was removed from another part of the town to its present position.

From the mid 1980s a Coventry resident, Pru Porretta, has adopted a Lady Godiva role to promote community events and good works in the city. In 1999 Coventry councillors considered eliminating Poretta's character from the city's public identity."Don't Drop Lady Godiva", Coventry & Warwickshire News, 15 November 1999 As of 2005, Porretta retains the status of Coventry's unofficial ambassador.

Godiva was immortalized anew in the poem Godiva by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

Engineering mascot

In many university engineering faculties, military engineering corps and other engineering organizations, Lady Godiva is regarded as a mascot and called the "Patron Saint of Engineers" or "Goddess of Engineering". The origin is unclear, although it probably developed in Britain, where several early engineering schools were founded during the industrial revolution. The practice migrated to North America through Canadian schools, such as the University of Toronto which today holds an annual "Godiva Week" in January consisting of events intended to engender school spirit. By the mid-20th century, the practice of engineering organizations associating themselves with Lady Godiva was well established in the United States.

A particular tradition associated with this is that of drinking songs, which make reference to Lady Godiva, particularly Godiva's Hymn.

Historically, certain college organizations staged an annual "Godiva Ride". where a naked female (or a costumed male) rode a horse across campus.Facts, figures, myths, oddities, people, places and traditions that help define the University of Alberta, Charlene Rooke and Rick Pilger, University of Alberta New Trail Magazine, November 1998 This practice declined with the advent of modern feminist attitudes and the École Polytechnique Massacre."Students scrutinize Lady Godiva ride", CBC Archives, Feb 4, 1990

Music

Several popular songs make contemporary usage of the Lady Godiva image. These include The Velvet Underground's "Lady Godiva's Operation" on their 1968 LP, White Light/White Heat, referring to a transwoman who dies at the hands of her surgeons during a sexual reassignment gone wrong. Peter and Gordon's "Lady Godiva" (1966) is about a woman who becomes involved in a burlesque show. Lady Godiva is also mentioned in the rock band Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now", from their 1978 album, Jazz: "I'm a racing car / Passing by like Lady Godiva / I'm gonna go go go / There's no stopping me". Grant Lee Buffalo wrote a song entitled 'Lady Godiva and Me', including references to Peeping Tom, which featured on their 1994 album, Mighty Joe Moon. She is also the title character in the Simply Red song 'Lady Godivas' Room', although this song does not refer to the legendary character other than as part of the title. She is also mentioned in the Peter Gabriel song "Modern Love" off his self-titled first album: "for lady godiva i came incognito, but her driver had stolen her red hot magneto". Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show also recorded a song "Hey, Lady Godiva".

Television

• One reference to Lady Godiva on television is in the Charmed episode "The Bare Witch Project" 7, Episode 2, where one of the students in Magic School accidentally conjured Lady Godiva along with Lord Dyson out of a history book.

• In an episode of the British comedy series Dad's Army, women in the town compete for the part of Lady Godiva in a recreation the town stages.

• Lady Godiva is referenced in the theme song of 70s TV show, Maude.

• Patty and Selma Bouvier from the TV series The Simpsons ride through the town naked on a donkey during a town celebration of doing whatever one wants to do as a possible allusion to the story of Godiva.

• In one episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will makes a reference to Lady Godiva when he is tempted to be unfaithful to his fiance, and says that if Lady Godiva rode by, he wouldn't be able to contain himself.

Film

From the movie Tillie and Gus (1933):

Tom (Clifford Jones): That ferryboat race was the world's biggest gamble!

Gus (W.C. Fields): Well, don't forget... Lady Godiva put everything she had on a horse!

Additionally, a 1949 short film called "The Ghost Talks", starring the (post-Curly Howard's retirement) "Three Stooges", included one of the boys playing Peeping Tom in an unexceptional slapstick send-up of the Lady Godiva legend, inspired by an encounter between the stooges and a haunted, empty suit of armor occupied by Tom's spirit. The film changes key elements of the legend, eliminating Tom's blindness as his penalty and inventing a relationship between the tailor and the Lady. The Stooges act out the ghost's narrative of the events of the famous day in costumes based on the clothing of a period many years later than the life of the historic Godiva.

Notes