The Historical Lady Godiva

The Lady Godiva Legend

The earliest surviving primary source for the legend of Lady Godiva’s famous nude ride on horse back is the chronicle of Roger of Wendover, Flores History, written 1236. According to him, the countess pleaded with her husband to lower the heavy taxes he had imposed on the people of Coventry; Annoyed with her persistent appeals, he eventually agreed to accept her demands if she would ride naked through the streets of the town.

As a virtuous, respectable lady, she was horrified at the suggestion but the fact that she did as her husband told her showed the level of compassion she had for the people. So the legend goes, she ordered everybody to stay in their houses and shut all their windows and doors. She then loosened her hair to cover her body and mounted her horse.

Out of respect, all but one of the citizens obeyed her command. A man by the name of Tom could not resist a peep at the Countess, (giving us the term peeping Tom) but as he looked at her, he was struck blind. After completing her journey, her husband lived up to his word and abolished all taxes in the town except for those on horses.

Image Source

The Historical Lady Godiva

There is in fact, no evidence that connects the legendary event with the historical figure of Lady Godiva. If such an event actually occurred it would seem likely that it would have been mentioned in contemporary sources but as the first mention of the ride through Coventry was written over two hundred years later, it seems unlikely that there is any truth in it.

Born in the latter half on the eleventh century, Lady Godiva was an extremely powerful woman although not much is known about her. She owned land in several areas including Coventry, Gloucestershire and her largest holding in Nottinghamshire. She was described by chronicler Ingulphus as, “the most beauteous of all women of her time” and is believed to have had two husbands, the first dying around 1028.

Her second husband, Leofric ‘the Grim’, was a powerful man; he held the Earldom of Mercer and was the Lord of Coventry. He was one of the most trusted men of King Cnut and later kings including Edward ‘the Confessor’, who it was said he saw a joint vision of Christ reflected in a mirror which was being held by the chaplain of the Chapel of Our Lady at Westminster.

After surviving a life threatening illness, Godiva became devoutly religious and would through her life help many churches throughout her land. In 1043, she founded a monastery along with her husband and the site was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, St. Peter, St. Osburg and All Saints, by Esdi, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Remains of St Mary's Cathedral. Image source

The Countess is said to have had all her gold and silver melted down and made into images of saints, crosses and other decorations for the use of the order. Leofric died in 1057 and Lady Godiva ten years later. Before her death, she witnessed the Norman invasion of 1066 and like most Anglo-Saxon land owners, lost most of her land, though she remained a wealthy woman and kept much of her possessions in Warwickshire. Both are said to be buried in the Abby church they founded.

Sources:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/anglo_saxons/godiva_01.shtml

http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/articles/Penn/history/Godiva.htm