😉 Welcome new and regular readers! Who is Lady Godiva of Coventry? This article will provide a complete answer. Here you can watch a video on this topic.
The Legend of Lady Godiva
There is a myth that Lady Godiva was the beautiful young wife of a count named Leofric, who lived in England. On a vassal city called Coventry, Leofric “hung” unaffordable taxes. Godiva begged her husband to cut them.
One day at a meal, the count said that he would cut taxes if Godiva rides naked on a horse through the streets of the city. He had no doubt that his wife would not do that. But the brave girl still decided on it.
The townspeople, adoring and honoring her for her kind-heartedness, locked the doors of their homes on the appointed day. Nobody left the house. Only one citizen Tom dared to look at the naked from the window – and immediately lost his sight.
So she rode on a horse through the whole city, and no one saw her. Leofric admired his wife’s courage and, keeping his promise, cut taxes.
Myth and reality
Let’s see how this myth corresponds to reality. The biography of Godiva and Leofric can be found in the English annals that have come down to our times.
There is evidence that the count erected a Benedictine monastery in 1043. The small town of Coventry immediately became the fourth largest city in medieval England.
The count donated land and twenty-four villages to the monastery. And his wife gave him an abundance of jewelry, silver and gold. Therefore, the monastery became the richest of all monasteries in England.
Godiva truly believed in God. After the death of her husband, dying, she presented the church with everything that was left to her from Leofric. The graves of the legendary couple are in this monastery.
In 1188, the monk Roger Vendrover spoke about a naked rider for the first time. He lived in the monastery named after Saint Alban. The monk wrote that the historical event took place in the middle of the summer of 1040.
Subsequently, human gossip only supplemented this myth. Later, in the 1057th century, King Edward I decided to figure out what was speculation and what was true. The chronicles were studied. Here’s the result: Since 17, Coventry has not been taxed, although the dates differ by XNUMX years.
The annual holiday of the townspeople
The inhabitants of Coventry in 1678 initiated the annual celebration of Lady Godiva. The event continues to this day. First of all, this is a costume procession. Songs and music are played and fireworks are shown at the end of the day.
Statue of Lady Godiva in Coventry
The people taking part in the procession don the clothes of the XNUMXth century. From the destroyed cathedral, they walk along the road along which a brave girl rode on a horse. The final stage of the celebration is held in the park, near the statue of Lady Godiva.
Early music plays here. The participants of the celebration compete in all kinds of competitions. But the most famous is the competition for the most beautiful “Lady Godiva”. It involves girls dressed in the outfits of ladies of the XNUMXth century. A prerequisite for the competition is long blonde hair.
Near the former city cathedral is a statue – Lady Godiva with flowing hair, riding a horse. A drawing of the statue is also featured on seals belonging to the city council.
Video
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