According to legend, Leofric, the Anglo-Saxon earl of Mercia, imposed heavy taxes on his subjects. Lady Godiva, his wife, protested the taxes by riding nude on horseback through the town of Coventry, after first proclaiming that all citizens should stay inside. Her long hair modestly covered her nudity.
The legend of "peeping Tom" is that one citizen, a tailor named Tom, dared to view the noblewoman Lady Godiva's ride.
Lady Godiva was a real historical figure; her name appears with her husband's on documents of the time including grants to monasteries. She was, apparently, a generous woman.
But the story of her ride does not appear in any written record we now have, until almost 200 years after it would have happened. The oldest telling is by Roger of Wendover in the Flores Historiarum. Roger alleges that the ride happened in 1057.
A 12th century chronicle by Florence of Worcester mentions Leofric and Godiva but has nothing about such a memorable event.
The legend is considered by most serious scholars as not based on any real historical ride.
Lending strength to that conclusion is that Coventry was only founded in 1043, so by 1057 it's unlikely it would have been large enough for the ride to be as dramatic as it is pictured in the legends.
The story of "peeping Tom" doesn't appear in Roger of Wendover's version; it first appears in the 17th century, a gap of 600 years.
So Lady Godiva's ride likely belongs in the "Just Ain't So Story" category, rather than being historical truth.
I'll still enjoy Godiva chocolate and the song.
More About Myths of Women's History:
- Myths Not History
- Bra Burning
- Lady Godiva's Ride
- Pope Joan
- Betsy Ross and the First American Flag
- Jane Fonda and the POWs
- Hillary and the Black Panthers
- Rule of Thumb for Wife-Beating
- Pocahontas Saving Captain John Smith from Execution
- Join the discussion: What's your favorite Ain't So Story about women's history? Add your two cents
Text copyright © 1999-2009 Jone Johnson Lewis
