Lady Godiva

Started in July of 2007, she is finally finished.

The pattern is a detail adapted from the painting "Lady Godiva" by John Collier.

Here is her story (courtesy of Jennifer at GoldenKite.com Thank you, Jennifer!)

Godiva was the wife of Earl Leofric, a powerful Lord during the reign of the Dane Canute around 1050 AD. Leofric had raised the taxes on the people of Coventry to an unbearable level. When Godiva asked him to repeal them saying that they were too harsh, he laughingly said that he would do so when she rode naked on a horse through the town. One can only imagine his surprise when she did so, covered by nothing more than her long golden hair.

The people of Coventry out of gratitude, and to spare the Lady any shame, stayed indoors with their windows shut. All but one that is – a tailor who has become known as “Peeping Tom” dared to look out and was struck blind by God for his audacity.

Leofric kept his word and repealed the taxes.

This is the legend. But did it actually happen? There was indeed an Earl Leofric and his wife, a Lady Godgifu (meaning “God’s gift” in Saxon) in Coventry at that time. He was a Danish Lord (the King of England at that time was in fact a Dane, Canute).

She was a Saxon and a landowner in her own right and is recorded in the Domesday book (1086) as having lands in Leicestershire, Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire.

The fact that her lands are still her own at this time, when so many lands had been redistributed by William the Conquerer after the Norman Invasion can be seen a sign of the lady’s popularity (indeed those of her grandchildren had been confiscated).

Contemporary historians only mention her as the wife Earl Leofric, nothing is said of her ride. Documents show that Leofric and Godiva were great benefactors of the Church and endowed an abbey in Coventry for the education of the clergy.

The first mention of the ride is by a monk and chronicler at the Benedictine Abbey of St. Albans, Roger of Wendover, He has this to say:

“The Countess Godiva, who was a great lover of God's mother, longing to free the town of Coventry from the oppression of a heavy toll, often with urgent prayers besought her husband that,

from regard to Jesus Christ and his mother, he would free the town from that service and from all other heavy burdens; and when the Earl sharply rebuked her for foolishly asking what was so much to his damage,

and always forbade her evermore to speak to him on the subject; and while she, on the other hand, with a woman's pertinacity, never ceased to exasperate her husband on that matter,

he at last made her this answer: "Mount your horse and ride naked, before all the people, through the market of this town from one end to the other, and on your return you shall have your request.”

On which Godiva replied,

“But will you give me permission if I am willing to do it?”

“I will,” said he.

“Whereupon the Countess, beloved of God, loosed her hair and let down her tresses, which covered the whole of her body like a veil,

and then, mounting her horse and attended by two knights, she rode through the marketplace without being seen, except her fair legs,

and having completed the journey, she returned with gladness to her astonished husband and obtained of him what she had asked,

for Earl Leofric freed the town of Coventry and its inhabitants from the aforesaid service, and confirmed what he had done by a charter.”

Chronica, Roger of Wendover , listed under the year 1057