"His Majesty...shall suffer death."" This was called the Coventry Act, after Sir John Coventry MP, who had ""had his nose slit to the bone"" by attackers. Some have suggested that the idiom derives from the ostracism that became a fate of legendary Coventry's ""Peeping Tom"". However it is surprising that there is no recorded use between the 1050s (the origin of the tale) and the first possible example suggested by the ""Oxford English Dictionary"", dated 1647. Furthermore, there is no support for this derivation in Brewer's ""Dictionary of Phrase and Fable"" (1981), the ""Oxford English Dictionary"" (1986), or Partridge's ""Dictionary"
"Lady Godiva in popular culture Lady Godiva was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry, in England, covering herself only with her long hair, in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants. Because of the growth of the legend, Lady Godiva has since entered popular culture in a number of countries. The Godiva Procession, a commemoration of the legendary ride, was instituted on 31 May 1678 as part of Coventry fair and was celebrated up to the 1960s. The part of Lady Godiva was"
"whatsoever"". A modified version of the story was given by printer Richard Grafton, later elected MP for Coventry. According to his ""Chronicle of England"" (1569), ""Leofricus"" had already exempted the people of Coventry from ""any maner of Tolle, Except onely of Horses"", so that Godiva (""Godina"" in text) had agreed to the naked ride just to win relief for this horse tax. And as a condition, she required the officials of Coventry to forbid the populace ""upon a great pain"" from watching her, and to shut themselves in and shutter all windows on the day of her ride. Grafton was"
"Godiva Procession The Godiva Procession is an annual procession in the city of Coventry, England, which re-enacts the story of Lady Godiva. They have been held in Coventry since the 17th century. The first written record of the Godiva Processions is in the Coventry City Annals of 1678. These celebrate and re-enact Godiva's legendary naked ride through Coventry, undertaken to persuade her husband to free the people of the city from the burden of oppressive tolls. Although Godiva certainly existed, the historicity of the ride itself is debated. Godiva, or Godgifu, meaning 'God's Gift', was the wife of Leofric, Earl"
"year a lad from the household of James Swinnerton enacted the role of Lady Godiva. The English ""Dictionary of National Biography"" (""D.N.B."") gives a meticulous account of the literary sources. The historian Paul de Rapin (1732) reported the Coventry lore that Lady Godiva performed her ride while ""commanding all Persons to keep within Doors and from their Windows, on pain of Death"" but one man could not refrain from looking and it ""cost him his life""; Rapin further reported that the town commemorates this with a ""Statue of a Man looking out of a Window."" Next, Thomas Pennant in ""Journey"
"Bonnie Godiva created her stage name from a combination of the names of Lady Godiva and Bonnie Elizabeth Parker. In the second episode of season 7 of the television show Charmed, titled ""The Bare Witch Project"", the main characters meet Lady Godiva and protect her from an evil baron. Lady Godiva Godiva, Countess of Mercia (; died between 1066 and 1086), in Old English Godgifu, was an English noblewoman who, according to a legend dating at least to the 13th century, rode naked – covered only in her long hair – through the streets of Coventry to gain a remission"
"from British tradition, King Cole, may have been based on a real figure from Sub-Roman Britain. Many of the tales and pseudo-histories make up part of the wider Matter of Britain, a collection of shared British folklore. Some folk figures are based on semi-historical or historical people whose stories have been passed down the centuries; Lady Godiva for instance was said to have ridden naked on horseback through Coventry, Hereward the Wake was a heroic English figure resisting the Norman invasion, Herne the Hunter is an equestrian ghost associated with Windsor Forest and Great Park (whose tale bears the common"
"white garment similar to a slip today and one which was certainly considered ""underwear"". Thus Godiva might have actually travelled through town as a penitent, in her shift. Godiva's story could have passed into folk history to be recorded in a romanticised version. Another theory has it that Lady Godiva's ""nakedness"" might refer to her riding through the streets stripped of her jewellery, the trademark of her upper class rank. However, these attempts to reconcile known facts with legend are both weak; in the era of the earliest accounts, the word ""naked"" is only known to mean ""without any clothing"
"century, in the ""Flores Historiarum"" and the adaptation of it by Roger of Wendover. Despite its considerable age, it is not regarded as plausible by modern historians, nor is it mentioned in the two centuries intervening between Godiva's death and its first appearance, while her generous donations to the church receive various mentions. According to the typical version of the story, 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"
"2005, Coventry became the first city in the UK to host the International Children's Games and three of the city sports teams won significant honours. The Blaze won the treble consisting of Elite League, playoff and Challenge Cup; the Jets won the BAFL Division 2 championship and were undefeated all season; and the Bees won the Elite League playoffs. Coventry is well known for the legendary 11th century exploits of Lady Godiva who rode through the city naked on horseback in protest at high taxes being levied on the cityfolk by her husband Leofric, Earl of Mercia. The residents of"
"already a woman of high status before marriage and owned much land. Edward the Confessor, who had been crowned king by this time, favoured pious acts of this nature and granted a charter confirming Leofric and Godiva's gift. According to the popular story, Godiva took pity on the people of Coventry, who were suffering grievously under her husband's oppressive taxation. She 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 strip naked and ride through the streets of the"
"in the county named Norton. ""Juxta"" is Latin for ""near"", and Twycross is a small village approximately 2 miles southeast of Norton. The village of Norton is thought to have been founded in the 8th or 9th century by the Anglo-Saxons. The Anglo-Saxon King Æthelred granted the village a charter in 951, referring to it as ""Northton"" The village is listed in the Domesday Book as ""Norton"", and the Lord of the Manor was recorded in both 1066 and 1086 as Countess ""(Lady)"" Godiva, widow of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, famed (legendarily) for riding naked around the streets of Coventry."
"Abbatiae de Evesham"", or ""Evesham Chronicle"", she was buried at the Church of the Blessed Trinity at Evesham, which is no longer standing. According to the account in the ""Oxford Dictionary of National Biography"", ""There is no reason to doubt that she was buried with her husband at Coventry, despite the assertion of the Evesham chronicle that she lay in Holy Trinity, Evesham."" William 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 of the nude ride is first recorded in the 13th"
"Queen"" was led to the sacred Cofa's tree, perhaps to celebrate the renewal of spring. 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. This version is given in ""Flores Historiarum"" by Roger of Wendover (died 1236), a somewhat gullible collector of anecdotes, who quoted from unnamed earlier writers. Other attempts to find a more plausible rationale for the legend include one based on the custom at the time for penitents to make a public procession in their shift, a sleeveless"
"and pseudo-histories make up part of the wider Matter of Britain, a collection of shared British folklore. Some folk figures are based on semi or actual historical people whose story has been passed down centuries; Lady Godiva for instance was said to have ridden naked on horseback through Coventry, Hereward the Wake was a heroic English figure resisting the Norman invasion, Herne the Hunter is an equestrian ghost associated with Windsor Forest and Great Park and Mother Shipton is the archetypal witch. On 5 November people make bonfires, set off fireworks and eat toffee apples in commemoration of the foiling"
"usually played by a scantily clad actress or dancer, and the occasion often attracted controversy. For instance, in 1854, the Bishop of Worcester protested against ""a Birmingham whore being paraded through the streets as Lady Godiva."" These annual processions were enlivened by constant rumours, beforehand, that the girl playing the part of Lady Godiva would actually appear nude, like the original. These hopes were eventually realised in a play staged in 1974, at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, entitled ""The Only True Story of Lady Godiva"", in which Lady Godiva appeared naked, riding a motor bike. The celebration has been revived"
"town. Godiva took him at his word and, after issuing a proclamation that all persons should keep within doors and shut their windows, she rode through the town, clothed only in her long hair. In the end, Godiva's husband keeps his word and abolishes the onerous taxes. However, known facts do not corroborate the legend. Bishop Robert de Limesey transferred his see to Coventry ""c."" 1095, and in 1102 papal authorisation for this move also turned the monastery of St. Mary into a priory ""and"" cathedral. The subsequent rebuilding and expansion of St. Mary's was completed about 125 years later."
"Lady Godiva (film) Lady Godiva is a 2008 British romantic comedy film written and directed by Vicky Jewson. The film, starring Phoebe Thomas, Matthew Chambers, and Natalie Walter, was shot in 2006 but went unreleased for two years. Based on the historic tale of Lady Godiva, it was set in modern-day Oxford. Jemima Honey, a teacher, needs to raise funds for her local creative arts centre. To do so, she accepts the challenge of businessmen and love interest Michael Bartle to ride through the streets of Oxford naked. The film was universally panned by both critics and audiences alike, with"
"illustrating historical and industrial aspects. The organiser, Mr Leonard Turner, obtained 1500 period costumes, for tableaux which included the visit of Henry VII to Coventry in 1500 and a representation of the elephant and castle coat of arms, which included real elephants. The 5-mile-long procession was led by a London student and actress, Ann Wrigg, portraying Lady Godiva, surrounded by the now traditional lines of nuns. During the second half of the 20th century the Godiva aspect was lost and was replaced by Coventry Carnival. With the loss of the large firms and their apprentice schools in Coventry, this carnival"
"Lady Godiva (song) ""Lady Godiva"" is a 1966 single recorded by British pop duo Peter and Gordon. The song is a music-hall style number which frivolously references the legend of Lady Godiva, reimagining the legend in the modern day: a director from Hollywood witnesses her legendary ride (with ""her long blonde hair"" obscuring her breasts and other private parts) and recruits the lady to star in his films, but he turns out to be a director of pornographic films. A drastic stylistic shift for Peter and Gordon who had specialized in melancholy love songs, ""Lady Godiva"" in its music-hall style"
"staff, numerous bands, Companies such as carpenters and blacksmiths, each with their own banners and followers, then the many Benefit Societies, with their bands and followers. Towards the rear came Woolcombers representing the wool trade in the city, together with the mythical Jason with his Golden Fleece and drawn sword. The first procession that encouraged the idea of Godiva riding naked was probably in 1842, when she wore a tight fitting, flesh coloured dress, causing fights among spectators trying to get a better view. By 1845, due to complaints about the procession, the Mayor, William Clark, promised to stop the"
"of Mercia. Apart from references to her donations of land and gifts, there are no mentions to Godiva in contemporary chronicles. The first mention of the ride was over 150 years after her death, and appeared in Wendover's Flores Historiarum in 1190, though this survives only in a fourteenth-century manuscript. In 1217/18 Henry III granted the Charter for the Great Fair in Coventry, the event with which the Godiva Procession came to be associated. The charter stated that the fair was to begin on the feast day of the Holy Trinity, and continue for eight days. Such a fair would"
"a noble English lady who rode naked through the streets of Coventry. The song was covered by The Fatima Mansions as a single. Lady Godiva's Operation ""Lady Godiva's Operation"" is a song by American avant-garde rock band The Velvet Underground, appearing on their second album, ""White Light/White Heat"" (1968). The lyrics of the first half of the song (sung by John Cale) describe Lady Godiva. The lyrics of the second half (sung by Cale alternating with Lou Reed) are full of oblique, deadpan black humor and describe a botched surgical procedure. Cale plays electric viola while lead guitarist Sterling Morrison"
"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 organisations staged an annual ""Godiva Ride"" in which a naked female (or a costumed male) rode a horse across campus. This practice may have declined with the advent of modern feminist attitudes. Several popular songs make contemporary usage of the Lady Godiva image. These include: Lady Godiva in popular culture Lady Godiva was"
"as a military leader: some historians believe Leofric to have been weak in this respect, but others go as far as to give him the title 'Hammer of the Welsh'. On screen, Leofric was portrayed by Roy Travers in the British silent short ""Lady Godiva"" (1928), George Nader in the film ""Lady Godiva of Coventry"" (1955), and Tony Steedman in the BBC TV series ""Hereward the Wake"" (1965). He also may have inspired ""The Last Kingdom"" character, ""Leofric"". Leofric, Earl of Mercia Leofric (died 31 August or 30 September 1057) was an Earl of Mercia. He founded monasteries at Coventry"
"dwindled and eventually ceased. However, in 1997 the Godiva procession was revived and in 2000 Coventry Carnival returned with arts group inspired costumes and tableaux. In 2003 the two combined to become the Godiva Carnival Procession which is associated with the three-day Godiva Festival held in Coventry's War Memorial Park. Godiva Procession The Godiva Procession is an annual procession in the city of Coventry, England, which re-enacts the story of Lady Godiva. They have been held in Coventry since the 17th century. The first written record of the Godiva Processions is in the Coventry City Annals of 1678. These celebrate"
"the Order of The British Empire ""for services to the city of Coventry community and tourism services"". The image of Lady Godiva on horseback is also the corporate symbol of the Coventry Building Society, appearing on letterheads, statements, passbooks and other documents. In 2010 an arts project, ""Godiva Awakes"", involving a 10 metre tall puppet-version of Lady Godiva, powered by 50 bicycles, leading a procession from Coventry to London, was proposed by the independent company Imagineer productions (best known locally for reviving the Coventry Mystery Plays and reimagining the Coventry Carnival as the Godiva Festival). This proposal went on to"
"""My Way"", ""Lady Godiva"" was also recorded by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (""Sounds Like..."") and Young-Holt Unlimited (""On-Stage"") with both the last-named versions being instrumentals. Lady Godiva (song) ""Lady Godiva"" is a 1966 single recorded by British pop duo Peter and Gordon. The song is a music-hall style number which frivolously references the legend of Lady Godiva, reimagining the legend in the modern day: a director from Hollywood witnesses her legendary ride (with ""her long blonde hair"" obscuring her breasts and other private parts) and recruits the lady to star in his films, but he turns out to"
"old lady even received a fat pension. This created a custom that was passed on to all kings, that all can be pardoned after recognizing the error of their ways. The story is based on the Greek mythological tale of Europa and the bull, where the white bull is the king of the Greek gods, Zeus, in disguise. Zeus, the sky and thunder god of the Olympic pantheon, often wore a disguise when romantically pursuing mortal women, so as to avoid the eye of his wife and sister, Hera. The stories of the Greek Olympic pantheon would have been well"
"The Seven Lady Godivas The Seven Lady Godivas: The True Facts Concerning History's Barest Family is a picture book of the tale of Lady Godiva, written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss. One of Seuss's few books written for adults, its original 1939 publication by Random House was a failure and was eventually remaindered. However, it later gained popularity as Seuss himself grew in fame, and was republished in 1987. The book recounts in prose the tale of seven Godiva sisters, none of whom ever wear clothing. The explanation for their nakedness, even when walking in snow, is that ""they were"
"hardly as deliberately erotic. Memling is attributed one other secular nude portrait, in the center panel of his c. 1485 Vanitas allegory ""Triptych of Earthly Vanity and Divine Salvation"", at the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Strasbourg. It shows Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite and later of David, assisted by her maid as she rises from her indoor bath. Bathsheba is naked save a robe which the maid is about to wrap but hasn't quite wrapped around her. The women are indoors but before an open window which leads out to a courtyard and skyscape. The bath from which Bathsheba emerges"
"concern, and there is no surviving record of either its intended owner or function. Alternative suggestions include the bathing Venus or Psyche. Avery suggests a now lost ancient metal statue of Venus bathing as a possible source, one he identifies is a drawing showing three points of view of a now lost Roman statue, made by Maarten van Heemskerck during a visit to Rome around 1535. In this lost work, the figure stands on her right leg, and is largely supported by her left buttock which rests on a pedestal. Similar to Giambologna's figure, this woman also bends forward to"
"Dame Goodyver's Daye in Coventry, England, where a procession through the city's streets includes her representing Lady Godiva riding a horse commented ""I think it's very sad. Godiva was a great woman who challenged her husband to stop the terrible things that were happening to the people. I'm sure Lady Godiva wouldn't care for a company which seems to be taking something that wasn't theirs originally and wants to use it for themselves and nobody else. It's about our rich heritage. I would say it's morally wrong"". Godiva Chocolatier Godiva Chocolatier (pronounced ""guh-DIE-va"") is a Belgian manufacturer of chocolates and"