Godiva (/ɡəˈdaɪvə/; Old English:Godgifu;fl. 1010–1067) was an 11th-century Anglo-Saxon 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 of the oppressive taxation that her husband imposed on his tenants. The name "Peeping Tom" for a voyeur originates from later versions of this legend in which a man named Tom watched her ride and was struck blind or dead.
Historical figure
Godiva was the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia. They had one known son, Aelfgar. The modern era Kingsbury family have claimed descent from Lady Godiva.
Godiva's name occurs in charters and the Domesday survey, though the spelling varies. The Old English name Godgifu or Godgyfu meant "gift of God"; Godiva was the Latinised form. Since the name was a popular one, there are contemporaries of the same name.
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.
Peter and Gordon version
A drastic stylistic shift for Peter and Gordon who had specialized in melancholy love songs, "Lady Godiva" in its music-hall style recalled several Herman's Hermits' hits and also "Winchester Cathedral" by the New Vaudeville Band which was rising up the UK charts when Peter and Gordon recorded "Lady Godiva": eventually "Winchester Cathedral" and "Lady Godiva" would share the US Top Ten with the former succeeding the latter at #1 in Canada. Peter and Gordon's producer John Burgess brought the duo "Lady Godiva" which Burgess had recently produced for the Paul Jones album My Way. Peter Asher, who with Gordon Waller comprised Peter and Gordon, recalls that he [Asher] objected to recording the song with Waller resultantly saying: "It'll be funny [so] shut up". The single was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and reunited Peter and Gordon with Geoff Love who after arranging and conducting the duo's first six singles had sat out their last three A-sides: "Lady Godiva" would be Love's final Peter and Gordon A-side collaboration.
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 criticism mostly focusing on its script and direction. Rob Daniel of Sky Movies wrote that 'all involved should be sent straight to the glue factory', Ellen E Jones of Total Film advised that viewers 'Avoid like you would a naked nutter bouncing down the street', Hannah Forbes Black of Film4 described it as 'relentlessly awful to the point of unintentional comedy, this Godiva would do well to get off the horse and put her clothes back on' and Total Film highlighted 'clunky direction' and a 'hokey script'.
"Spancil Hill" is a song written in a traditional Irish folk style by Michael Considine. It bemoans the plight of the Irish immigrants who so longed for home from their new lives in America, many of whom went to California with the Gold Rush. This song is sung by a man who longs for his home in Spancill Hill, County Clare, his friends and the love he left there. All the characters and places in this song are real.
The History Guy remembers the real Lady Godiva, who may have been a different person than some believe her to be. One of the most famous stories in history might never have happened.
The video includes several artistic renditions of Lady Godiva's ride. None are pornographic, but some include a degree of nudity. These are shown in the context of the discussion of the period and the famous story.
The History Guy uses images that are in the Public Domain. As photographs of actual events are often not available, I will sometimes use photographs of similar events or objects for illustration.
Skip Intro: 00:10
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryGuyYT/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheHistoryGuy
The History Guy: Five Minutes of History is the place to find short snippets o...
published: 06 Mar 2018
The Surprising Story of Lady Godiva
This is one of the enduring legends from the Midlands in England. Lady Godiva, wife of the earl of Mercia choose to fight for the people of Coventry by riding through the town naked. Why? All is explained in the video.
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published: 06 Oct 2022
Lady Godiva - Peter & Gordon
published: 18 May 2010
[4K, 60 fps, colorized] (1902) Lady Godiva procession in Coventry.
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Music: Schumann Op.26
published: 16 Mar 2023
Benny Hill - Lady Godiva (1978)
Lady Godiva is to ride her horse naked.
April 12, 1978
published: 27 Oct 2020
The Lady Godiva (1928) | BFI National Archive
The famous tale of the 11th-century naked noblewoman is brought to life on the picturesque streets of 1920s Coventry.
Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subscribetotheBFI.
The picturesque streets of 1920s Coventry are the backdrop for this recreation of famous folklore - part of a series entitled Ghosts of Yesterday. Lady Godiva supposedly saved the poor from unfair taxation by riding naked on her horse through the city. The film showcases the charm and character of Coventry's medieval architecture and cobbled streets - before the destruction wrought by WWII.
This video is part of the Orphan Works collection. When the rights-holder for a film cannot be found, that film is classified as an Orphan Work. Find out more about Orphan Works: http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/copyright/orphan_works/ind...
published: 27 Nov 2016
Lady Godiva
Provided to YouTube by Parlophone UK
Lady Godiva · Peter And Gordon
The Ultimate Peter And Gordon
℗ 1966 Parlophone Records Ltd, a Warner Music Group Company
Composer: Irving Mills
Composer: Mike Leander
Auto-generated by YouTube.
published: 06 Nov 2014
Peter and Gordon: Lady Godiva- Live.
Peter and Gordon perform their hit "Lady Godiva" live on "The Milton Berle Show" 1967.
The History Guy remembers the real Lady Godiva, who may have been a different person than some believe her to be. One of the most famous stories in history migh...
The History Guy remembers the real Lady Godiva, who may have been a different person than some believe her to be. One of the most famous stories in history might never have happened.
The video includes several artistic renditions of Lady Godiva's ride. None are pornographic, but some include a degree of nudity. These are shown in the context of the discussion of the period and the famous story.
The History Guy uses images that are in the Public Domain. As photographs of actual events are often not available, I will sometimes use photographs of similar events or objects for illustration.
Skip Intro: 00:10
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryGuyYT/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheHistoryGuy
The History Guy: Five Minutes of History is the place to find short snippets of forgotten history from five to fifteen minutes long. If you like history too, this is the channel for you.
Subscribe for more forgotten history: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4sEmXUuWIFlxRIFBRV6VXQ?sub_confirmation=1.
Awesome The History Guy merchandise is available at:
https://teespring.com/stores/the-history-guy
The episode is intended for educational purposes. All events are presented in historical context.
#godiva #thehistoryguy #worldhistory
The History Guy remembers the real Lady Godiva, who may have been a different person than some believe her to be. One of the most famous stories in history might never have happened.
The video includes several artistic renditions of Lady Godiva's ride. None are pornographic, but some include a degree of nudity. These are shown in the context of the discussion of the period and the famous story.
The History Guy uses images that are in the Public Domain. As photographs of actual events are often not available, I will sometimes use photographs of similar events or objects for illustration.
Skip Intro: 00:10
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryGuyYT/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheHistoryGuy
The History Guy: Five Minutes of History is the place to find short snippets of forgotten history from five to fifteen minutes long. If you like history too, this is the channel for you.
Subscribe for more forgotten history: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4sEmXUuWIFlxRIFBRV6VXQ?sub_confirmation=1.
Awesome The History Guy merchandise is available at:
https://teespring.com/stores/the-history-guy
The episode is intended for educational purposes. All events are presented in historical context.
#godiva #thehistoryguy #worldhistory
This is one of the enduring legends from the Midlands in England. Lady Godiva, wife of the earl of Mercia choose to fight for the people of Coventry by riding t...
This is one of the enduring legends from the Midlands in England. Lady Godiva, wife of the earl of Mercia choose to fight for the people of Coventry by riding through the town naked. Why? All is explained in the video.
You can follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories.of.art/
Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Storiesofart/?ref=bookmarks
This is one of the enduring legends from the Midlands in England. Lady Godiva, wife of the earl of Mercia choose to fight for the people of Coventry by riding through the town naked. Why? All is explained in the video.
You can follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories.of.art/
Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Storiesofart/?ref=bookmarks
The famous tale of the 11th-century naked noblewoman is brought to life on the picturesque streets of 1920s Coventry.
Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subscribetotheBF...
The famous tale of the 11th-century naked noblewoman is brought to life on the picturesque streets of 1920s Coventry.
Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subscribetotheBFI.
The picturesque streets of 1920s Coventry are the backdrop for this recreation of famous folklore - part of a series entitled Ghosts of Yesterday. Lady Godiva supposedly saved the poor from unfair taxation by riding naked on her horse through the city. The film showcases the charm and character of Coventry's medieval architecture and cobbled streets - before the destruction wrought by WWII.
This video is part of the Orphan Works collection. When the rights-holder for a film cannot be found, that film is classified as an Orphan Work. Find out more about Orphan Works: http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/copyright/orphan_works/index_en.htm This is in line with the EU Orphan Works Directive of 2012. The results of our search for the rights holder of this film can be found in the EU Orphan Works Database: https://euipo.europa.eu/ohimportal/en/web/observatory/orphan-works-database
Watch more on the BFI Player: http://player.bfi.org.uk/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BFI
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BritishFilmInstitute
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The famous tale of the 11th-century naked noblewoman is brought to life on the picturesque streets of 1920s Coventry.
Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subscribetotheBFI.
The picturesque streets of 1920s Coventry are the backdrop for this recreation of famous folklore - part of a series entitled Ghosts of Yesterday. Lady Godiva supposedly saved the poor from unfair taxation by riding naked on her horse through the city. The film showcases the charm and character of Coventry's medieval architecture and cobbled streets - before the destruction wrought by WWII.
This video is part of the Orphan Works collection. When the rights-holder for a film cannot be found, that film is classified as an Orphan Work. Find out more about Orphan Works: http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/copyright/orphan_works/index_en.htm This is in line with the EU Orphan Works Directive of 2012. The results of our search for the rights holder of this film can be found in the EU Orphan Works Database: https://euipo.europa.eu/ohimportal/en/web/observatory/orphan-works-database
Watch more on the BFI Player: http://player.bfi.org.uk/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BFI
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BritishFilmInstitute
Follow us on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+britishfilminstitute/
Provided to YouTube by Parlophone UK
Lady Godiva · Peter And Gordon
The Ultimate Peter And Gordon
℗ 1966 Parlophone Records Ltd, a Warner Music Group Company...
Provided to YouTube by Parlophone UK
Lady Godiva · Peter And Gordon
The Ultimate Peter And Gordon
℗ 1966 Parlophone Records Ltd, a Warner Music Group Company
Composer: Irving Mills
Composer: Mike Leander
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Provided to YouTube by Parlophone UK
Lady Godiva · Peter And Gordon
The Ultimate Peter And Gordon
℗ 1966 Parlophone Records Ltd, a Warner Music Group Company
Composer: Irving Mills
Composer: Mike Leander
Auto-generated by YouTube.
The History Guy remembers the real Lady Godiva, who may have been a different person than some believe her to be. One of the most famous stories in history might never have happened.
The video includes several artistic renditions of Lady Godiva's ride. None are pornographic, but some include a degree of nudity. These are shown in the context of the discussion of the period and the famous story.
The History Guy uses images that are in the Public Domain. As photographs of actual events are often not available, I will sometimes use photographs of similar events or objects for illustration.
Skip Intro: 00:10
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryGuyYT/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheHistoryGuy
The History Guy: Five Minutes of History is the place to find short snippets of forgotten history from five to fifteen minutes long. If you like history too, this is the channel for you.
Subscribe for more forgotten history: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4sEmXUuWIFlxRIFBRV6VXQ?sub_confirmation=1.
Awesome The History Guy merchandise is available at:
https://teespring.com/stores/the-history-guy
The episode is intended for educational purposes. All events are presented in historical context.
#godiva #thehistoryguy #worldhistory
This is one of the enduring legends from the Midlands in England. Lady Godiva, wife of the earl of Mercia choose to fight for the people of Coventry by riding through the town naked. Why? All is explained in the video.
You can follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories.of.art/
Join me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Storiesofart/?ref=bookmarks
The famous tale of the 11th-century naked noblewoman is brought to life on the picturesque streets of 1920s Coventry.
Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subscribetotheBFI.
The picturesque streets of 1920s Coventry are the backdrop for this recreation of famous folklore - part of a series entitled Ghosts of Yesterday. Lady Godiva supposedly saved the poor from unfair taxation by riding naked on her horse through the city. The film showcases the charm and character of Coventry's medieval architecture and cobbled streets - before the destruction wrought by WWII.
This video is part of the Orphan Works collection. When the rights-holder for a film cannot be found, that film is classified as an Orphan Work. Find out more about Orphan Works: http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/copyright/orphan_works/index_en.htm This is in line with the EU Orphan Works Directive of 2012. The results of our search for the rights holder of this film can be found in the EU Orphan Works Database: https://euipo.europa.eu/ohimportal/en/web/observatory/orphan-works-database
Watch more on the BFI Player: http://player.bfi.org.uk/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BFI
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BritishFilmInstitute
Follow us on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+britishfilminstitute/
Provided to YouTube by Parlophone UK
Lady Godiva · Peter And Gordon
The Ultimate Peter And Gordon
℗ 1966 Parlophone Records Ltd, a Warner Music Group Company
Composer: Irving Mills
Composer: Mike Leander
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Godiva (/ɡəˈdaɪvə/; Old English:Godgifu;fl. 1010–1067) was an 11th-century Anglo-Saxon 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 of the oppressive taxation that her husband imposed on his tenants. The name "Peeping Tom" for a voyeur originates from later versions of this legend in which a man named Tom watched her ride and was struck blind or dead.
Historical figure
Godiva was the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia. They had one known son, Aelfgar. The modern era Kingsbury family have claimed descent from Lady Godiva.
Godiva's name occurs in charters and the Domesday survey, though the spelling varies. The Old English name Godgifu or Godgyfu meant "gift of God"; Godiva was the Latinised form. Since the name was a popular one, there are contemporaries of the same name.
Her name was Lady Godiva A lady so brave and so strong Her husband the Earl of Mercia He treated her terribly wrong She's a lady She's a lady She rode naked on horseback To stop him from his tax increase But people in town closed their curtains Than prison for living in peace *She's a lady She's a lady She's a lady, Lady Godiva The hero of Coventry L-L-Lady Lady Godiva She rode into history Then sneaking a glance through the window Was a guy they called Peeping Tom He caught a glimpse and was blinded Curiosity sometimes is wrong *(repeat) People liked Lady Godiva Respectfully looking away They honoured incredible courage Her legend lives until today