Godiva (/ɡ??da?v?/; Old English: Godgifu;[1]fl. 1010–1067) was an 11th-century Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to a legend dating back at least to the 13th century, rode naked – only covered in her long hair – through the streets of Coventry in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants. The name "Peeping Tom" for a voyeur originates from later versions of this legend in which a man named Tom had watched her ride and was struck blind or dead.
The Honourable John Maler CollierOBERPROI (27 January 1850 – 11 April 1934) was a leading English artist, and an author.[1] He painted in the Pre-Raphaelite style, and was one of the most prominent portrait painters of his generation. Both his marriages were to daughters of Thomas Henry Huxley. He studied painting at the Munich Academy where he enrolled on 14 April 1875 (Register: 3145) at the age of 25.
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678 † 1741) Picture : Lady Godiva by John Collier Opera Arias Airs d'opéra Opernarien Philippe Jaroussky countertenor ENSEMBLE MATHEUS Jean-Christophe Spinosi violin & direction
传说
依据传说,戈黛娃夫人是麦西亚伯爵利奥弗里克(Leofric, Earl of Mercia)美丽的妻子。当时利奥夫里克对考文垂市民们强加重税,戈黛娃夫人不断的向丈夫求情希望减免税收,但都被他顽固的拒绝了。最后,利奥夫里克对妻子不断的求情感到厌烦,宣称只要她能裸体骑马绕行市内的街道,他便愿意减免税收。戈黛娃夫人果真照着他的话去做,向全市宣告命令所有人躲在屋内并拉下窗户后,她赤身裸体、只披着一头长发骑马绕行街道。有一名裁缝师Tom违反了命令,在窗子上凿了一个小洞偷窥,接着他的双眼便瞎掉了,这个人后来成了英语偷窥狂(Peeping Tom)一词的由来。之后戈黛娃的丈夫遵守诺言,赦免了繁重的税赋。
另一个最老的故事版本,则是戈黛娃在如往常一般人潮众多时绕行市场的街道,两名骑马的妇女(穿着衣服)伴随着她。这个版本见于编年史家Roger of Wendover(死于1236年)所记载的Flores Historiarum一书里,他引述了较早的一些纪录,但Roger本人所收集的轶闻通常不太可信。这个版本中有关偷窥者Tom的记载首次在17世纪出现。究竟这个故事中的戈黛娃夫人是称为Godiva还是Godgifu(“gift of God”上帝的礼物)在历史上仍是未知数。
Roger of Wendover对于戈黛娃夫人时代的妇女权力和权利可能并不了解,当时戈黛娃所属的家族在英国是第二富有的——仅次于戈徳温(Godwins)家族——同时末日审判书中也记载了她当时拥有统治考文垂的权利。她可能继承了许多丈夫的土地,同时她也拥有自己的土地。许多学者还推测她同样是个严酷的地主。