Lady Godiva should be spanked

18May12
Many Godiva's

A modern take with many Godiva’s

Maureen O'Hara as Lady Godiva

Maureen O’Hara as Lady Godiva

Lady Godiva

Lady Godiva from the 2008 movie

Lady Godiva preparesLady Godiva woodcutWell she probably shouldn’t have been, after all she was just trying to stand up for the people of Coventry and get their taxes cut. Although instead of denouncing the original Peeping Tom, perhaps her husband had wished he had.

This 11th century pre-Norman Saxon lady has entered into folklore as the woman who rode naked through the streets of Coventry, a city in the English Midlands. Every year the city stages a pageant that recreates the famous scene, how faithfully only the scions of Coventry know.

In the 1950s movie, Lady Godiva Rides Again, the 21-year-old winner of the pageant is spanked by her screen father, Stanley Holloway, for taking part and shaming the family.

Arguably more serious movies include the 1955 movie with Maureen O’Hara and the 2008 movie, both pictured above.

Other pictures show various representations over the centuries.



7 Responses to “Lady Godiva should be spanked”

  1. I love that top picture. Riding is such a freeing, wild-making kind of thing to do, when the wind is in your hair and you’re galloping through a meadow. Might as well do it au naturel…maybe that will go on my bucket list.

    • 2 DJ

      I imagine there will be a few Toms on hand when you do. 😉

  2. 3 Wizard Birchwand

    The first lot may be Godivas but they’re no ladies – ladies ride side saddle!

    Back to the livery for a sound spanking then off to the tack-room for an afternoon of saddle soap and elbow grease for them I’m afraid.

  3. 5 Laurel

    You do know the story isn’t true, don’t you? The real lady Godiva had been dead for two centuries before the story first appeared.

    • 6 DJ

      Its a legend so it may well not be true (legends usually owe more to mythology) – but as I understand it there is not universal agreement to which woman was ‘the’ Godiva since that name is a latinised version and several women of the saxon period had Old English variants of the name.

      The three movies mentioned are in fact true although Lady Godiva rides again was known as something bikini or bikin girl in the states.

      Thanks for you input. 😉

  4. Yes, I agree with you 100 %, Lady Godiva should be spanked.In fact she should be ‘horsewhipped’. And I am not ‘horseing around’. either. And that is no ‘horse—-‘, if you know what I mean.


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