Lady Godiva

Lady Godiva was a noblewoman from 10th century Mercia known historically for her generous donations to the church. She is mostly remembered for a legend in which she rode on horseback naked through the streets of Coventry in response to high taxes placed on its citizens by her husband, the Earl of Mercia. Townspeople were told to stay indoors and close their shutters during this ride, but a man purportedly went blind when stealing a peak, which is where the term "peeping Tom" is said to have come from.
Her story is remembered through depictions in statues, on currency, and in artwork, perhaps most famously by John Collier in 1897. In written works, she has been written about in poems, an illustrated story by Dr. Seuss, a 1907 concert overture by Czech composer Vítězslav Novák, and mentioned in songs by Velvet Underground and Queen. She has featured in several films, perhaps most notably played by Maureen O'Hara in the 1955 Universal Pictures film. Her fame extended to the theme song to the Norman Lear sitcom Maude, mentioned as an early feminist pioneer (along with Joan of Arc).
==References==
* Scooter informs Miss Piggy in the November 23, 1983 edition of The Muppets comic strip that Kermit has allowed her to keep the wardrobe for tonight's skit. Piggy is delighted, and asks what the "Lady Godiva" skit is about.
* The Mondo Muppet section of the Fall 1985 issue of Muppet Magazine includes a feature called "Great Moments in Hair History." An excerpt of John Collier's "Lady Godiva" painting accompanies a short column about how "her knee-length hair covered most of the naked (!) truth."
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Category:Historical References