Author Identifier (ORCID)
Elizabeth Reid Boyd: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1374-5960
Abstract
The legend of Lady Godiva, who famously rode naked through the streets of Coventry, veiled only by her long, flowing hair, has endured for centuries as a symbol of protest, sacrifice, and spectacle. According to the most popular version of the tale, Godiva pleaded with her husband, Lord Leofric of Mercia, to lift an oppressive tax that threatened to impoverish the people of Coventry. In response, Leofric issued a provocative challenge: he would revoke the tax only if she rode unclothed through the town. Godiva accepted, and in a gesture of defiance and compassion, undertook the ride. The townspeople, out of respect, are said to have shuttered their windows except for one man, later dubbed ‘Peeping Tom,’ who was struck blind for his voyeurism. In some versions, Leofric, moved by her courage, kept his word and abolished the tax. Godiva’s story survives in a rich blend of history, folklore, and myth. Over time, she has been cast variously as goddess, martyr, sinner, and saint. While some historians dismiss the ride as apocryphal (Donoghue 3), there is no doubt that Lady Godiva was a real figure who lived in eleventh-century Anglo-Saxon England (Donoghue 5). Regardless of historical accuracy, her legend continues to captivate and inspire. This article begins by exploring key definitions of fandom, followed by a brief herstory of the historical Godiva. It then examines the Godiva legend as a form of fan-history, with particular attention to its intersections with feminist activism. By tracing how Godiva has been reimagined across time, I argue that her legacy offers a compelling lens through which to view participatory culture, feminist resistance, and the politics of storytelling.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
5-28-2025
Publication Title
M/C Journal
Publisher
Queensland University of Technology
School
School of Arts and Humanities
RAS ID
82745
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Comments
Boyd, E. R. (2025). Like Lady Godiva: Godiva’s fandom from fiction to activism. M/C Journal, 28(3). https://doi.org/10.5204/mcj.3161