Lady Godivas Famous Ride Through Coventry

According to legend, Leofric, the Anglo-Saxon Earl of Mercia, imposed heavy taxes on those who lived on his lands. Lady Godiva, his wife, tried to persuade him to remove the taxes, which caused suffering.  He refused to remit them, finally telling her that he would if she would ride  nude on horseback through the streets of the town of Coventry. Of course, he first proclaimed that all citizens should stay inside and close the shutters over their windows. According to the legend, her long hair modestly covered her nudity. Godiva, with that spelling, is the Roman version of the Old English name Godgifu or Godgyfu, meaning gift of God. The term peeping Tom supposedly begins with part of this story, too.  The story is that one citizen, a tailor named Tom, dared to view the noblewoman Lady Godivas nude ride. He made a small hole in his shutters.  So peeping Tom was applied after that to any man who snuck a peek at a naked woman, usually through a small hole in a fence or wall. How true is this story?  Is it a total myth? Exaggeration of something that really happened?  Like much that happened that long ago, the answer is not completely known, since there were not detailed historical records kept. What we do know:  Lady Godiva was a real historical figure. Her name appears with Leofrics, her husbands, on documents of the time.  Her signature appears with documents making grants to monasteries. She was, apparently, a generous woman. She is also mentioned in an 11th-century book as the only major female landowner after the Norman conquest.  So she seems to have had some power, even in widowhood. But the famous nude ride?  The story of her ride does not appear in any written record we now have, until almost 200 years after it would have happened. The oldest telling is by Roger of Wendover in the Flores Historiarum. Roger alleges that the ride happened in 1057. A 12th-century chronicle credited to the monk Florence of Worcester mentions Leofric and Godiva.  But that document has nothing about such a memorable event.  (Not to mention that most scholars today ascribe the chronicle to a fellow monk named John, though Florence may have been an influence or contributor.) In the 16th century, Protestant printer Richard Grafton of Coventry told another version of the story, considerably cleaned up, and focused on a horse tax.  A ballad of the late 17th century follows this version. Some scholars, finding little evidence of the truth of the story as it has generally been told, have offered other explanations: she rode not naked but in her underwear. Such public processions to show penitence were known at the time.  Another explanation offered is that perhaps she rode through town as a peasant might, without her jewelry that marked her as a wealthy woman. But the word used in the earliest chronicles is one used for being without any clothing at all, not just without outer clothing, or without jewelry. Most serious scholars agree: the story of the ride is not history, but myth or legend. Theres no reliable historical evidence from anywhere near the time, and that histories nearer the time have no mention of the ride adds credence to this conclusion. Lending strength to that conclusion is that Coventry was only founded in 1043, so by 1057, its unlikely it would have been large enough for the ride to be as dramatic as it is pictured in the legends. The story of peeping Tom doesnt even appear in Roger of Wendovers version 200 years after the ride supposedly happened. It first appears in the 18th century, a gap of 700 years, though there are claims of it appearing in 17th-century sources which have not been found.  Chances are the term was already in use, and the legend was made up as a good backstory.  Tom was, as in the phrase every Tom, Dick, and Harry, probably just a stand-in for any man, in making a general category of men who violated a womans privacy by observing her through a hole in a wall.  Furthermore, Tom isnt even a typical Anglo-Saxon name, so this part of the story likely comes from far later than the time of Godiva. So heres the conclusion: Lady Godivas ride likely belongs in the Just Aint So Story category, rather than being historical truth.  If you disagree: wheres the near-contemporary evidence? About Lady Godiva Dates:  born possibly about 1010, died between 1066 and 1086Occupation:  noblewomanKnown for:  legendary naked ride through CoventryAlso known as:  Godgyfu, Godgifu (means gift of God) Marriage, Children Husband: Leofric, Earl of MerciaChildren:Godiva was probably the mother of Leofrics son, Aelfgar of Mercia, married to Aelgifu.Children of Aelfgar and Aelfgifu included Edith of Mercia (Ealdgyth) who married Gruffydd ap Llewellyn and Harold II (Harold Godwinson) of England. More About Lady Godiva We know very little about Lady Godivas real history. She is mentioned in some contemporary or near-contemporary sources as the wife of the earl of Mercia, Leofric. A twelfth-century chronicle says that Lady Godiva was a widow when she married Leofric. Her name appears with her husbands in connection with donations to a number of monasteries, so she was likely known for her generosity by contemporaries. Lady Godiva is mentioned in the Domesday book as being alive after the Norman conquest (1066) as the only major woman to hold land after the conquest, but by the time of the books writing (1086) she had died.

1984 vs. Fahrenheit 451 - 2544 Words

1984 vs. Fahrenheit 451 â€Å"Do you begin to see, then what kind of world we are creating? It is the exact opposite of the stupid hedonistic Utopias†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Orwell 267). 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 are both dystopias, although in each society, the government tells the citizens that it is a utopia. A dystopia is, â€Å"An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression or terror† (â€Å"dystopia†). On the other hand, a utopia is described as, â€Å"An ideally perfect place, especially in its social, political, and moral aspects† (â€Å"utopia†). There are many similarities between the society in 1984 and the society in Fahrenheit 451, as well as many differences. The most obvious characteristics of a†¦show more content†¦In order to be a dystopia, there is normally some kind of constant surveillance within the society. 1984 has telescreens that watch them all the time. Orwell explains h ow technology has only made life worse for the citizens: In the past no government had the power to keep its citizens under constant surveillance. The invention of technology, however, made it easier to manipulate public opinion, and the film and the radio carried the process further. With the development of television, and the technical advance which made it possible to receive and transmit simultaneously on the same instrument, private life came to an end. (Orwell 205) The people of this society are being watch during all hours. They aren’t even allowed to have private thoughts because the Thought Police are always around and know what you are thinking. In Fahrenheit 451, there are no machines watching one’s every action, but there is many people living in the society. In fact Montag says, â€Å"There are billions of us and that’s too many† (Bradbury 16). With so many citizens, there is little room for privacy. It is also extremely hard to trust people; Montag’s own wife turned him in. Also, the Mechanical Hound is very sneaky and is always on the lookout. â€Å"The Mechanical Hound never fails. Never since its first use in tracking quarry has this incredible invention let us down† (Bradbury 133). When Montag brought outShow MoreRelatedFahrenheit 451 Vs. 1984970 Words   |  4 PagesFahrenheit 451 vs. 1984 Ray Bradbury and George Orwell share a very similar theme in their two novels, Fahrenheit 451 and 1984. Winston Smith and Guy Montag work within an authoritarian organization, in which, they have opposing views of the authority. The novels are placed in a dystopian setting that the authority believes is a utopia. The dystopian fictions both have very similar predictions of the future. The predictions from these novels have not happened. However, it could be a short matterRead More Character Comparisons of Winston vs. Guy in Fahrenheit 451 and 1984882 Words   |  4 PagesWinston Smith vs. Guy Montag The two protagonists in Fahrenheit 451 and 1984 both started out somewhere, following the rules and doing what they were told, and towards the end of the book you see them change and become completely different people. In 1984, the reader experiences a nightmarish world that Orwell imagines through the eyes of the protagonist, Winston Smith. In Fahrenheit 451, the protagonist, Guy Montag is on a desperate search to find and understand his own life and purpose. TheseRead MoreThe Depiction Of Society In Bradburys Fahrenheit 4511335 Words   |  6 PagesDepiction of the Future Within the novels Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, and 1984 the authors depict what they imagine the future will be like. Society today is corrupted by advanced technology, plagued by censorship, and intimate communication has been shattered. Although each novel has something comparable to today’s society, Bradbury’s depiction of society in Fahrenheit 451 is very comparable to America today. The society in the novel Fahrenheit 451 uses censorship to eliminate one’s feelingRead MoreAnalysis Of Salinger s The Catcher Rye 3756 Words   |  16 PagesSummer Reading-TASIS 2014 Rising 9th Grade Mainstream English The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and Fahrenheit 541 by Ray Bradbury Please write a typed or handwritten response (200 words each in the language relevant to your course) to each of the following prompts on each of the works assigned for the course(s) you will be taking in 2014-2015: The Catcher in the Rye Initial Understanding: What are your thoughts and questions about the story? You might reflect upon characters, theirRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pages269 United Chemical Company 269 Byron vs. Thomas 271 Active Listening Exercise 272 SKILL APPLICATION 274 Activities for Communicating Supportively Suggested Assignments 274 Application Plan and Evaluation 274 274 SCORING KEYS AND COMPARISON DATA 276 Communicating Supportively 276 Scoring Key 276 Comparison Data 276 Communication Styles 276 Comparison Data 276 SKILL PRACTICE Diagnosing Problems and Fostering Understanding: United Chemical Company and Byron vs. Thomas 278 Observer’s Feedback FormRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pages.............................................................................. 299 CHAPTER 10 Deductive Reasoning .......................................................................................... 312 x Implying with Certainty vs. with Probability ................................................................................ 312 Distinguishing Deduction from Induction ..................................................................................... 319 Review of MajorRead More_x000C_Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis355457 Words   |  1422 Pagesdetermining how student performance on a ï ¬ rstsemester calculus exam is affected by room temperature. There are four sections of calculus being offered in the fall semester. We might design an experiment in this way: Set the room temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit) to 65 in two of the rooms and to 75 in the other two rooms on test day, and then compare the exam scores for the 65 group and the 75 group. Suppose that the average exam score for the students in the 65 group was noticeably higher than the average

Allegory or Reflective Metamorphic Essay on What Ways I am a Prisoner Free Essays

Waking up in the morning is may be the easiest part of my day. Going through the whole day, every day of my life is the hardest. This is the life of a prisoner, but I am not the typical behind-the-bars crook; I am a prisoner of my own life, with just a peephole as my only chance of escape. We will write a custom essay sample on Allegory or Reflective Metamorphic Essay on What Ways I am a Prisoner or any similar topic only for you Order Now It’s not that I hate my life or people around me, it’s just that, I think I could be more than what I am today, that continuing this kid of life that I have is like wasting precious sands of the hour glass. This is not some wild imagination, not just some long shot hope, for I am now creating away out of this prison, making the peephole wider, so that my body could go through. I am currently employed full time, living a life with my family of three kids, one is 8 years old, another 2 years old, and the youngest is just 10 months old. I can say that I can go by everyday with what I do for a living, but still, there are some things missing in my life. I can feel it – even though I can’t see it, I know that it does exist. That’s the point where I realized that I am living my life in prison. Something is hindering me from freedom, from fully discovering myself and my potentials. Even though I have a happy family, it is like its being overshadowed by that desire to break free from prison. A life in prison for me is a typical day doing the same things over and over again. I wake up; spend a little time with my beloved family, and eventually spending the biggest chunk of my day at the work place. Sometimes, I ask myself, does everyone feel like this. Am I supposed to be doing the same things over and over again, spending my time alone, away from my family in order to make some money? I kept asking this question for so many times, but still, the answer just won’t pop in my head. What do I need to do? I feel like I am behind the cold steel bars, locked up away from the real world, forced to live a life under a routine, doing the same things over and over again for so many days. Not a day was different, with no means of escape, no way to fight for my way out. I was living a life of a free man struggling to be freed from an unknown prison which only he knows about it. By the end of the day, I am exhausted, drained to the bones. I can’t spend more time with my family because I have to sleep in order to wake up early for tomorrow’s work. I wanted to spend more time with them, but I can’t; I think this is a consequence of being a prisoner (Anonymous). You can’t decide on the things you really want to do. You have to go by the routine, or else you’ll suffer. For me, suffering is hard because it will not be felt by me alone. It will also affect my family, my loved ones, because they depend on me for sustenance so that they could grow into healthy, normal, free people. I think about them so much, and then I realize that I can’t stop now. I shouldn’t be selfish; if I only think about myself, then my family will suffer. I think a lot, maybe this is what prisoners do with their spare time. Unfortunately, thinking a lot also has its consequences. It keeps me from falling asleep, which is very bad in my case. You see, sleeping has been the only luxury that a prisoner can enjoy. He can be at peace with himself and with his surroundings. He is at ease, blissfully resting the night through, wishing that it would be longer so that his tired body will regain its energy to the fullest. It also gives the prisoner something that he could hold on to for a while, something that he could really treasure. Being in prison you learn to value sleeping because it is where his dreams are made. Dreams for me come in different forms. It could be about the things that make me happy, or be about my family’s happy moments. Sometimes, it could bring about nightmares, but I’ve learned that if you live a life of a prisoner, you learn not to fear these nightmares. Sleeping is only about dreams, and these dreams not only bring about happiness, it can also give you a little bit of hope, and maybe a glimpse of what lies ahead in the future. There was one time when I dreamt about my life, about being a prisoner (Brians). It gave me a clear view of what my real problem was, the reason I became a prisoner in my own life. It was because of my lack of education which has brought me behind bars. It gave me a clear mental picture of what it’s like if had finished schooling. I could be someone else, be someone better. I could have a chance in landing a better job, and possibly a better life. I can make the most of what I do, and I can make my family happier. It wasn’t just a dream because it showed me the way. It is reality – I can make everything real. Everything is possible, as long as I believe that I can. Armed with the dream of finishing school, I packed up everything I need. It would require all of my wits, my confidence and my willingness to pursue this dream. Luckily, I have everything I need with me. That’s why I took the step which I know would take me out of this prison. Through the small peephole of my dream, I will make a larger hole, in which I can pass through and be free from this prison. It was the lack of education that has kept me well behind bars. It’s now my time to escape. Works Cited: Anonymous. â€Å"Prison Vs. Work†. 2007. September 15 2007. http://www. singlegrain. com/blog/prison-vs-work/. Brians, Paul. â€Å"Plato: The Allegory of the Cave, from the Republic†. 1998. September 15 2007. http://www. wsu. edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_1/plato. html. How to cite Allegory or Reflective Metamorphic Essay on What Ways I am a Prisoner, Essays

In the Short Stories by Ernest Hemingway a young b Essay Example For Students

In the Short Stories by Ernest Hemingway a young b Essay oy by the name of Nick Adams goes through his lifes tribulations slowly learning and experiencing new things. Nick Adams is a young boy that is very nave and still has many things to learn before he is considered a true man. Contained in these stories are the experiences that Nick goes through, helping him understand many topics and ideas such as: life, death, and relationships. In the story of the Indian Camp nick has his first experience. In this story Nick learns about life and death. In the Indian camp a young Indian woman is giving birth to a child and Nicks dad is dedicated to performing as a doctor by helping the woman with her birth. Nick decides to go along with his father. The birth was a very brutal process, with only a pen knife and fishing leader and with no anesthesia for the woman, it was hard not to be. In the process of the woman giving birth, the husband of the woman could not bear the pain he was feeling for his wife and decided to cut his throat. Nick witnessed li fe and death first hand in this story. Nick who has observed the proceedings asks, Is dying hard, Daddy? Nick learns that giving birth to a child is a very grueling task and that death can come very easy to any man or woman without much effort. Another experience of death that Nick encounters is in the story of The Killers. Nick decided to go into a local caf to get something to eat, and before he knew it he was caught up in a deadly affair that threatened his life. Two thugs came into the cafeteria and wanted to kill a man by the name of Ole Anderson, a Swedish man. Nick was soon part of the crime. The thugs kept him there because he was a witness to the scene. The thugs just planned to kill him as soon as they popped off Ole. Gladly Ole never showed up and nothing happened, but this was an experience that Nick would never forget. It showed him that death was not something that had to be at his fault in any way, shape or form. It was just something that everyone had to deal with in their every day lives, and even at all costs could not be avoided. Nick is very inexperienced when it comes to relationships with the other sex. He begins to understand this topic in the story of The End Of Something. Nick takes a girl by the name of Marjorie fishing by the shore of the bay. Once the two were done fishing they stopped at the shore and lit a fire. As they sat and watched the moon rise Nick began to get frustrated with Marjorie and how she just had to know everything. At this time Nick decided to break the relationship with Marjorie and not to continue between them. This taught Nick how to cope with the loss of a relationship and it also taught him when it is time to let go of a relationship. Nick and his friend Bill experience a strong relationship in the story of The Three Day Blow. Nick and bill just start out with basic conversation about various books and sports players and soon are getting into more deep talk about women and love relationships with the other sex. During this whole conversation they are drinking and having fun and decide to get really drunk. Nick learns that nothing is more important than a good friend that he can ask questions and tell anything, someone that is there to support him in times of trouble. .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9 , .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9 .postImageUrl , .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9 , .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9:hover , .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9:visited , .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9:active { border:0!important; } .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9:active , .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9 .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2d2f0cb96b34b1154a3ee6a41f0e0ff9:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Patriarchy has tactfully created a myth that motherhood is the only sphere that is essentially ordained for women EssayNow that nick has been through these experiences, he now can better understand life, death, and relationships to a much fuller extent. He now has much more of a knowledge to these topics and can apply them to his life in many ways. We all have a lack of experience in one area or another holding us back from something, but it is experience that feeds the knowledge of the topics that we encounter in every day life.