Lady Godiva's Adventures

Coventry, England has been the destination of travelers over the years for a variety of reasons.

In the 17th century, the phrase “being sent to Coventry” originated, when Coventry was a small town. The story is that Oliver Cromwell sent a group of Royalist soldiers to be imprisoned in Coventry, around 1648. The locals, who were parliamentary supporters of Cromwell, shunned them and refused to consort with them. So in other words being told to get thee to Coventry is the same as telling someone to go to the doghouse today.

Coventry is also home to the story of Lady Godgifu or Lady Godiva took who pity on the people of Coventry, who were suffering badly under her husband's oppressive taxation. Lady Godiva appealed to her husband, Leofric Earl of Mercia who refused to remit the tolls. At last he said he would grant her request if she would strip naked and ride through the streets of the town. She took him at his word and, after issuing a proclamation that all persons should keep within doors and shut their windows, she rode through the town, clothed only in her long hair. In the end, Godiva's husband keeps his word and abolishes the onerous taxes. There is however little historical evidence for this story

A later addition to myth adds that a tailor, Tom later to be known as, disobeyed her proclamation and bored a hole in his shutters so that he might see Godiva but was struck blind and thereafter known as Peeping Tom.

Lady Godiva has become a symbol of women's suffrage ever since and a Belgian chocolatier, Joseph Draps named his company in her name to emulate to attributes of embodied the timeless qualities of passion, style, sensuality and modern boldness.

Coventry was heavily bombed in World War II by the Luftwaffe which resulted in the destruction of its ancient cathedral and medieval city centre. It was later rebuilt with a modern Cathedral replacing the old yet traces of the old ruins still kept in remembrance.

What is particularly interesting is that after World War 2 Coventry developed a link with Dresden as a sister city.

Dresden was also suffered intense bombing during the (discussed at length by Kurt Vonnegut in his novel, Slaughterhouse 5).

Both Dresden and Coventry suffered terribly. Many people were of course traumatized and embittered by their personal devastation but they decided to have youth exchanges so that their children could understand what their own countries had done. Coventry has since developed an international reputation as one of Europe's major cities of peace and reconciliation, centered around its Cathedral, and still holds an annual Peace Month.

Travelers going to Coventry won't encounter naked women on horses or receive free chocolates but they can see a testament to the peace movement and help us appreciate that there are more similarities than differences bet ween between nations.