Lady Godiva from Chester

Como os prometí, en este post os contaré la leyenda de Lady Godiva, que me pareció interesante y curiosa. Famosa, entre otras cosas, por el nombre que lleva una conocida marca de bombones, "Godiva Chocolatier", llamada así en homenaje a esta figura y en la que sus cajas doradas de bombones con el dibujo de la condesa desnuda se han convertido en un souvenir típico de Bélgica.

As I promised you, in this post I will tell you Lady Godiva's legend, which seemed to me to be interesting and curious. Famous, among other things, for the name that takes a known brand of chocolates, "Godiva Chocolatier", call like that in honoring to this figure and in which his golden boxes of chocolates with the drawing of the nake countess have turned into a typical souvenir of Belgium.

Gervasia Helizonda Godiva de Chester, o Lady Godiva, fue una dama anglosajona del siglo XI, de la que se dice que fue muy bella y bondadosa, que estuvo casada con Leofric, conde de Chester y de Mercia y señor de Coventry. Esta dama, compadecida de los sufrimientos y apuros de sus vasallos, a los que su marido esquilmaba con tributos abusivos, se solidarizó con ellos. Construyó junto con su esposo, cuya buena administración es destacable, el monasterio de Coventry.

Gervasia Helizonda Godiva of Chester, or Lady Godiva, was an Anglo-Saxon lady of the 11th century, of whom it is said that it was very beautiful and kind, that she was married with Leofric, count of Chester and of Mercia and gentleman of Coventry. This lady harmonized with the sufferings and difficulties of his vassals, whom his husband was harvesting with improper taxes, solidarizó with them. He constructed together with his husband, whose good administration is prominent, Coventry's monastery.

La famosa leyenda es la siguiente:

Cuando la ambición se apoderó de su esposo, ella le pidió que rebajara sus impuestos. El conde accedió, pero con la condición de que Lady Godiva recorriese Coventry a caballo, sin más vestidura que su largos cabellos. La dama así lo hizo, no sin antes acordar con sus vecinos que estos se encerrarían en sus casas para no perturbarla en su desnudez. El día elegido Lady Godiva se paseó desnuda por el pueblo, montada en su caballo, mientras todos los vecinos de Coventry permanecían en sus casas encerrados y con las ventanas cerradas.
La leyenda, que según los historiadores puede estar basada en una historia real —al menos parcialmente—, finaliza aclarando que Leofric, conmovido por el gesto de su esposa, cumplió su promesa y rebajó los impuestos. Fuente: wikipedia.

The famous legend is the following one:

When the ambition got hold of his husband, she asked him to reduce his taxes. The count acceded, but on condition of that Lady Godiva Coventry was crossing astride, ado vestment that his long hairs. The lady like that made it, not before agree with his neighbors that these would shut in themselves in his houses not to disturb her in his nudity. The chosen day Lady Godiva was walked he undresses for the people, mounting in his horse, while all the neighbors of Coventry were remaining in his houses enclosed and with the closed windows.
The legend, which according to the historians can be based on a royal history - at least less partially-, finishes clarifying that Leofric affected by the gesture of his wife, fulfilled his promise and reduced the taxes.Soruce: Wikipedia.

 

De esta leyenda, sale otra: la del origen del <<mirón>>:

Todos los ciudadanos, menos un sastre, se encerraron en sus casas. Es a este sastre al que la tradición inglesa llama Peeping Tom (es decir, «El mirón Tom») pues no pudo resistir ver a su señora desnuda a través de un agujero en la persiana, por lo que se quedó ciego. Además, la expresión pasó a designar en el idioma inglés a quien en castellano se llama " mirón " y en francés "voyeur ".   Fuente: wikipedia.

 Of this legend, it works out different: that of the origin of <<looker-on>>:

 All the citizens, except a tailor, shut in themselves in his houses. It is to this tailor whom the English tradition is called Peeping Tom (it is to say, " The looker-on Tom ") since it could not resist see his nake lady across a hole in the blind, for what he remained a blind person. In addition, the expression happened to designate in the language Englishman who in Castilian is called "mirón" and in French "voyeur". Source: wikipedia.