Manic Monday - candy

Mo's prompt for today is CANDY.

Godiva Chocoiste Caramel Bars

2009 Lady Godiva Limited Edition Gift Tin
$65.00

Godiva Chocolates are my favorite candy. I could eat a whole box by myself. I thought you all might be interested in the story of the Lady after whom these candies are named.



Lady Godiva by John Collier

[Lady] Godiva (Old English: Godgifu), c. 997 – 10 September 1067,^{[1] [2][3]} was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry in England in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants. The name "Peeping Tom" for a voyeur originates from later versions of this legend in which a man named Tom had watched her ride and was struck blind or dead.

At the time, it was customary for penitents to make a public procession in only their shift, a sleeveless white garment similar to a slip today and one which was certainly considered "underwear." Thus, some scholars speculate, Godiva may have actually travelled through town as a penitent, in her shift. Godiva's story may have passed into folk history to be recorded in a romanticised version. Another theory has it that Lady Godiva's "nakedness" may refer to her riding through the streets stripped of her jewellery, the trademark of her upper class rank. However, both these attempts to reconcile known facts with legend are weak; there is no known use of the word "naked" in the era of the earliest accounts to mean anything other than "without any clothing whatsoever".

The Godiva Procession, a commemoration of the legendary ride was instituted on 31 May 1678, as part of Coventry fair, and was celebrated up to the 1960s. The part of Lady Godiva was usually played by a scantily clad actress or dancer and the occasion often attracted controversy. For instance in 1854 the Bishop of Worcester protested against "a Birmingham whore being paraded through the streets as Lady Godiva".

These annual processions were enlivened by constant rumours, beforehand, that the girl playing the part of Lady Godiva would actually appear nude, like the original. These hopes were eventually realised in a play staged in 1974, at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, entitled The only true story of Lady Godiva, in which Lady Godiva appeared naked, riding a motor bike. The celebration has been revived as part of the Godiva Festival.

In many university engineering faculties, military engineering corps and other engineering organisations, Lady Godiva is regarded as a mascot and called the "Patron Saint of Engineers" or "Goddess of Engineering". The origin is unclear, although it probably developed in Britain, where several early engineering schools were founded during the industrial revolution. The practice migrated to North America through Canadian schools, such as the University of Toronto and McMaster University which today holds an annual "Godiva Week" in January consisting of events intended to engender school spirit. By the mid-20th century, the practice of engineering organizations associating themselves with Lady Godiva was well established in the United States.

A particular tradition associated with this is that of drinking songs, which make reference to Lady Godiva, particularly Godiva's Hymn.

Historically, certain college organisations staged an annual "Godiva Ride" in which a naked female (or a costumed male) rode a horse across campus.^[24] This practice may have declined with the advent of modern feminist attitudes.

Here's some of the Godiva Hymn:

GODIVA

Chorus:
We are, we are, we are, we are, we are the
Engineers,
We can, we can, we can, we can demolish forty
beers,
Drink rum, drink rum, drink rum, and come
along with us,
For we don't give a damn for any damn man
who don't give a damn for us.
Godiva was a lady who through Coventry did
ride,
To show to all the villagers her lovely bare
white hide,
The most observant man on earth, an Engineer
of course,
Was the only one who noticed that Godiva rode
a horse.
She said, "I've come a long, long way and the
man will go as far,
Who takes me off this God-damned horse and
leads me to the bar.
The men who took her off the horse and stood
her to a beer,
Were a bleary-eyed surveyor and a drunken
Engineer.
My father was a miner on the upper malemute,
My mother was a hostess in a house of ill
repute,
They kicked me out at a tender age and never
shed a tear,
Get out of here you son-of-a-bitch, go join
the Engineers."
The Army and the Navy were out to have some
fun,
Looking for a tavern where the firey liquors
run,
All they found were empties, fur the
Engineers had cone,
And traded all their instruments for gallon
jugs of rum.
An Artsman and an Engineer once found a
gallon can,
Said the Artsman, "Match me drink for drink,
and prove that you're a man."
They drank three drinks, the Artsman died,
his face was turning green,
The Engineer drank on and cried, "It's only
gasoline"

Other participants in Mo's meme are found here

theteach