Who was peeping Tom?

Question:Who was Peeping Tom who was struck blind when looking at lady Godiva. Was there such a person,or was he invented in 19th century?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Who was Peeping Tom who was struck blind when looking at lady Godiva. Was there such a person,or was he invented in 19th century?

Right. There was a real Lady Godiva (more properly spelt Godgifu). She was the wife of Leofric, Earldorman (think regional governor) of Mercia. Middle of the eleventh century. So far, so good.

It is true that she was angry at her husband because he was in dipute with the church (the details start to get a bit vague at this point, but it was probably a quarrel over land or the rights to the profits therefrom). The legend that she rode naked through the town in protest is a myth. When and by whom it was invented is open to debate - we'll never know for sure. Peeping Tom was an adjunct to that myth.

this is a fictitious character based on random member of the royal family

Purely fictitious. In the original version of the story, Lady Godiva was observed by all the townspeople as she disrobed, but in a much later version of the story it was stated that a tailor, or butcher, named Tom was the only person to observe her as she rode by - everyone else having shuttered their windows as they had been asked. The term 'Peeping Tom' was first recorded around 1796.

A fictitious character based on the probability that there was a peeping person. He was not struck blind but was made blind as his punishment.

He never existed.

He was a fictional character.