AI overview
"Pope Joan" is a medieval legend about a woman who supposedly disguised herself as a man and became pope in the 9th century. The story matters historically because it was widely believed for centuries and raises questions about how legends develop and spread, even though modern scholars have found no credible evidence that she actually existed.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
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Illustrated manuscript depicting Pope Joan with the papal tiara. Bibliothèque nationale de France, c. 1560. Depiction of "Pope John VII" in Hartmann Schedel's religious Nuremberg Chronicle, published in 1493 Pope Joan (Latin: Ioannes Anglicus; 855–857) was a woman who purportedly reigned as popess (female pope) for two years during the Middle Ages. Her story first appeared in chronicles in the 13th century and subsequently spread throughout Europe. The story was widely believed for centuries, but most modern scholars regard it as fictional.
Most versions of her story describe her as a talented and learned woman who disguised herself as a man, often at the behest of a lover. In the most common accounts, owing to her abilities she rose through the church hierarchy and was eventually elected pope. Her sex was revealed when she gave birth during a procession and she died shortly after, either through murder or natural causes. The accounts state that later church processions avoided this spot and that the Vatican removed the female pope from its official lists and crafted a ritual to ensure that future popes were male.