Popess Joan

In Brief

Rumors persist to this day, especially strong among the rennaisance festival crowd, of a female pope in the thirteenth century. In one version of the story, she gives birth on horseback. What's the scoop?

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Several people have written asking, in light of the wonderful story about Pope Stephen VI, about the existence of a female Pope. Just because the word is so great, we'll mention this Popess briefly. (Go ahead, say it out loud and try not to giggle). It seems that about the thirteenth century (in the ages before historians worried too awfully much about the truth of their writings), the myth of a certain Popess Joan was established.

The story goes that sometime in perhaps the eleventh century, a woman came to Rome with high ambitions in the Church, and, disguising herself as a man, became a priest. She was very successful, rising through the bishopric to become a cardinal and eventually Pope. One day, while riding horseback, she gave birth to a baby boy; her secret out, she was tied to the tail of the horse, dragged 'round the city and eventually stoned to death by the Angry Mob. Evidence, certainly, that women have never really been too terribly welcome in the religious ranks of the Catholic Church.

The story re-appears some time later in a different form. This version claims that after the reign of Pope Leo IV (847-855), the Englishman John of Mainz (funny, that sounds German...), occupied the papacy for two years. He was, according to this story, a woman of high learning and talent. One of her (his) trusted attendants repaid her generosity by knocking her up, and she then gave birth during a Papal procession from St. Peter's Basilica to the Lateran, dying in the process.

Since the stories aren't actually true, we won't go into too much detail, but those interested should read a lengthy report from the Catholic Encyclopedia.

Modern historians dismiss Popess Joan as an interesting historical myth. For more fun stuff like that, check out Urban Legends. If you really want to know more about that wacky bunch millions of people have called 'Papa' with a straight face, check out The Oxford Dictionary of Popes. All this goes to show that history is a pretty tricky thing, that people place a lot of stock in religion and tradition, even if the substance of the tradition is silly, and that you shouldn't believe everything you hear. Especially if it's too good to be true.

Bibliography

1. J.P. Kirsch. Popess Joan. (referenced online at http://www.knight.org/advent/cathen/08407a.htm) Catholic Encyclopedia, 1996.

 
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