Bullfrog
3rd July 2010, 08:31 AM
Gonna do a cut and paste job, because while I find this interesting, I don't know anything about it. There is more info at both links.
Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08407a.htm)
The fable about a female pope, who afterwards bore the name of Johanna (Joan), is first noticed in the middle of the thirteenth century.
Here occurs for the first time the name of Johanna (Joan) as that of the alleged popess. Martin of Troppau had lived at the Curia as papal chaplain and penitentiary (he died 1278), for which reason his papal history was widely read, and through him the tale obtained general acceptance.
Encyclopedia Britannica (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/304201/Pope-Joan)
One of the earliest extant sources for the Joan legend is the De septem donis Spiritu Sancti (“The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spiritâ€) by the 13th-century French Dominican Stephen of Bourbon, who dated Joan’s election c. 1100. In this account the nameless pontiff was a clever scribe who became a papal notary and later was elected pope; pregnant at the time of her election, she gave birth during the procession to the Lateran, whereupon she was dragged out of Rome and stoned to death.
The story was widely spread during the later 13th century, mostly by friars and primarily by means of interpolations made in many manuscripts of the Chronicon pontificum et imperatorum (“The Chronicle of the Popes and Emperorsâ€) by the 13th-century Polish Dominican Martin of Troppau. Support for the version that she died in childbirth and was buried on the spot was derived from the fact that in later years papal processions used to avoid a particular street, allegedly where the disgraceful event had occurred. The name Joan was not finally adopted until the 14th century; other names commonly given were Agnes or Gilberta.
Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08407a.htm)
The fable about a female pope, who afterwards bore the name of Johanna (Joan), is first noticed in the middle of the thirteenth century.
Here occurs for the first time the name of Johanna (Joan) as that of the alleged popess. Martin of Troppau had lived at the Curia as papal chaplain and penitentiary (he died 1278), for which reason his papal history was widely read, and through him the tale obtained general acceptance.
Encyclopedia Britannica (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/304201/Pope-Joan)
One of the earliest extant sources for the Joan legend is the De septem donis Spiritu Sancti (“The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spiritâ€) by the 13th-century French Dominican Stephen of Bourbon, who dated Joan’s election c. 1100. In this account the nameless pontiff was a clever scribe who became a papal notary and later was elected pope; pregnant at the time of her election, she gave birth during the procession to the Lateran, whereupon she was dragged out of Rome and stoned to death.
The story was widely spread during the later 13th century, mostly by friars and primarily by means of interpolations made in many manuscripts of the Chronicon pontificum et imperatorum (“The Chronicle of the Popes and Emperorsâ€) by the 13th-century Polish Dominican Martin of Troppau. Support for the version that she died in childbirth and was buried on the spot was derived from the fact that in later years papal processions used to avoid a particular street, allegedly where the disgraceful event had occurred. The name Joan was not finally adopted until the 14th century; other names commonly given were Agnes or Gilberta.