In the 1200s a legend surfaced of a female pope who ruled for two years, disguised as a man. And while it was just that - a legend - that did not stop Pope Joan from being considered real for hundreds of year. And desite being nothing more than myth, Pope Joan would have an abnormally large impact on the Catholic Church.

Sources

"The Myth of Pope Joan" by Alain Boureau

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Papesse_Jeanne_BnF_Français_599_fol._88.jpg

History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com

Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices