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Issue Details: First known date: 2024... 2024 Impostor : A Twenty-first Century ‘Pope Joan’
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'The story of the only female pope (to date) emerged in the thirteenth century, and for some time thereafter was widely disseminated in Europe. She was initially alleged to have lived in the twelfth century, but what would become the best-known version of the story placed her election as pope in the year 855. The pontificate of ‘John Anglicus’ was said to have lasted for approximately two and a half years, between those of Leo IV and Benedict III. The story, which may have originated as parody, flourished in credence. The head of ‘Johannes VIII, Femina de Anglia’ was included in a series of busts of the legitimate popes in the nave of the Cathedral of Siena until 1600, when Pope Clement VIII ordered its removal and formally declared that the impostor pope had never existed. With no contemporary evidence substantiating the audacious tale of ‘Pope Joan’, it appears to have been a kind of medieval urban legend. Despite this, her appeal to artists and writers persists, adaptations of the story including two film versions, novels, plays, and (premièring in 2011) a musical.'  (Introduction)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Australian Book Review no. 469 October 2024 28927884 2024 periodical issue

    'This month ABR sharpens its memory, looking back at Australia’s involvement in East Timor on the twenty-fifth anniversary of its liberation. We ask what the US invasion of Afghanistan revealed, how referendums have been lost and won, and if we’ve heeded the lessons of the pandemic. Bridget Griffen-Foley reviews a book on media moguls, Scott Stephens explains why 2024 looks a lot like 1939, and we consider ancient India’s transformation of the world. Shannon Burns, Michael Winkler, Heather Neilson and Alex Cothren review novels from Robbie Arnott, Brian Castro, Emily Maquire and Malcolm Knox. ABR Arts interviews pianist Angela Hewitt and reviews The Australian Ballet’s Oscar and MTC’s Topdog/Underdog. There’s Proust, Shakespeare, new poetry, poetry reviews and more.'  (Publication abstract)

    2024
    pg. 32
Last amended 8 Oct 2024 10:23:32
32 Impostor : A Twenty-first Century ‘Pope Joan’small AustLit logo Australian Book Review
Review of:
  • Rapture Emily Maguire 2024 single work novel
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