Pope Joan

When Pope Joan ( Johannes Anglicus and Giovanni Femina, Jutta, Mrs. Jutte, Gilberta, Anna, Agnes or Glancia called ) is a legend substance that tells of a is issuing as a man learned woman who is said to have officiated as Pope. Today's historical science assumes that there was no real historical precedent for Johanna.

Origin of the legend

The legend of Pope Joan has survived only since the 13th century and gained huge popularity in the late Middle Ages and wide dissemination. The original forms of the legend told of an unnamed Pope Joan, which is said to have officiated at the end of the 11th century; it report the Chronica universalis Mettensis of Jean de Mailly and the Tractatus de diversis mate riis predicabilibus of Stephen of Bourbon to the mid-13th century.

The Dominican monk Martin of Opava moved this legend in his 1277 chronicle published then in the 9th century and added to the pregnancy and birth of the Pope during a procession. From Martin's story all depend on later. Describe two versions of Martin's version of either the death of Pope Joan and her child in this birth or their exile in a monastery. Later traditions the legend usually adorn the first version more, and the Pope are given other names. Martin's version of the legend is also the basis of the version in the Schedel 's World Chronicle, which also received wide coverage. She also mentioned Bartolomeo Platina 1479th

Sources for the legend that can be dated before the 13th century are not known.

Getting serious doubts about the historicity of the legend that has long been held even by some popes credible, can already be found in the Reformed church historian David Blondel ( 1590-1655 ). Modern research goes, regardless of the impression aroused some popular scientific publication, almost unanimously believe that the story is a fiction.

Legends

As a typical version of this is reproduced the text of the version from the late medieval Schedel 's World Chronicle:

" John Auss angel country with a gain in evil arts the babstthumb. then how they want a weipliche person what they changed but when in shape vnnd geperde one mannßpilds. VND zohe yet so iung with irem lover eim gelerten man gein Athenas. alda they Wardt of writing so hohgelert they gein rom komende little ir in the same healing time writing het. Nw it with a gain in reading VND scharpffem disputing in scheyn one mans vnder the hidden unit IRER weiplichkeit to rome such benevolence VND glawbwirdigkeit they ( speaking as martinus ) to die Leonis to be stat with allermenigclichs sake to Babst erkorn Wardt. But they Wardt below of eim IRER servant geschwengert. vnnd than the physical ettwielang worn het VND day wolt one in sant Johanssen Lateran churches geen. do they Wardt between the beautiful burg VND sent Clementen with ween biased VND gepare and died at the same place. Ettlich write when a Babst benanten to the sant Johanssen kirch engeen Wöll. VND kome to dasselb end do the beschehen sey. so vermeyde the same Babst away in verschmehlicher gedechtnus such stories: on the other hand if a erwelter Babst first place in sannt Peters. Darzu perforated stul Werdt set as care of dyacon letst to vermeyden the same future Irrung the Babst his manliche gepurt Glyder zeberüren by the same perforated stul. "

As a further version of this is reproduced the text of Leopold Stainreuter from the Austrian Chronicle of the 95 gentlemen from the late 14th century (around 1384/85 ):

" Ain female was pabst after Christ gepürd eight hundred Siben and vierczig jare and besazz the stul drew jar and fümf mened and John het up genennet. Si cham in mans chlaid as Athens and lert grozz chünste. After this cham si tions Rom and lazz because manige large chunst. Ander maister, Schuler and phaffen ir hoard leczen, and what ze Rom because the dhain maister, the read alz maisterleich Hlet. Wherefore was si to ainem pabst erwelet and was afterward Swanger. Do si in ainer processen tions solt, do vieng si weibleich chranchait and geperte ain chind. "

Hypotheses

There are many hypotheses that attempt to explain the origin of the legend of a Pope Joan.

One theory sees the story of Pope Joan as a legend, which has its kernel of truth in the power of the Theophylakten, especially in the two female figures Marozia, the mother of Pope John XI. , And her mother Theodora, those of anti-Roman authors such as Liutprand of Cremona, the true power behind the papal throne was said.

The church historian Cesare Baronio told the myth, however, as a satire on Pope John VIII ( Pope 872-882 ) because of its softness in dealing with the Patriarch of Constantinople Photius Opel I.

The historian Michael Hesemann attributes the origin of the legend of Pope Joan to two factors. On the one hand was the narrow lane that led to the Vatican from the Lateran, actually " vicus Papessa " she was but after a resident there until the 10th century noble family, the " Papes ", named. This lane was actually shunned because of their narrowness of the popes during processions. There was (under the church of San Clemente ) to the other in a former temple of Mithras cult. A dedicatory inscription with Latin letters PPPPPP is always called from the earliest sources as evidence for the history of the Pope and as " Petre, Pater Patrum, Papisse Prodito Partum " ( " Peter, Father of Fathers, reveal the descent of the female pope "). The inscription in question was, however, antique: In fact, PPP was ( " Proprie pecunia posuit ": " provided the necessary funds available " ) a common ancient consecration inscription, while " Father Patrum " a high priest title of the Mithras cult was, and " Peter " was already in pre-Christian times a common name. A unit placed on the alley Madonna image is still today misinterpreted as a statement of Pope Joan.

Moreover, the view is widespread, according to Johanna newly elected popes would have had to sit on a special chair with a hole in the seat, by the presence to have been reviewed by the testes. This chair will be denoted as sella stercorata or sedes stercorata (German Kotstuhl or Kotsitz ). The porphyry chair does exist, but with the purportedly associated ritual exist several contradictory representations that reflect only their time circulating rumors. In contrast, as is sometimes claimed, is no eyewitness accounts of such a practice. Maybe it is a common misconception among the people of a rise in the papal coronation ritual, in which the newly elected Pope took on different chairs in sequence space that symbolized his ascent towards the papal throne, started with the toilet seat.

Pope succession

The official successor of Pope Leo IV was Benedict III. , Were available for the but few documented information. Some of the conclusion, therefore, Benedict III. was invented by the Roman Catholic Church, as in the 17th century Pope Joan had been erased from history. However, there are datable coins Benedict III. show along with the deceased on September 28, 855 Lothair. On October 7, 855 Benedict III issued. a charter for the abbey of Corvey, also are his correspondence with the Archbishop of Reims and received his circular letter to the bishops in the empire of Charles the Bald.

Another hypothesis assumes that Pope Joan between Leo IV and Benedict III. held the Holy See. This theory can not be confirmed by historical evidence. The Byzantine Patriarch Photios I ( 9th century ), who was an enemy of the Roman Papacy, mentions in his writings Leo and Benedict as a direct successive popes. It can also be found there, for all the criticism the Roman papacy, no evidence of a Pope Joan.

Pope Joan is mentioned in different historical, but unreliable sources until the 17th century, even in ecclesiastical texts.

One of the most frequently cited sources of the Liber Pontificalis of the former Pope Anastasius counter Bibliothecarius that would have been a contemporary of Pope Joan. However, there is the indication to only in the manuscript, which is in the Vatican library, and not in those other places. The remark to Pope Joan was also only grudge in the handwriting of a later writer as a gloss. This Supplement is dated by the analysis of handwriting style to the late 13th or 14th century, probably written under the influence of the Chronicle Martin of Opava and therefore will not count as a contemporary document. The same applies to the manuscripts of the Chronicon of Marianus Scotus. While the work was produced even in the 11th century, all the manuscripts that contain a reference to Pope, dated to a later date than Martins Chronicle. Earlier copies of Scotus ' work does not contain these instructions.

Edits

Literary adaptations

The Legend substance to the woman on the papal throne not only historians and theologians busy, but has also edited numerous literary:

• Boccaccio: De Jane anglica papa. In: De claris mulieribus. 1374
• Dietrich Schernberg: A nice game of woman Jutten. 1480; ed after the Eislebener pressure of 1565. by Manfred Lemmer: texts of the late Middle Ages and early modern times. Issue 24 E. Schmidt, Berlin, 1971 ( spiritual verse drama )
• Hans Sachs: Historia Anglica of Johanne, the bäpstin. Edited by Adelbert von Keller. Library of the literary club Stuttgart Vol 8, Tübingen 1874, pp. 652-655.
• Achim von Arnim: Pope Joan. In: Achim von Arnim stage. Berlin 1813 ( Universal romantic drama)
• Wilhelm Smets: The tale of Pope Joan discussed at 's New. Pappers and Kohnen, Cologne 1829
• Emmanouil Roidis: I Papissa Ioanna. 1866 The Pope Joan. Your true story. From d Neugriech. by Paul Friedrich. Bergisch -Gladbach, Bastion - Luebbe 2000, ISBN 3-404-14446-5 (Study of the Middle Ages, historical novel )

• Pope Joan. Berlin, Rütten and Loening 1996, ISBN 3-352-00527-3

Movies

• Pope Joan (Pope Joan ) with Liv Ullmann in the title role, directed by Michael Anderson, UK 1972
• Pope Joan (Pope Joan ) with Johanna Wokalek in the title role, directed by Sönke Wortmann, Germany / Great Britain 2009
• The mystery of Pope Joan, TV documentary by Daniel & Christel Fomm yourself, first broadcast on 9 April 2012 at the ZDF

Musical

• Pope Joan - The Musical with Sabrina Weckerlin as the lead actress, Mathias Eden Born as Gerold, Director: Stanislav Mosa, Composer: Dennis Martin, Musical Director: Peter Scholz, Germany / Fulda 2011