Pope Joan
Preserved but no longer current.
A mythical female pope, fabled In the Middle Ages to have succeeded Leo IV {855). The vulgar tale is that Joan conceived a violent passion for the monk Folda and m order to get admission to him assumed the monastic habit. Being clever and popular, she was elected pope, but was discovered through giving birth to a child during her enthromza- tion. The whole story has long since been ex- ploded.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Pope Joan” mean?
A mythical female pope, fabled In the Middle Ages to have succeeded Leo IV {855). The vulgar tale is that Joan conceived a violent passion for the monk Folda and m order to get admission to him assumed the monastic habit. Being clever and popular, she was elected pope, but was discovered through giving birth to a child during her enthromza- tion. The whole story has long since been ex- ploded.
Is “Pope Joan” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.