More about the book
One of history's most controversial women is brought to life in this tale of Pope Joan, who defied her origins to ascend to the Roman throne as Pope John Anglicus. Set in 814 in Ingelheim, a harsh winter marks Joan's birth to an English father and Saxon mother. Her father, a cruel canon, shows no love for his family, especially the women, while her mother, Gudrun, teaches Joan about their gods, enduring punishment for it. Joan grows up with a unique blend of Saxon and Church teachings. When her brother John is sent away to school, Joan, who was meant to go, runs away to join him in Dorstadt, where she falls in love with him. Viewed as a "lusus naturae," she struggles with her identity in a society that devalues women. After John's death in a Viking raid, Joan seizes the chance to escape her fate by cutting her hair and disguising herself as a boy. She eventually finds refuge in a Benedictine monastery, gaining acceptance as a learned man before making her way to Rome. The story, presented as fiction due to the lack of documentation regarding her papacy, explores themes of gender, power, and the brutal realities of the Dark Ages, alongside Vatican intrigue and the status of women.
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- Title
- Die Päpstin
- Language
- German
- Authors
- Donna Woolfolk Cross
- Publisher
- Audio Verlag Der Gmbh
- Released
- 2000
- Pages
- 559
- ISBN10
- 389813069X
- ISBN13
- 9783898130691
- Series
- Tags
- Fiction, Historical Fiction, Religious Topics, Love, Women, Southern Europe, Italy, Middle Ages, Rome, Church, Roma, Gypsies, Emancipation, Popes, Vatican
- Original title
- Pope Joan
- Rating
- 4.1 out of 5
- Description
- One of history's most controversial women is brought to life in this tale of Pope Joan, who defied her origins to ascend to the Roman throne as Pope John Anglicus. Set in 814 in Ingelheim, a harsh winter marks Joan's birth to an English father and Saxon mother. Her father, a cruel canon, shows no love for his family, especially the women, while her mother, Gudrun, teaches Joan about their gods, enduring punishment for it. Joan grows up with a unique blend of Saxon and Church teachings. When her brother John is sent away to school, Joan, who was meant to go, runs away to join him in Dorstadt, where she falls in love with him. Viewed as a "lusus naturae," she struggles with her identity in a society that devalues women. After John's death in a Viking raid, Joan seizes the chance to escape her fate by cutting her hair and disguising herself as a boy. She eventually finds refuge in a Benedictine monastery, gaining acceptance as a learned man before making her way to Rome. The story, presented as fiction due to the lack of documentation regarding her papacy, explores themes of gender, power, and the brutal realities of the Dark Ages, alongside Vatican intrigue and the status of women.