Pope Joan

According to medieval legend, a female English pope. Using the name John, she is supposed to have risen to the highest office of the church, before the spectacular failure of her disguise, when she went into labour during a processsion and give birth to a child. Whereupon her and the child were stoned to death.

Supposedly, since that time, any candidate for the pope undergoes an intimate examination to ensure he is not a woman (or eunuch) in disguise. This involved sitting on a chair which has a hole in the seat. Someone then looks under the chair to ensure the new Pope is male.

The Vatican deny the existence of the chair (supposed held in an anti-chamber there), and also the existence of Pope Joan.

There is little evidence that Pope Joan ever existed.