In Alan Boureaus study of Pope Joan- Legend refers to her as Androgyne or Hermaphrodite eliding the distintion between transvestitism and anataomical ambiguity.
“Hermaphroditic pope” when we look at the old testiment Genesis 1:27 Adam envisaged as androgynos- the Image of god divide into two to fashion into Eve a Integration of heavenly and earthly traits suited the preistly vocation.
Hermaphroditus son of Mercury and Venus.
Most Medieval and early modern Mythographers saw hermaphroditus a metamorphosis as a loss of virtue ,reason, potency,or as a fall into Indolence, and wordliness. And in turn Salmacis the nymph who was Infatuated with Hermaphroditus was seen as the blame to prompt his fall, as a vain, whorish temptress.
Hermaphroditus and Salmacis declare that Idolness nurses voluptuousness, which in turn breeds sin “which linking together make men effeminate unworldly and weak.
