Papal tiara on the "sedia gestatoria" (portable throne), was based on the Byzantine imperial ceremonies witnessed in medieval Constantinople. Medieval tarot cards included a card showing a woman wearing a papal tiara and known as the "Popess or Papess" or the "High Priestess". The meaning and symbolism of the card is uncertain. The crowned woman has variously been identified as Pope Joan (a woman who according to a medieval and later Protestant legend had disguised herself as a man and been elected pope; some cards also show a child, and the Pope Joan legend pictured her as found out when she gave
Ekaterina Sedia just some of the wonders and horrors explored in this bizarre assembly of works from voices new and old. Introducing stories of circuses traditional and bizarre, futuristic and steeped in tradition, joyful and heart-breaking! And among the actors you will find old friends, be they sad clowns or free-spirited gymnasts, as well as new ones - mammoths, mechanical piano men, and things best not described at all. Ekaterina Sedia has six published novels based in a fantasy, urban fantasy, or “steampunk” aesthetic. Her best-known work is “The Alchemy of Stone”, which was on the 2008 James Tiptree, Jr. Award Honor