Anne Boleyn Deformity?

Question

Do you believe that Anne Boleyn had a sixth finger on one hand or was in some other way deformed???

Answer 1

I don't believe so. As the king with no male heir, King Henry had a phobia of illness and deformities. He had been known to take off at a moment's notice when there was a sweating sickness  outbreak.  I highly doubt that he would have fallen in love with, grew obsessed with, and married and crowned a woman who had such an obvious deformity.

Answer 2

Although the stories of those deformities are now some sort of urban legends and people generally tend to believe them, nevertheless there wasn't a single report from her times, even those that came from her worst enemies, that would suggest presence of any prominent deformity.

Here is one account of Anne's appearance, by a contemporary historian: "She was never described as a great beauty, but even those who loathed her admitted that she had a dramatic allure. Her olive complexion and straight black hair gave her an exotic aura in a culture that saw milk-white paleness as essential to beauty. Her eyes were especially striking: 'black and beautiful' wrote one contemporary, while another averred they were 'always most attractive,' and that she 'well knew how to use them with effect".

As I had mentioned earlier, none of the many eyewitness accounts of Anne Boleyn’s appearance—some of them meticulously detailed—mention any deformities, let alone a sixth finger. Moreover, as physical deformities were generally interpreted as a sign of evil, it is difficult to believe that Anne Boleyn would have gained Henry's romantic attention had she possessed any.

So, Anne almost certainly DID NOT have a sixth finger. All those accounts of deformities came from later sources (from 17th century and later) Basically, the 6th finger story probably originated from the fact that the presence of such deformity was considered a sign of evil, and since Anne was viewed as the evil woman, who ruined the happy marriage of the King and Queen, such attributions were all but certain to appear.

Answer 3

After her death, a number of myths sprung up about Anne. Many of these stories had their roots in anti-Anglican works written by Roman Catholics. It was reported by some that Anne suffered from polydactyly, having six fingers on her left hand. Others claimed she had a birthmark or mole on her neck that was at all times hidden by a jewel. Although the first legend is popular, there is no contemporary evidence to support it. None of the many eyewitness accounts of Anne Boleyn’s appearance—some of them meticulously detailed—mention any deformities, let alone a sixth finger. Moreover, as physical deformities were generally interpreted as a sign of evil, it is difficult to believe that Anne Boleyn would have gained Henry's romantic attention had she possessed any.[

Answer 4

It's been reported that she had three b*****s and an extra finger on one hand but whether that's true is anybody's guess.

Answer 5

No, I don't - these slanders were put about by her enemies.  It's highly unlikely that King Henry VIII would have pursued for six years and then married a woman who was deformed, let alone thought of her as the potential mother of the heir to England's throne.  

It's true that she wasn't the ideal beauty as far as 16th century standards went; she was dark and small-breasted, whereas her sister Mary was fair-haired and buxom and considered the prettier of the two.  But Anne must have had what we today call charisma, and style and elegance.

Have a look here for some arguments:

http://www.geocities.com/boleynfamily/an...

http://www.geocities.com/tudorhist/tudor...

http://departments.kings.edu/womens_hist...

Answer 6

History leads us to believe that she had a sixth finger.  As nobody alive today was around when she was then, historic accounts are all we have to go by.

Answer 7

To us it is only a five hundred year old rumor.  There is no way to tell for sure.

Answer 8

she didnt have a head if that helps