A Short History of Joan D' Arc

Jehanne d'Arc was born in the small village of Domremy, France, in January of 1412, a simple but devout peasant girl, the daughter of the village mayor. At the age of fifteen while in her garden she heard voices speaking to her from the direction of the church which told her to live a pure life and that God had a special plan for her. At age seventeen, a vision of an angel appeared to her, telling her to go to the Dauphin (uncrowned king) and declare that God had sent her to him in order to banish the English from French soil and to have him (Charles VII) crowned at Rheims. Interestingly enough, there had been a legend sung among minstrels for nearly 150 years, that through the treachery of one woman, France would be lost and then regained In turn through the courage of another. Everyone knew that Charles' mother, Isabeau, the Queen, had sold out France by marrying into the English royal line when Charles VI died, giving England claim to the French throne. Now they were expecting another woman to come and turn the Hundred Years War around.

Obeying her vision, Joan traveled, dressed as a man, (having cut her hair for a disguise in order to journey across 500 miles of war-torn France), to see Charles VII in Chinon. She had written him to say that God was sending her to him and that she would know him when she saw him. Knowing of the legend of the woman-deliverer, Charles hoped indeed she might, be the one, but decided to test her to see if she really was sent from God. He determined to dress his duke, La Tremoille, as hlmself and to hide among the court attendants. When Joan entered the hall, a most Interesting phenomena occurred: instead of walking forward to the man dressed as the king who was beckoning her, she walked half-way into the hall, stopped, turned and walked through the crowd directly to Charles VII and bowed. The king said, 'Surely you are mistaken, Joan -- see the one in the obvious place of honor. Can I be the king?' She replied 'It Is you, Sire, and none other. I would know you anywhere.' The audience was struck with awe, as well as Charles. In a conversation apart, Joan also told Charles of three things he had prayed for in private but a few days before.

After a long and tedious series of interviews by important Church officials, Charles had their approval to carry out his desire of making Joan Commander-in-Chief of the armies of France. Attendant to this was an impressive knighting ceremony and the gift of a black charger stallion upon which to ride. Her armour was silver and her cape, scarlet red. Though she was given a sword and helmet, she refused to use either, but Instead to lead the charge holding her banner with the cross and fleur d'lis aloft.

The older, much-seasoned generals were resentful of Joan at first and disregarded her battle plans, but after being repeatedly beaten by the English when they ignored her, they decided to go along. At that point, they couldn't lose. Every battle that Joan led was a victory, the plans having come as she said from her 'voices' or 'visions.' Because of this, the French felt she was a saint, and the English thought she was a witch.



After two years the tide of war had been decidedly turned back to the French side. The French royalty, who had made secret treaties with the English to remain in power and gain further lands because of their cooperation with the English, began to undermine Joan's position. A plot was hatched in order to capture Joan. Everyone knew that she was the first to lead her men into battle and the last to leave the field, always checking among the fallen for wounded. The plan was to pay off the mayor of Compiegne to draw up the bridge before she got safely inside. The plan worked and Joan was captured.

The English knew they could not execute a war prisoner, yet they wanted Joan dead, so they decided to have a jury of corrupt church officials declare Joan to be a heretic and condemn her to death. For months the trial went on, yet every trap laid by the prosecution was met with simple yet brilliant answers to their questions. Finally, they posed a trick question they were sure would cause Joan to admit she was against God. The question was this: 'Are you in the grace of God?' If she answered 'yes,' they could find her guilty of presumption upon the will and knowledge of God, which was akin to blasphemy and thereby condemn her. If she answered 'no,' they would have their automatic confession. No matter how she answered, they would have her.

The official record of the trial indicates that when they asked this final question, Joan paused for a moment and then gave her now famous answer 'If I am not, may He put me there ... and if I am, may He keep me there.' The courtroom went into thunderous disarray. They had played their trump card and Joan's simple wisdom had foiled their plans. But not to be outdone, they voted for her death anyway. Joan was burned at the stake on May 30, 1431. She neither cried out nor showed fear. As the flames roared up around her, she looked steadfastly at a cross attached to a long pole and held aloft by a priest. Her last words were 'Jesus, Jesus....' Hardened English soldiers wept and said, 'O Lord, we've killed a saint!'

In years to come, Jehanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc) would Indeed be declared a saint by the Catholic Church and French people would ever pay tribute to the young woman who turned the tide of war, allowing them to retain their beloved France.