Joan Of Arc

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A French saint and a heroine in the Hundred Years' war was Joan of Arc.

This farm girl helped save the French from English command and was often called

the Maid Orleans and the Maid of France. Her inspiration led the French to many

victories.

Joan Of Arc (In French Jeanne d'Arc) was born around 1412, in the

village of Domremy, France. She was a peasant girl who, like many girls of that

time, could not read or write. Her father, Jacques, was a wealthy tenant farmer

and her mother, Isabelle Romee, taught her how to sow, spin, and cook which she

was proud of. She also spent much of her time praying to and serving God. She

lived like most children did at that time, until when she was about thirteen.

According to Wagenknecht: "The Vision first came when she was first

thirteen...." 1 The vision was Saint Michael who said she should be a good

girl and go to church. When more and more Visions had come it started coming

clearer to her and when she saw Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret her duty was

clear, she was the chosen one to crown Charles the VII. 2

Since France had been fighting with England in what was called the

Hundred Years' War, much of Northern France was captured by the English,

including Reims where the coronation for kings had been held for over centuries

before him. Since Reims was captured, Charles the VII, who had not yet been

crowned; was still called the Dauphin. When Joan had these visions of Saint

Catherine and Saint Margaret, she told her family and friends. When she told

her father, he would not let her go. After when these Visions told her that

England and Burgundy, England's ally, were going to capture Orleans, one of

France's last strong forces, she knew she had to react. She needed to go to the

governor of Vaucouleurs, an agent of the Dauphin, and convince him to give her

an army to escort her to the Dauphin.

She first needed an escort to come with her to see the governor so she

asked her cousin, Durand Laxart. He, at first, was skeptical about it, but then

he soon came to Joan's side. When she told the governor, Robert de Baudricourt,

he said she was a fool and she should go home. But after some time of waiting,

Baudri-court let her go, under his protection, to the Dauphin with male

clothing, a sword, 3 a safe conduct pass, and a small escort. They departed

February 23. They safel...

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...tried as a witch under an ecclesiastical court.

She was handed over to Pierre Cauchon, bishop of Beauvais, on January

3rd, 1431. The sittings had begun on February 21 and continued over a period of

months. She was held in chains, harassed by countless questions, and threatened

with torture over this period of months; Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret

still gave her advice through all this. On May 24, 1431, Joan was taken to the

cemetery where she she was to been burned at the stake unless she recanted,

which she did. This is not really to clear to historians why she did that, but

many believe that she did not understand what the recant meant. Wagenknecht

stated that "Her own view, after she was herself again, or perhaps one should

say her report and interpretation of the view of her Voices in that matter, was

that she had imperiled her soul to save her life: 'It was the fear of the fire

which made me say what I did." 7 After her recanting she was sentenced from

death to life of imprisonment. Of her being treated so softly, the English were

furious. Joan had thought she was going 10 to be sent free but instead Cauchon

sentenced her to perpetual imprisonment.

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