JOAN OF ARC: BIOGRAPHY OF THE FRENCH HEROINE - HISTORY - 2025

Joan of Arc (1412-1431) was a recognized heroine of French nationality, who at just 17 years of age managed to unify the troops with the aim of expelling the English army from her lands. It achieved all this under the historical margin of one of the most convulsive times in European history.

This young French woman was characterized mainly by her humble origins and her notorious religious devotion. Before belonging to the troops of Carlos VII, Juana was a peasant from Domrémy and did not even have the basic knowledge of writing and reading; however, she mastered sewing and herding techniques.

Portrait of Joan of Arc. Source: Raymond Monvoisin

Her little academic gifts were not an impediment for the young woman to manage to liberate the siege of Orleans from the hands of the English troops. According to the heroine, these feats were achieved thanks to the divine mandate, which came to her through voices and visions with the aim of ordering her next military actions.

Juana was also known as La Pucelle, which means "The maiden." This title emphasized not only her youth and her gender, but also her purity in terms of the young woman's chastity.

After having helped the dolphin Carlos VII to get the throne of France, Joan of Arc was betrayed by the Burgos, who sold her to the English. These, eager for revenge, subjected her to a clerical trial by the Inquisition; in this trial Juana was sentenced to death.

However, after her death, people continued to recount their feats and values, perpetuating the medieval heroine through oral transmission. After five centuries she was declared patron of the French nation.

Background and historical context

At the beginning of the fourteenth century Europe was considered to have been invaded by all possible evils; Back then there was a severe famine, to which was added a terrible plague that had decimated a third of the population of the Old Continent.

In addition, the Hundred Years War (1337-1453) was developing, which increased terror in the medieval population. A large part of Europeans associated these evils with the beginning of the apocalypse described by Saint John in the last part of the sacred text.

According to experts, the conflict between the two European powers - France and England - is confusing and difficult to establish, since the interests of the monarchs and the rulers intermingled with each other, generating a whole network of conflicts within the political framework.

Generally, the favorite excuse of medieval rulers was to accuse others of territorial usurpation. In the Middle Ages the descendants and ascendants of the English and French monarchs were closely linked.

That is to say, there were many genealogical coincidences, which caused disputes regarding power and territories.

Joan of Arc and the Hundred Years War

Painting of Joan of Arc on horseback, manuscript of 1504.

In the 15th century the French nobility was defeated on four occasions, so it was close to annihilation. The French troops had been mercilessly murdered and their bodies were spread over all the territories of Crécy, Poitiers and Verneuil. Before the appearance of Juana, there was little left for the total extinction of the Gallic army.

The city of Rouen had decided to surrender and Paris, depleted by disease and war, was in the hands of the English.

The only territory that had not yet been raided by England was the city of Orleans, which at that time functioned as the heart of France. However, it was the next place the English wanted to go.

It was then that Joan of Arc appeared, a peasant woman who claimed to act by divine inspiration. This low-income young woman decided to lead the French to a range of victories, beginning in 1429.

Thanks to the encouragement of Juana, who had a special ability for rhetoric, they managed to rescue the Valoiscon crown and keep Orleans.

Finally, the French managed to expel the English troops thanks to the signing of the Capitulation of Normandy, in 1450. At that time Joan of Arc had already been sentenced to death; however, their actions marked the beginning of the end of a war that had dragged on for too long.

The young maiden as God's sword

Countless texts have been written about French heroine, some documented by specialized historians and others generated as a result of the compilation of oral literature and popular traditions.

The most common questions that revolve around this figure are: did Juana act by divine inspiration or was she a fake? Is it more of a madwoman with the pretense of a warrior, or was she really a participant in a miracle of God?

None of these questions can be specifically answered; However, what cannot be denied is the importance of this female figure to the history of the West, whose tragic death has inspired an extensive list of films, plays and poems.

origins

Engraving of Joan of Arc (Albert Lynch, 1903)

According to the chroniclers, it is probable that Joan of Arc was born in 1412; however, she herself was unaware of her date of birth, as was customary at that time among ordinary people of low status.

The true spelling of his surname is also unknown, since the D'arc form appeared a century and a half later. In any case, at that time Juana was better known as La Pucelle, nicknamed that by both the French and the English.

According to historians, one of the most interesting aspects of La Pucelle was the fact that she was not of high birth; she spent her days spinning wool and tending her flock. She did not know how to read or write and she had no knowledge of the art of warfare, as befits any woman of her time and her social status.

It is said that she was the youngest of five children and that her skills in hard work in the fields made it easier for her to use arms and armor when she joined the troops of King Charles VII.

Beginning of the visions

Joan of Arc began to have her mystical visions from the age of 13, when she began to hear a series of voices that she later called “her advisers”. At first they were only voices, then Juana indicated that she began to perceive the figures of those voices and they began to manifest themselves through a yellow glow.

Among the voices and figures that Juana swore to hear were those of San Miguel (accompanied by angels), Santa Catalina and Santa Margarita. These assertions of Pucelle have been strongly questioned throughout history.

Later, the voices revealed her mission to Juana: she would have the duty to help the dolphin Carlos to liberate the city of Orleans and expel the English.

In 1428 Juana made the decision to leave to give her help to the future king. First she went to Vaucouleurs in order to appear before Roberto Baudricourt, who ruled in that city for Carlos.

Baudricourt was a rude soldier, who did not want to believe Joan when she predicted the liberation of Orleans and the defeat of the French on the Day of the Herring. Instead of heeding her visions, Baudricourt ordered Juana's cousin (who was there with her) to take her to her father so that he could give her a beating.

La Pucelle

In 1429 Joan returned to visit the governor of Vaucouleurs, who was still skeptical. Nonetheless, La Pucelle remained persistent, eventually causing Baudricourt to relent.

On February 17 of that same year, Joan of Arc prophesied that the French forces would suffer a great defeat at Orleans, which went down in history as the Battle of the Herrings.

Seeing this, Baudricourt allowed the young woman to head towards the future king, who was in Chinón. On the way she was escorted by three men, dressed in male attire in order to protect her honor from the lust of the soldiers. This decision was used against her during the trial of the Inquisition court.

In fact, it is believed that she always slept dressed and that the men who approached her could not see her in a lewd way, arguing that there was something around her that suppressed any kind of improper thought.

Court skepticism

Upon arriving in Chinón, Carlos VII had hidden himself among the courtiers in order to test Juana's gifts. Without any effort the young woman managed to find him and, pointing at him with her finger, affirmed that she had recognized him among the others since his voice had revealed it to her.

La Pucelle was convinced that she was a key player in rescuing France from English hands. When asked for signs, she did not hesitate to answer that in the name of God the soldiers were going to battle and that it would be God himself who would give the victory. For this reason, she requested to be transferred to Orleans.

At first, a notable portion of the court doubted the young woman's abilities, so she had to undergo various tests. Even the king was still skeptical in the early days.

However, this changed when Juana told the king a very intimate secret that only he knew (probably related to his birth and his legitimacy); therefore, the king became convinced of Juana's pious mission.

In Poitiers, Joan of Arc was studied in detail by a large committee of bishops, doctors and sages, who sought to know the mysterious and divine nature that resided in the young woman. These connoisseurs were unsuccessful in their actions, so they had to admit that the maiden had indeed been sent to save the kingdom.

Transfer to Orleans

When the king authorized it, La Pucelle headed towards Orleans accompanied by 4000 men, also counting on the protection of the Duke of Alencon. It was an undisciplined and violent troop, with a fondness for looting. With these kinds of men a young maiden barely 18 years old had to deal.

In June and July 1429 the English surrendered in the cities of Meung and Troyes. Despite the fact that young Juana did not know anything about the acts of war, her faith in the visions and the faith that those around her placed in her, transformed Juana into a skilled soldier who was very brave among the other men.

Taking into account the chroniclers of the time, it can be said that Juana participated in seven military actions, bearing the weight of the armor like any other soldier. As mentioned above, Juana is thought to have these physical abilities due to her hard work in the fields.

These images transcended the time of Juana thanks to the words of her squire Aulon, who was in charge of describing the lady in as much detail as possible. It is worth noting that, despite her impetus, Juana was injured on several occasions, but this did not stop her.

La Pucelle never took direct command of the army, but he did advise and assist during military operations. She even complained to those soldiers who were late or who seemed to lose their spirits during battle.

The young woman was also in charge of banning looting and organized a series of confessions and masses for the troops. It also reduced the number of women accompanying the soldiers.

The Triumph of Joan of Arc in Orleans

The city of Orleans was under great English forces and food was scarce as was water. English soldiers were made up of skilled men with a great capacity for war.

The French attempted a first attack on the fortress of Saint-Loup without the presence of Joan, which ended in a terrible defeat. Aware of this, Juana decided to intervene with more force than ever.

Guided by the impetus of La Pucelle, the French soldiers managed to break the English lines. In three days the French recovered the fort and Orleans was freed from the English yoke. Juana's actions were celebrated by all the soldiers, who exalted her in their songs.

After this, the English general known as Talbot was taken prisoner, which brought with it the march to Reims and, finally, the official coronation of Charles VII, who at that time was consecrated as King of France.

Fall from

The divine power that guided and protected the young visionary quickly left her. Juana went to Compiégne, a city that was still under siege by English troops; at that time the maiden was taken prisoner by the Count of Luxembourg, who was an ally of Burgundy.

Some historians establish the possibility of treason, since Guillaume de Flavy, in charge of the city, did not try anything to free the young woman. Neither did the King of France later attempt it; since La Pucelle had fulfilled its warlike mission, it no longer served the French men.

It is even said that Juana represented a danger to the status quo of the moment, according to which a woman was only important to the extent that she could bring children into the world.

Being under enemy power, Juana was accused of acting according to the commands of the devil and not of God. The English took this opportunity to discredit all the achievements of Joan of Arc, since she had hurt the manly pride and reputation of the English military.

By order of the English, Juana was sent to the inquisitors of Paris with the purpose of adjudicating crimes related to witchcraft and certain superstitious practices. To all the accusations, Juana responded with honesty and common sense, which left the judges perplexed.

Death

Death of Joan of Arc. Hermann Stilke, 1843.

Pucelle's eloquence and power of conviction made her a dangerous agent, so her enemies were desperate to end her by accusing her of heresy. They not only sought to assassinate her, but also to discredit her in order to show the people that Juana was a liar sent by the devil himself.

In this way, the English could prove that King Charles VII was illegitimate, since he had been led by a girl possessed by the devil.

Joan of Arc spent a whole year being sold from villa to villa, until she reached an irregular ecclesiastical process that Juana was in charge of in her last months of life. Juana was not only accused of heresy and witchcraft, but she was also punished for having worn men's clothing for so long.

As a consequence of her rebellious acts, Juana was condemned to die at the stake, a sentence that was carried out on May 30, 1431. Numerous characters attended her death; among them a large number of English. It is said that many French people cried as they witnessed their painful last moments.

References

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3. Ramos, J. (2012) Joan of Arc, the sword of God. Retrieved on February 14, 2019 from Clío: clio.rediris.es
4. Sampedro, J. (sf) The family of Joan of Arc. Retrieved on February 14, 2019 from Dialnet: Dialnet.com
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