Jeanne d'Arc (January 6, 1412, Domremy - May 30, 1431, Rouen), folk heroine of France.
Visions.
Zhanna was born into a peasant family. Her childhood occurred during the difficult period of the Hundred Years' War for France: according to the Treaty of Troyes (May 21, 1420), King Henry V of England became the heir to the French throne and ruler of France, and the legal heir, the Dauphin, the future King Charles VII, was removed from succession to the throne, which in fact meant the annexation of France to England. Rumor accused the Queen of France, Isabella of Bavaria, of being the initiator of this treaty; A prophecy spread throughout the country: “A woman destroyed France, a maiden will save her.” Around 1424, Jeanne began to have visions: Saint Michael the Archangel, Saints Catherine and Margaret appeared to her, convincing Jeanne to go to the legitimate king Charles VII, who was in the unoccupied British south of France, and save the country.
Jeanne's mission.
On March 6, 1429, Jeanne arrived at the castle of Chinon, where Charles VII was, and told him that her “voices” told her: she had been chosen by God to lift the siege of Orleans, which blocked the English way to the south, and then bring the king to Reims, site of the coronation of French kings. In the popular consciousness, the act of anointing performed there alone made the monarch a legitimate sovereign. Jeanne managed to convince Charles, and he sent her with an army to Orleans. By the time she arrived in this city (April 29, 1429), rumor had already claimed that she was the maiden who would save France. This inspired the army, and as a result of a series of battles in which Joan herself took part, the siege was lifted on May 8, 1429. The lifting of the siege and the subsequent series of victories by the French troops convinced the French that God considered their cause just and was helping them. The subsequent campaign against Reims turned into a triumphal procession of the royal army. On July 17, Charles VII was crowned in Reims, and during the solemn act, Joan held the banner over him. In August 1429, the French began to advance on Paris, which was occupied by the British.
The attempt to take it was unsuccessful, and despite Jeanne's insistence, the royal troops retreated. In the autumn - winter of 1429 and spring of 1430, Jeanne took part in a number of minor skirmishes with the enemy, and on May 23, 1430 she was captured by the British.
Judgment and death.
She was transported to Rouen, and on January 9, 1431, she appeared before the Inquisition. She was accused of witchcraft and heresy: the clergy subordinate to the English believed that by doing so they would harm Charles VII, because in this case he would be crowned a heretic and a witch. Jeanne defended herself with rare courage and resourcefulness, but on May 2, 1431, she was charged with witchcraft (charges of heresy were dropped) and was asked to renounce her belief in “voices” and the wearing of men’s clothing. On pain of death, she agreed to abdicate and was sentenced to life imprisonment on May 28. However, in prison, men's clothes were planted on her, which meant a relapse into the crime and automatically led to death. Despite the obvious provocation, Zhanna stated that she wore a man’s dress voluntarily, that she took back the renunciation and regretted it. Two days later she was burned alive in the market square of Rouen.
In 1455-1456, the process of posthumous rehabilitation of Joan of Arc took place in Bourges. On May 16, 1920, she was canonized by the Catholic Church.
In the spring of 1430, hostilities were resumed, but proceeded sluggishly. Jeanne was constantly faced with obstacles by the royal courtiers. In May, Jeanne comes to the aid of Compiegne, besieged by the Burgundians. On May 23, as a result of betrayal (the bridge to the city was raised, which cut off Joan’s escape route), Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians. King Charles, who owed her so much, did nothing to save Jeanne. Soon the Burgundians sold it to the British for 10,000 gold livres. In November - December 1430, Jeanne was transported to Rouen.
Trial and conviction
The Inquisition of Joan of Arc
The trial began on February 21, 1431. Despite the fact that Jeanne was formally tried by the church on charges of heresy, she was kept in prison under the guard of the British as a prisoner of war. The process was led by Bishop Pierre Cauchon, an ardent supporter of English interests in France.
The English government did not at all hide its involvement in the trial of Joan of Arc, nor the importance it attached to this trial. It covered all associated costs. Surviving and published documents from the English treasury in Normandy show that these expenses were considerable.
In the chronicles of the Venetian Morosini it is directly stated: “The English burned Joan because of her success, for the French were successful and, it seemed, would succeed endlessly. The English said that if this girl died, fate would no longer be favorable to the Dauphin.” During the trial, it became clear that it would not be so easy to accuse Jeanne - the girl stood at the trial with amazing courage and confidently refuted accusations of heresy and relations with the devil, avoiding numerous traps.
Since it was not possible to get her to confess to heresy, the court began to concentrate on those facts where Jeanne's voluntary confession was not required - for example, wearing men's clothing, disregarding the authority of the Church, and also tried to prove that the voices that Jeanne heard came from the devil. Contrary to the norms of the ecclesiastical court, Joan was not allowed to appeal to the Pope and the favorable conclusions of the Poitiers trial were ignored.
In the hope of breaking the will of the prisoner, she is kept in terrible conditions, the English guards insult her, the tribunal threatens her with torture, but all in vain - Jeanne refuses to submit and admit guilt. Cauchon understood that if he condemned Jeanne to death without getting her to admit guilt, he would only contribute to the emergence of an aura of martyrdom around her. On May 24, he resorted to outright meanness - he presented the prisoner with a ready-made pyre for her execution by burning and already near the pyre he promised to transfer her from an English prison to a church prison, where she would be provided with good care if she signed a paper renouncing heresies and obedience to the Church. At the same time, the paper with the text read to the illiterate girl was replaced by another, on which there was a text about the complete renunciation of all her “misconceptions”, on which Zhanna put an end to it. Naturally, Cauchon did not even think of fulfilling his promise and sent her back to her previous prison.
A few days later, under the pretext that Jeanne had put on men’s clothes again (women’s clothes had been taken from her by force) and thus “fell into her previous errors,” the tribunal sentenced her to death. On May 30, 1431, Joan of Arc was burned alive in the Old Market Square in Rouen. They put a paper miter on Jeanne’s head with the inscription “Heretic, apostate, idolater” and led her to the fire. “Bishop, I am dying because of you. I challenge you to God’s judgment!” - Zhanna shouted from the height of the fire and asked to give her a cross. The executioner handed her two crossed twigs. And when the fire engulfed her, she shouted several times: “Jesus!” Almost everyone cried with pity. Her ashes were scattered over the Seine.
Acquittal process
After the end of the Normandy War in 1452, Charles VII ordered the collection of all documents relating to the trial of Joan and an investigation into its legality. The investigation studied the documents of the trial, interviewed the surviving witnesses and unanimously came to the conclusion that during the trial of Zhanna, gross violations of the law were committed. In 1455, Pope Calixtus III ordered a new trial and appointed three of his representatives to oversee it.
The court sat in Paris, Rouen and Orleans, and an investigation was also conducted in Jeanne’s native land. The pope's legates and judges interrogated 115 witnesses, including Jeanne's mother, her comrades in arms, and ordinary residents of Orleans.
On July 7, 1456, the judges read a verdict, which stated that every point of accusation against Joan was refuted by the testimony of witnesses. The first trial was declared invalid, one copy of the protocols and indictment was symbolically torn in front of the crowd gathered. Jeanne's good name was restored.
In 1909, Pope Pius X declared Joan blessed, and on May 16, 1920, Pope Benedict XV canonized her (Feast Day - May 30). Currently, almost every Catholic church in France has a statue of Saint Joan of Arc. The Maid of Orleans is depicted in a man's suit, with a sword in her hand.
Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia
In the end, we note that we have presented here the classic version of the origin and life of Joan of Arc. At the moment, some French historians, not without reason, assert the girl’s noble ancestry, and in addition, prove that instead of her, a figurehead was burned at the stake, which allegedly gave rise to many legends that Jeanne is alive. But, apparently, it will no longer be possible to discover the truth.
The date of birth of Joan is considered to be 1412, however, in the decree of Pope Pius X on the canonization of the Virgin, the date is January 6, 1409, which is most likely more plausible.
“In my region they called me Jeannette... I was born in the village of Domremy, which is one with the village of Gre. The main church is in Gre... My father is Jacob d'Arc, my mother is Isabeletta, nicknamed Rome...
I was baptized, as far as I know, by Messire Jean Minet, who was at that time a priest in Domremy... My nickname is d'Arc or Rome - in my region girls are nicknamed their mothers...
“On the square,” wrote Jean Michelet, “three platforms were erected. On one of them was placed the royal and archbishop's sees, the throne of the cardinal of England, surrounded by the seats of his prelates. The second was intended for the characters in the dark drama: the preacher, the judge, the bailiff and, finally, the condemned woman herself. Separately visible was a huge plastered platform, littered with firewood. They spared nothing for the fire; it was frightening with its height. This was done not only to add solemnity to the burning ceremony, but also for a specific purpose: the executioner could only reach from below to the fire, located at a high altitude, and light it; thus, he was not able to either speed up the execution or put an end to the condemned woman, saving her from fiery torment, as he usually did with others... Jeanne had to burn alive. Having placed her on top of a mountain of firewood, above a circle of spears and swords, in full view of the entire square, one could assume that, having been burned for a long time and slowly in front of a curious crowd, she would finally show some weakness, if not a confession, would escape from her. then, at least, incoherent words that are easy to interpret in the desired sense; perhaps even quiet prayers or humiliated pleas for mercy, natural for a discouraged woman.”
All her tormentors were present at the execution of Jeanne - Cauchon, de Maitre, Warwick, the provocateur Loiseler... Cauchon read out the new decision of the “sacred” tribunal: “In the name of God, Amen... We, Pierre, by the mercy of God, Bishop of Beauvais, and brother Jean de Maitre, vicar of the doctor Jean Graveran, Inquisitor for Heresy... we declare with a fair verdict that you, Jeanne, popularly called the Virgin, are guilty of many errors and crimes. We decide and declare that you, Jeanne, must be rejected from the unity of the church and cut off from her body as a harmful member that can infect other members, and that you must be handed over to the secular power... We excommunicate you, cut you off and leave you, asking for the secular power commute your sentence by sparing you death and limb damage.” The inquisitors knew that their requests of this kind were rejected. Then they put a paper miter on Jeanne’s head with the inscription “Heretic, apostate, idolater” and led her to the fire. “Bishop, I am dying because of you. I challenge you to God’s judgment!” - Zhanna shouted from the height of the fire.
Chroniclers note that during the execution of Jeanne, Inquisitor Cauchon sobbed; perhaps he repented of the evil he had committed. Who knows..
Jeanne asked the executioner to give her a cross. The executioner, shedding tears, handed her two crossed twigs and held them before her eyes until Jeanne’s body turned to dust.
Joan of Arc at the stake of the Inquisition... | INLAND
October 16, 2011. No one knows how long Joan of Arc suffered in the fire, but eyewitnesses said that all her clothes were burned before she died. According to doctors, this is the worst pain a living organism can experience.
The purpose of this article is to show how the tragic death of Joan of Arc is connected with the “scenario” embedded in her FULL NAME code.
Watch in advance "Logicology - about the fate of man"
Let's look at the FULL NAME code tables. \If there is a shift in numbers and letters on your screen, adjust the image scale\.
Take the double code for the FULL NAME OF JOAN OF ARC:
5 6 23 34 42 43 57 71 77 96 115 116 121 122 139 150 158 159 173 187 193 212 231 232
D* A R K J A N N E T T A + D* A R K J A N N E T T A
232 227 226 209 198 190 189 175 161 155 136 117 116 111 110 93 82 74 73 59 45 39 20 1
8 9 23 37 43 62 81 82 87 88 105 116 124 125 139 153 159 178 197 198 203 204 221 232
J A N N E T T A D* A R K + J A N N E T T A D* A R K
232 224 223 209 195 189 170 151 150 145 144 127 116 108 107 93 79 73 54 35 34 29 28 1
JEANNETTE D* ARC = 116 = DEATH OF THE VOITE\ flax\.
116 = HYPOXIA = BRAIN POISONING.
232 = 116-DEATH OF THE VOITE\ flax \ + 116-...FLAX.
232 = 93-LESS + 139-BRAIN.
139 - 93 = 46 = SMOKE.
232 = 190-BRAIN + 42-BRAIN LESION.
190 - 42 = 148 = PERISHING FROM D\sm\.
232 = 190-DYING FROM SMOKE + 42-...SMA.
81 = SMOKE
____________________________
170 = DEATH BY SMOKE
BIRTH DATE code: 01/6/1409. This = 6 + 01 + 14 + 09 = 30 = CHAD, HIP\ oxia\.
232 = 30-CHAD + 202-CORN MONOXIDE DEATH.
202 - 30 = 172 = DEADLY.
232 = 30-CHAD + 202-DEADLY CHAD.
DEATH DATE code: 05/30/1431. This = 30 + 05 + 14 + 31 = 80 = CHEATED, FROM SMOKE.
232 = 80 + 152-LIFE IS COMPLETED.
232 = 80-LIFE IS COMPLETED \ + 152-LIFE IS COMPLETED.
152 - 80 = 72 = SMOKE KO\stra\.
Full DATE OF DEATH code = 161-THIRTIETH OF MAY + 45-\14 + 31\- (YEAR OF DEATH code) = 206.
206 = CHANTING = OXYGEN HUNGRY.
Code for the number of full YEARS OF LIFE = 86-TWENTY + 9-TWO = 95 = FIRE GAS.
Reference:
What is smoke from a fire or what does it consist of?
bolshoyvopros.ru›questions/1953059-chto…ot-kostra…
Smoke from a fire is a complex mixture of gases, vapors and aerosols, rising upward due to the fact that heated air is lighter than cold air.
232 = 95-TWENTY-TWO + 137-LIFE IS COMPLETE\ on\.
137 - 95 = 42 = COOL.
Let's look at the column in the top table:
57 = TWENTY \ two \ = ...THEN TWO
_________________________________________
189 = 95-TWENTY-TWO + 94-DEATH
189 - 57 = 132 = DEATH.
As we see, JEANNA actually immediately suffocated before the flames reached her.
The famous historical figure Joan of Arc, whose biography (brief history) begins in the distant 15th century, is considered a symbol of freedom and masculinity. The girl was born in the village of Domremy around 1412 in the family of Jacques d'Arc and his wife Isabella. In addition to Jeanne, there were other children in the peasant family. Of all her brothers and sisters, the young heroine became best friends with her older sister Catherine, who later left married and soon died at a young age.
The house of d'Arques stood in the center of the village, very close to the local church. For some time, Jeanne's father held the elected position of dean of the community and, accordingly, the population of the village of Domremy valued and respected him. Many peasants listened to Jacques d'Arques as a sensible and wise person .
Joan of Arc: a short biography for schoolchildren
What kind of child was Zhanna? From early childhood, the girl became accustomed to feeling like a member of the family of a respected person and strived to live up to her father’s status. Young Zhanna helped her mother with housework, learned to cook and enthusiastically listened to her parents' stories about the beautiful maiden who would save their village. Throughout her life in Domremy, Jeanne saw the glow of numerous fires, the screams of fellow villagers and firmly believed that the Virgin of Orleans, whose arrival was predicted many centuries before, would liberate their native lands. According to legend, it belonged to a popular character in many legends and knightly stories. Joan of Arc firmly believed in all the predictions and legends of past centuries. A short biography for children includes key facts about the girl's biography. And these historical events are very reminiscent of the legends associated with the Maid of Orleans.
Joan of Arc: biography, summary
It is generally accepted that the year of birth of the young heroine is precisely 1412, however, the date of January 6, 1409 is indicated in the canonization document. She preferred to call herself “Joan of the Virgin” rather than Joan of Arc. In her early years, the young heroine was often called Jeanette by her family.
At the age of 13, Zhanna heard the voice of the Archangel Michael in her head, who told her to listen to his story and accept her fate. According to Michael's revelation, it was Jeanne who was the Maid of Orleans, and only she was able to free the besieged Orleans, thus expelling all opponents.
When the girl turned 17, she went to the city captain without hesitation. At that time, he was recognized as Vaucouleur Baudricourt, who ridiculed the girl’s story that she supposedly had to defend her native lands. However, Zhanna did not give up and was accepted into their ranks the second time. The captain ordered several soldiers to be allocated to her after the girl predicted the defeat of the French at Orleans. Zhanna preferred to wear men's military clothing, arguing that in it she felt freer and stronger. Together with Jeanne, two of her best knights went to war - Jean de Metz and Bertrand de Poulangis.
Hostilities
The truly great heroine and martyr Joan of Arc, whose biography, a brief history of military affairs, begins with the siege of Orleans, was an unknown peasant woman. According to historical data, in March 1429, the young heroine arrived to the Dauphin, announcing that higher powers had determined her fate and predicted her victory. Therefore, she asked for an army in order to lift the siege of Orleans. The girl amazed everyone present with her extraordinary knowledge of military affairs and the intricacies of horse riding. Dauphin Charles hesitated for a long time, but after several days of deliberation he agreed to allocate an army to Jeanne in exchange for a promise that she had to confirm with higher powers his legitimacy and corresponding rights to the throne. Quite a large part of the population doubted that Charles was the rightful heir, which they were not afraid to express openly.
Further, after the king’s order, special armor and equipment began to be made for such a warrior as Joan of Arc. The biography, a brief history of the girl, is that throughout her life she defended her people, her lands and did everything in her power for this. She captivated many historians with her courage, masculinity and extraordinary faith in her victory.
Advance to Orleans
The next point in the course of hostilities was Blois, where Jeanne’s army was already waiting for her. The good news that their uprising was led by a girl sent by higher powers instilled confidence and courage in the warriors. Due to continuous attacks over 4 days, the young heroine lifts the siege of Orleans. Many military leaders of that time considered the mission to liberate Orleans from the British almost impossible.
Hostilities ceased until the spring of 1430. However, the royal courtiers disliked the young heroine and tried in every possible way to turn the public against her. After a long time, they finally succeeded. Thanks to the actions of the insidious courtiers, Joan of Arc was accused of treason, as a result of which she was captured by the British, where she was imprisoned in the tower of Rouen.
Trial
The trial of the heroine began in the last days of February 1431. According to the documents, Joan of Arc was tried by the local church, charging her with heresy and false testimony about higher powers. However, throughout the girl’s imprisonment, she was kept under the guard of the British as a prisoner of war. Bishop Cauchon of England did not hide his interest in the heroine’s case. just like the government of the country itself.The government of England fully paid all the costs and expenses associated with the Maid of Orleans, whose biography depended on the decision of the British, she fought to the last and believed in a higher power.
Interrogation and captivity
A short biography of Joan of Arc for grade 6 includes materials relating to her imprisonment in the tower of Rouen and some interrogations. During the entire time spent in captivity, the girl was mocked in every possible way, beaten and humiliated, thus showing their attitude towards her “false” prophecy. Most of the population of England considered her a false witness and a traitor to her homeland.
Execution of Joan of Arc
However, despite numerous tortures and threats, Joan of Arc did not break and did not admit her guilt. The sentence - death penalty - without an admission of guilt on the part of the accused, made the girl a martyr in the eyes of her people. Since the young heroine was illiterate, the judges decided to resort to deception, having slipped her documents for her signature allegedly about her release and return to her homeland. In fact, there was a certificate of complete renunciation of her predictions and an admission of guilt. Thus, the girl signed her own sentence.
On May 30, 1431, the girl was burned alive in the Old Market Square in Rouen. According to historical data, her ashes were scattered over the Seine. Joan of Arc, the biography whose brief history was completed so early, is a symbol of courage for many of us.
Joan of Arc (1412 - 1431) was a national heroine of France who successfully commanded French troops in the Hundred Years' War. She was burned at the stake by the British as a heretic. Subsequently, the church canonized her, having previously rehabilitated her. In this article you will get acquainted with her biography and learn about interesting facts from her life.
The date of birth of Joan is considered to be 1412, however, in the decree of Pope Pius X on the canonization of the Virgin, the date is January 6, 1409, which is most likely more plausible. Joan of Arc was born in the village of Domremy in the family of wealthy peasants Jacques d'Arc and Isabella Romeu. She never called herself Joan of Arc, but only “Joan the Virgin.” As a child, everyone called her Jeanette
House of Joan of Arc in Domremy. Nowadays there is a museum of the same name
Painting "The Vision of Joan of Arc" (artist Jules Bastien-Lepage, 1879)
When the heroine turned 17 years old, she went to the captain of the city of Vaucouleurs, Baudricourt, and told about her great mission. Naturally, he ridiculed her and Zhanna had to return to the village, but a year later she repeated her attempt. For the second time, the captain was struck by the young girl’s persistence. Jeanne predicted the defeat of the French at Orleans and he agreed to provide her with soldiers, as well as male military equipment. Subsequently, D'arc always dressed this way, citing the fact that it is much easier to fight in men's clothing. Such clothing, in addition, does not cause unhealthy attention among soldiers. Together with Jeanne, two of her faithful companions went to fight - the knights Jean de Metz and Bertrand de Poulangis
In March 1429, Jeanne arrived to the Dauphin, announcing that she had been sent by higher powers to liberate the country and asked for troops to lift the siege of Orleans. She surprised everyone with her knowledge of military affairs and horse riding. The secretary of Kings Charles VI and Charles VII said about her: “It seemed that this girl was brought up not in the fields, but in schools, in close communication with the sciences.”
Karl still hesitated, but after all the checks (the matrons checked her for virginity, messengers found out about her in her area, theologians conducted interrogations) he still entrusted her with the army and the operation to liberate Orleans. In addition, Jeanne, in the name of God, confirmed to Charles his legitimacy and rights to the throne, which many doubted.
For Joan of Arc, special armor is made (since she received permission from theologians to wear men's clothing), a banner and a banner. She was given the sword of Charlemagne himself, kept in the church of Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois
Charlemagne
Her next destination was Blois, where the army was already waiting, at the head of which Jeanne launched an attack on Orleans. The news that the army was led by a messenger of God inspired the soldiers and motivated them to heroic deeds. As a result, in 4 days D'Ark completely liberated Orleans, since the British were forced to lift the siege. Many military leaders considered this task completely impossible...
Military operations resumed in the spring of 1430, but proceeded rather slowly. The royal courtiers constantly tried to build all sorts of intrigues, as a result setting up a betrayal, because of which Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians. King Charles decided not to take any action to free Joan, and the Burgundians sold her to the British and transported her to Rouen
The photo shows the tower in Rouen in which Jeanne was imprisoned
The trial began at the end of February 1431. Formally, Jeanne was tried by the church, charged with heresy, but in prison she was kept under the guard of the British as a prisoner of war. Moreover, the trial was headed by Bishop Cauchon, a supporter of the interests of England, and the government of this country itself did not hide its interests in this matter. The British even paid all the legal costs and expenses associated with the case, which were quite significant.
Interrogation of Joan of Arc
Trying to break the will of the prisoner, she was kept in terrible conditions, constantly insulted and threatened with torture - but all this was to no avail, Zhanna did not plead guilty. The death penalty without admission of guilt would have created an even greater aura of martyrdom around D'Ark, so the judges resorted to deception by slipping in a paper renouncing heresies, which the illiterate girl had to sign, supposedly in exchange for pardon. In fact, because of illiteracy she signed a complete renunciation of all her errors
"Joan of Arc". Triptych
A few days later she was accused of having put on men's clothes again, when in fact they had taken away her women's clothes. As a result, the tribunal had no choice but to sentence the girl to death. On May 30, 1431, Joan of Arc was burned alive in the Old Market Square in Rouen with “heretic, apostate, idolater.” “Bishop, I am dying because of you. I challenge you to God’s judgment!” - Jeanne exclaimed and asked to give her a cross, and when the fire engulfed her, she shouted: “Jesus!” The ashes were scattered over the Seine, and her remains are allegedly kept in the Chinon Museum. But according to research, these relics do not belong to Joan of Arc
After the end of the war in Normandy in 1452, Charles VII initiated a process in order to acquit Joan. All documents were studied, all witnesses were interviewed, as a result of which everyone came to the conclusion that the execution was illegal. In July 1456, the judges read a verdict that completely exonerated the executed girl, restoring her good name
The Maid of Orleans is amazing to such an extent that some doubt: did it all really happen? Without a doubt it was. There is a lot of evidence about this in historical sources: chronicles, letters, court records, preserved in both France and England.
Entire libraries of scientific works and artistic texts have been written about Joan of Arc. Anatole France wrote about Jeanne; extremely subjective, but no less interesting for that – Voltaire. And the controversy surrounding the identity of the amazing French heroine does not subside.
Her life in history is less than 3 years - a rather short period. However, these 3 years made her immortal.
She was amazing. Although the impression sometimes created by school textbooks is absolutely wrong, as if she defeated the British. No, not only she, but France as a whole did not defeat the British in the Hundred Years' War in those years. This happened later. It is also not true that Joan of Arc led the popular movement. No, nothing like that happened. She was the king's commander.
She was presumably born on January 6, 1412. As always in the Middle Ages, the date of birth is inaccurate. But it is tragically indisputable that this very young girl was burned on May 30, 1431 in the square in Rouen.
After her death, scandalous rumors arose repeatedly, impostors appeared who called themselves after her. This is natural. Zhanna is too pure, too bright an image that seems ideal. And people, as you can see, have a base need in nature - to throw a lump of dirt into this purity.
Sadly, the great Voltaire was the first to throw dirt. It seemed absurd to him - a girl (virgin in a more accurate translation from Latin), a symbol of purity, surrounded by soldiers. However, if you look more closely at her life, everything can be explained.
Zhanna comes from the village of Domremy. She is a peasant and shepherdess by origin. Her last name is Dark; the spelling d'Arc, indicating nobility, appeared later. Some of those who attack Joan today simply do not want to acknowledge the historical role of a man of the people. That is why her peasant origin has been repeatedly questioned. Versions arose that she was the bastard daughter of the depraved Queen Isabella, sent to the village as a baby.
Meanwhile, during the rehabilitation process of Joan of Arc, a lot of evidence was collected. Eyewitnesses reported on her childhood, youth, and how she took part in all village holidays, when girls danced in circles.
Joan was born during the Hundred Years' War, three years before the renewal of this great confrontation between the two leading Western European kingdoms. Officially, the war had been going on since 1337. Several major battles took place - and all were unsuccessful for the French. 1340 - defeat of the French fleet at Sluys, 1346 - defeat of the French army in the foot battle of Crecy, 1356 - victory of a smaller English detachment under the command of the Black Prince Edward over the army of the French king at Poitiers. The French army fled in disgrace, the king was captured. The feeling of national shame grew stronger in the country.
Immediately after the Battle of Poitiers, the idea of a man from a simple background who should bring salvation appeared among the people. In one of the chronicles there is a story about a certain peasant who crossed all of France. The fact is that an angel appeared to him in a dream and ordered him to go to the king and tell him not to accept the battle at Poitiers. Amazingly, the peasant was actually able to reach the king and ended up in his tent. The king listened and said: “No, I am a knight! I can’t cancel the battle.”
1360 - the most difficult peace for France was concluded in Bretigny: according to it, approximately half of the French lands were under English rule. A threat arose to the very existence of the French kingdom and the Valois dynasty, a subsidiary branch of the Capetians, who had ruled the country since the 9th century. This ancient, stable, strong, once strong kingdom could simply disappear!
So, France practically no longer exists. At the same time, many of the major feudal lords recognized Henry V as the future king of France. Some became his allies, such as the Duke of Burgundy.
Meanwhile, the girl Zhanna was growing up in her village. She was 13 years old when she first heard the voices of St. Catherine, St. Margaret and St. Michael, who began to convey to her the will of God related to the salvation of the country. The fact that she heard voices is not at all unique. There is such a phenomenon - medieval visionaryism.
Visions and voices from above are quite real for the man of the Middle Ages, with his inability and unwillingness to separate the heavenly, otherworldly life and the here, earthly life by impassable boundaries. For him, all this is whole, one. For example, at the court of the Dauphin Charles, who did not go into exile, but settled in the southwest of France, all sorts of sorcerers and prophets were willingly accepted and loved. In general, this figure is not so unusual for the era.
Legally, the king of England already ruled in France. But the French did not obey! The Dauphin Charles declared that he was the rightful heir, and his supporters crowned him at Poitiers. This was not the traditional coronation, which, according to centuries-old tradition, is held in Reims Cathedral, where the sacred oil for anointing kings is kept. And yet, the hopes of those to whom the already born concept of “France” was infinitely dear rushed to Charles. The not entirely legitimate king became the center of patriotic forces.
And so the 16-year-old girl Jeanne in May 1428, accompanied by a distant relative, came to the commandant of the nearby fortress of Vaucouleurs Baudricourt and said that she needed to go to the Dauphin Charles, because she had an order from God. First, she must meet with the Dauphin and gain the right to lift the siege of Orleans. Secondly, to achieve the coronation of the heir in Reims. God's will is to recognize the legitimacy of his origin. It was impossible to provide him with more moral support at that moment. After all, for him the main question is whose son he is, the king or not.
At first, Baudricourt refuses, considering it all complete nonsense. But the girl was still standing under his windows in a red dress (it seems that she had the only one).
Afterwards the commandant of the fortress listened to her again. She spoke simply, but there was something brilliant in the clarity of her answers, in her conviction. And Baudricourt may have heard that at the Dauphin’s court they love prophets. This gave him a chance: what if he would be noticed if he could help this girl. Although it is possible that he really believed her. Something extraordinary emanated from her - thousands of people soon became convinced of this.
Jeanne was given escorts, and she went to see Charles, who was given an audience. There were many people in the hall where she was taken. Karl wanted her to be able to determine who the Dauphin was.
And she recognized him. How could this happen to a simple peasant woman?
Be that as it may, a short conversation took place face to face between the Dauphin and Jeanne. And after that, he agreed to have her checked by a special commission, which would make sure that she was not a messenger of Satan.
A commission of theologians gathered in Poitiers and talked with Jeanne. They also checked that she was a virgin. This was especially important. There was an idea in the mass consciousness: a woman would destroy France, and a girl would save it.
Where does this idea come from? The country is monarchical, moving towards absolutism, the role of the royal entourage is growing. People associated several stories from the Hundred Years' War with the bad influence of women on kings.
The wife of Charles VI is Isabella of Bavaria. A foreigner, which is no longer good. The husband is crazy. Ideal behavior of the wife in this case is hardly possible. It is difficult to say whether she was so depraved or simply politically chose the Duke of Orleans as her supporter. The Treaty of Troyes was also inspired by Isabella. She was able to persuade her husband to sign this terrible document. And the rumor kept saying: women are ruining France.
And the girl will save you. These ideas have biblical origins: the Mother of God is a symbol of purity and innocence.
In the most difficult moments of life, Christians turn to her image. By the time Jeanne appeared at the court of the Dauphin Charles, there were already a lot of records about the Virgin in the chronicles. People were expecting her to appear. This is a case of mass emotional belief - a manifestation of the “collective unconscious,” as representatives of the French historical Annales School called it.
Jeanne led the lifting of the siege of Orleans. She fought fearlessly. A small figure in light armor, which was made especially for her, was the first to storm the small fortresses around Orleans. The English who were besieging the city settled in these fortresses (they were called bastides). Zhanna was an ideal target for them. During the capture of the bastide of Turel, she was wounded; an arrow hit her right shoulder. Jeanne fell, to the delight of her enemies.
But she immediately demanded that the arrow be removed and rushed into battle again. And yet her courage is not the main thing. Her opponents, the English, are also medieval people. They believed that the Virgin was capable of performing miracles. There are many records of such “miracles”. So, when Joan of Arc with a small guard was heading to the court of the Dauphin, it was necessary to cross the river, but a strong wind rose. Zhanna said: we need to wait a little, the wind will change. And the wind changed its direction. Could this happen? Certainly! But people explain everything as a miracle, which they always want to believe in.
The presence of Joan of Arc gave rise to unprecedented inspiration in the French army. The soldiers and their commanders (for example, the Duke of Alençon, who firmly believed in the mission of the Virgin) were literally reborn. They were able to drive the British out of the bastides, destroying the siege ring. Everyone knew what Jeanne said about the path that leads to the liberation of France: “Soldiers must fight, and God will grant them victory.”
Quite the opposite changes took place in the army. The British were shocked by the unexpected and such a rapid change in military happiness and began to believe in the divine will acting on the side of the French. Rumors spread that even at the beginning of the siege, God indicated to the British the need to leave the walls of the city by allowing the absurd death of the commander-in-chief, the famous commander Earl of Salisbury. The popular military leader, covered in glory, did not die in battle. He was killed by a cannonball during a skirmish near the walls of Orleans.
1429, May 8 - the siege of Orleans was lifted, the city was liberated. The first point of the order received by Joan of Arc from above has been completed.
From this time on, Joan of Arc was the official commander of the king. She is in her light armor, with a sword, which was miraculously found in the altar, with a white banner - a symbol of purity. True, in France, white is also a symbol of mourning.
The second point remains. And Joan leads King Charles VII to Reims. The gates of cities occupied by the British are opened for her, the keys are taken out, crowds of people run out to meet her. If this does not happen, her army takes the fight. Jeanne was surrounded by commanders who believed in her - excellent warriors who had extensive experience. And these two forces united - spiritual and purely military.
The coronation took place in Reims. How many paintings have been written on this topic! Each era depicts this event in its own way. But, apparently, there is no doubt that Joan of Arc stood next to the king, now the legal Charles VII. She rode with him through the streets of Reims, and amid the cries of the crowd “Long live the Virgin!” sounded more often than “Long live the king!” Not every person can withstand this, especially someone like Karl, who longs for self-affirmation after many years of humiliation.
Probably, at this moment of victory and glory, Joan of Arc should have returned home. But she didn't want to. Her famous statement is: “I must fight to the end. It's noble." She sincerely believed in it. And she started taking Paris.
This is the beginning of the tragedy. Not because it was militarily impossible. Simply, by that time the king had already become hostile to her: he did not want Paris to be liberated by the hands of some peasant woman.
It is significant that Joan of Arc did not ask the king for anything for herself personally - only tax exemption for the residents of her native village. And even this privilege was not given forever: then the zoning was changed, the boundaries were clarified - and that’s it, the peasants from Domremi lost all their advantages.
For herself, Zhanna did not need anything - just to fight on. It should be noted that at this moment she moved on to that part of her activity that was not prescribed to her from above.
The battle for Paris took place. The British resisted desperately. According to one version, they heard rumors that Jeanne had lost her virginity and was no longer afraid of them. But the main thing is that at the height of the assault, the king gave the order to sound the all-clear signal. The generals could not help but obey the king's order. The assault failed, and Joan of Arc was wounded in the thigh. The enemies gloated: she is not invulnerable! But she never declared herself invulnerable.
After this failure, Zhanna felt that everything had changed, she was being forced out: they were not listening, they were not inviting her to the military council. And in April 1430 she left the court. She joined the army that recaptured castles and fortresses in the Loire River valley from the British.
1430, May 23 - near the city of Compiegne she was captured. The portcullis of the gate lowered in front of her as she returned to the city after a sortie. It fell into the hands of the Burgundians. In December they resold it to the British. It is not known for sure whether Joan of Arc was betrayed at Compiegne. But there is no doubt that she was betrayed earlier - near Paris, just as she was betrayed later, when they did not try to recapture or ransom it from the British.
The English decided to try Jeanne, accusing her of serving the devil. Charles VII was afraid to offer a ransom for her. Apparently, he assumed that she would waver, renounce, admit that she was from the devil. Then from whose hands did he receive the crown?
The most difficult process lasted from January to May 1431. The investigation was headed by the French bishop Cauchon, translated from French as “pig”. Since that time, the word “cauchon” has been associated in France with the theme of national betrayal. An unjust church court found her guilty of heresy.
She was able to maintain her convictions, the belief that she was a messenger of God, although there was a moment when she wavered. She was ready to admit that she had sinned because she wore a man's suit. At the trial, she answered very cleverly, “being all the time among men, where it is much more decent to be in a man’s suit.”
More than 20 years later, in 1456, Charles VII, who continued to fight the British and went down in history as the Victor (by the 50s of the 15th century, the British were ousted from France), organized the process of rehabilitation of Joan of Arc. Now he had to cement the bright image of the Virgin in the memory of generations. Numerous witnesses were called and spoke about her life and her purity. The verdict was passed - to annul the conviction of Joan of Arc as unfounded. And in 1920, the Catholic Church canonized her.
Today we understand that it was during Jeanne’s short life that the French nation took shape and rose to its feet. And also the French monarchy. And Voltaire did not like Jeanne precisely because he saw in her a desperate champion of the monarchy, not understanding that in the Middle Ages the king and the nation, the king and France were one and the same. And Joan of Arc forever gave us a beautiful luminous point of her life, unique, like a masterpiece of art.
E that post about the martyr Saint Joan, how can one not remember her, and even on the day of her execution...
However, there may not have been an execution at all... but official history considers May 30 to be the day of the burning of Jeanne d'Arc, a simple peasant woman who is still known throughout and is especially revered in France as a national heroine.
Jeanne was one of the commanders of the French troops in the Hundred Years' War. Captured by the Burgundians, she was handed over to the British, condemned as a heretic and burned at the stake on charges of heresy and witchcraft. Almost five hundred years later (in 1920) she was canonized by the Catholic Church...
The Lord gave the people 4 promises through Joan: that the siege of Orleans would be lifted, that the Dauphin would be dedicated and crowned in Reims, that Paris, captured by the British, would be returned to the rightful king of France, and that the Duke of Orleans, who was then captured by the British, would return to his homeland. All this seemed incredible, but it came true exactly.
Her image was glorified in various artistic and literary works, including by Voltaire and Schiller. Many scientific studies have been written about her, and despite this - and perhaps precisely because of this, the controversy surrounding her fate not only does not subside, but, on the contrary, flares up with increasing force.
The official history of the life of the Virgin of Orleans has existed since the time of the French Revolution and is detailed in school textbooks.
Joan of Arc was born in the village of Domremy, in Lorraine, in the family of the farmer Jacques d'Arc (Jacques or Jacquot d'Arc, around 1375-1431) and his wife Isabelle (Isabelle d'Arc, née Isabelle Romee de Vouthon, 1377- 1458) around 1412.
It was a difficult time for France. The Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) had been going on for more than seventy years, and during this time the French managed to lose most of the territory of the kingdom.
In 1415, the British landed in Normandy with an army under the command of a talented commander - the young King Henry V.
In the fall of 1415, the famous Battle of Agincourt took place, as a result of which the entire flower of the French aristocracy was captured. A civil war began in the country between the Burgundians and the Armagnacs, while the British, meanwhile, captured one territory after another.
At the age of 13, Jeanne began to have “visions” - she heard “voices”, talked with saints who called on her to go save France. The girl believed with all her heart in her unusual destiny. The saints who appeared to her hinted at a well-known prophecy, according to which one woman destroyed France, and another woman, and a virgin, would save the country.
House of Joan of Arc in Domremy. Nowadays it is a museum.
The poor daughter of a plowman at the age of 17 leaves her father's house, gets to Chinon, where the young King Charles VII (Charles VII, 1403-1461) was at that time, tells him about her destiny. He, believing her, gives her a detachment of knights to subordinate. This is how Zhanna's career begins. There will be battles, victories, the liberation of Orleans, after which she will receive the nickname Maid of Orleans. Then - captivity, accusations, interrogations and death at the stake in 1431... it seems that everything is simple and clear.
However, for several decades now, the official version has been systematically challenged by some historians, mainly French, pointing to certain incomprehensible moments in Jeanne’s biography.
Chroniclers hesitate in naming the date of the virgin’s execution. President Hainault, superintendent on the staff of Queen Maria Leszczynska, names the date of execution as June 14, 1431. English chroniclers William Caxton (1422-1491) and Polydore Virgil (1470-1555) claim that the execution took place in February 1432. Big difference.
Zhanna’s strange and dizzying career itself raises many doubts. Medieval society was strictly class-based and hierarchical. For everyone in it, their place was determined among the Oratores - those who pray; Bellatores - those who fight, or Aratores - those who plow.
The tower in Rouen, where Joan was interrogated, and the monument at the site of her burning.
Noble boys were trained to become knights from the age of seven, while peasants were treated like animals. How could it happen that a commoner was given command of a detachment of knights? How could knights, raised from birth as warriors, agree to be commanded by a peasant woman? What should be the answer to a poor peasant girl who stands at the gates of the royal residence and demands a meeting with the king in order to tell him about her “voices”? Weren't there a lot of cunning blessed ones with voices at that time? Yes, that's enough!
Jeanne was received in Chinon by the king's mother-in-law Yolande d'Aragon, duchess d'Anjou, 1379-1442, Charles VII's wife Marie d'Anjou (1404-1463) and the king himself. She was brought to the court at the expense of the treasury, accompanied by an armed escort, which consisted of knights, squires, and a royal messenger. Many nobles had to wait days for an audience with the king, but the “peasant woman” was allowed in to see him almost immediately.
The Bulletin of the Society of Archeology and the Lorraine History Museum reports that “in January 1429, on the square of the castle in Nancy, Jeanne, on horseback, took part in a tournament with a spear in the presence of the nobility and people of Lorraine.” If we take into account that fighting in tournaments was possible only for the nobility, that shields with the emblems of the combatants were displayed around the lists, then the appearance of a peasant woman on it does not fit into any framework of that society. In addition, the length of the spear reached several meters, and only specially trained nobles could wield it. At the same tournament, she amazed everyone with her ability to ride a horse, as well as her knowledge of games accepted among the nobility - kenten, a ring game. She was so impressed that the Duke of Lorraine gave her a magnificent horse.
During the coronation of Charles in Reims, only Joan's standard (white, strewn with golden lilies) was unfurled in the choir of the cathedral. Joan had her own court staff, including a maid of honor, a butler, a page, a chaplain, secretaries, and a stable of twelve horses.
How do you like this Zhanna, nude... and with a Nazi salute? This is from the French artist Gaston Bussiere (1862-1929).
Some researchers believe that Jeanne's father was Duke Louis of Orleans, which was also known to representatives of the dynasty (supporters of this version argue that in this case Joan of Arc was born in 1407). Jeanne's rich wardrobe was paid for by Duke Charles d'Orléans Orleans, 1394-1465).
But who is Jeanne’s mother in this case? Following Ambelain, Etienne Weil-Reynal and Gerard Pesme believe that this is most likely Isabella of Bavaria (Isabeau de Baviere, 1371-1435), wife of Charles VI, mother of Charles VII. She was the mistress of Louis d'Orléans for many years.
Charles VI, nicknamed the Mad (Charles VI le Fou, 1368-1422), could not stand the sight of his wife. She lived separately in the Barbet Palace, where Louis was a frequent guest. He was called the father of at least two of Isabella's children - Jean (born in 1398) and Charles (born in 1402). Jeanne's birth took place in this very palace, and she was immediately sent to her nurse Isabella de Wouton. It is also clear why the child had to be hidden. It was necessary to protect the girl, since her father, Louis d'Orléans, was killed by assassins just a few days after Jeanne's birth.
Here again we can highlight a fact that refutes the prevailing opinion that Zhanna was just a peasant woman. Some researchers believe that the daughter of a man named Jacques d'Arc and a woman named Isabella de Vouton simply must be a noblewoman - the prefix “de” in the surname indicates noble origin. But such a tradition arose in France only in the 17th century. During the period described, this letter meant the prefix “from”. That is, Jeanne from Arc, so not everything is so simple...
"Joan of Arc". Painting by Rubens.
Representatives of the d'Arc family were in the royal service even before Jeanne was born. That is why this family was chosen to raise Jeanne.
Coat of arms of Joan of Arc. Illustration (Creative Commons license): Darkbob/Projet Blasons
How else can one substantiate the claim about her noble origin? The coat of arms given to her by Charles VII. The royal charter says: “On the second day of June 1429... the lord king, having learned about the exploits of Jeanne the Virgin and the victories won for the glory of the Lord, endowed... the named Jeanne with a coat of arms...”. Golden lilies were considered the flower of France, in other words, the symbol of “princes and princesses of the blood,” which is also confirmed by the open golden crown on Joan’s coat of arms.
The king doesn’t even mention giving Jeanne a noble title, which means she already has it. With his coat of arms, he makes it clear that he considers Jeanne a princess of royal blood.
If we consider everything said to be true, then Jeanne will have to be recognized as the half-sister of King Charles VII of France, half-sister of the Dukes of the Orleans dynasty - Charles and Jean Dunois, half-sister of Queen of England Catherine de Valois (1401-1437), sister of Charles VII, aunt King of England Henry VI (Henry VI, 1421-1471). In these circumstances, Joan's execution at the stake in Rouen in 1431 seems unthinkable.
It was impossible to burn a girl of such high birth on charges of witchcraft. The question of why this performance was needed is too complex and is the topic of a separate article.
Now we are talking about something else, about Jeanne’s life after... her official execution. To understand how Jeanne was able to avoid execution, it is worth turning to the description of this sad event: “In the Old Market Square (in Rouen), 800 English soldiers forced the people to make room... finally, a detachment of 120 people appeared... They surrounded a woman covered... with a hood up to the chin..." It is only in artists’ paintings that she has an open face and wears elegant clothes.
According to historiographers, Jeanne’s height was about 160 cm. Considering the double ring of soldiers around her and the cap on her face, it is not possible to say with certainty what kind of woman she was.
The opinion that another woman was burned instead of Jeanne was shared by many chroniclers and famous people, both contemporaries of Jeanne and those who lived later. One of the chronicles kept in the British Museum says literally the following: “In the end, they ordered her to be burned in front of all the people. Or some other woman who looks like her.”
And the rector of the Cathedral of St. Thibault in Metz writes five years after the execution: “In the city of Rouen ... she was raised to the stake and burned. That's what they say, but the opposite has since been proven."
The materials of the trial prove even more convincing that the Maid of Orleans was not burned. Advocate General Charles du Lye, back in the 16th century, drew attention to the fact that in the documents and protocols of interrogations of the virgin there was no death sentence or official act certifying the execution of the sentence. But if the Maid of Orleans was not burned at the stake, then what was her future fate?
In 1436, five years after the fire in Rouen, an entry appears in the documents of the noble des Armoises family: “The noble Robert des Armoises was married to Jeanne du Lys, a virgin of France... November 7, 1436.” The surname du Lys was borne by the sons of Jeanne's official father.
And in the summer of 1439, the Maid of Orleans herself came to the city she had liberated. She now bore her husband's surname - des Armoises. She was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of townspeople, which included many people who had seen her before.
Another remarkable entry appeared in the city’s account book about the payment of a large sum of money to Jeanne des Armoises - 210 livres “for the good service rendered to the city during the siege.” The heroine was recognized by those who knew her well four years ago - her sister and brothers, Marshal of France Gilles de Rais (1404-1440), Jean Dunois and many others.
Jeanne died in the late summer - early autumn of 1449 - it is from this period that the documents testifying to her death date back. Only after this did her “brothers” (meaning the sons of Jacques d’Arc) and her official mother (Isabella de Vouton) begin to be called “brothers of the late Joan of the Virgin” and “Isabella, mother of the late Virgin.”
This is what one of the most common alternative versions of the origin of the heroine of the Hundred Years War looks like today.
Official science does not recognize the arguments of supporters of alternative versions. But one way or another, the question of the origin of Joan of Arc remains open: it is not at all easy to dismiss the facts that speak of her noble origin. The basis of the information: research by Elena Ankudinova.
There are more than 20 films based on the story of Joan of Arc. The first of them was filmed at the dawn of cinema, in 1898. By the way, have you watched the film “The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc”? The film is from 1999, but I recommend it, where Joan is played by Milla Jovovich.
But the French remember and love Jeanne... and it doesn’t matter whether she was burned or not, the people’s faith in her martyrdom can no longer be refuted. This is already a personality - a legend...
Monument to Joan in Paris.
Pictures and photos (C) from different places on the Internet.
