Who was Joan of Arc?

Answer

Joan of Arc was a young farm girl living in France in the early 1400s, near the end of the Hundred Years’ War. At only 13 years old, she claimed to have a vision from God that she would lead the French army to victory against England. She later took part in several battles that seemed to confirm the truth of her claims. However, Joan was executed as a heretic by the Catholic Church—the same church that later elevated her to sainthood. Joan of Arc has since been the subject of many artists and writers, and her remarkable story has been portrayed in various films.

Joan was the daughter of a man named Jacques d’Arc and his wife, who were farmers living in eastern France. Joan’s family was loyal to the crown, though they resided in an area of France mainly populated by Burgundians, who were loyal to the king’s cousin, John the Fearless. France was in turmoil due to conflicts within the royal family, and the country had become divided into warring factions. In 1415, Henry V of England took advantage of this turmoil and invaded. In 1424, Joan of Arc claimed to have received a vision from God. She stated that the archangel Michael, Saint Catherine, and Saint Margaret appeared to her in her father’s garden and informed her that the fate of the kingdom depended on her. The figures in the vision instructed Joan to expel the English from France and secure the crown of the Dauphin, Charles VII.

In a remarkable series of events, Joan approached a commander of the French army and requested permission to visit the royal French court to deliver her message. She was so convinced of the truth of her vision that she was not discouraged by the commander’s skepticism. She presented the court with a military strategy that the army leaders believed she could only have known through divine revelation, and they began to take her seriously. Over the following years, Joan of Arc participated in a variety of victories.ous battles, most notably a siege that ended only nine days after her arrival. Soon, Charles VII rose to the throne.

Joan of Arc was a controversial figure, even in her own lifetime. Some said her visions were from God, and others said they were from demons. Although the king and his armies took great care to test her abilities and character, charges of “cross-dressing” were brought against her because she had disguised herself as a man in battle. This tarnished her reputation as a good Christian, and she was tried as a heretic by the Roman Catholic Church and burned at the stake. She was only 19.

Twenty-five years after her execution, Pope Callixtus III reexamined the case against her, found that the charges were faulty, and declared her an innocent martyr and a saint. Joan of Arc is now one of nine patron saints of France.