Female Warriors

Joan of Arc

*Above is an undated portrait of Joan of Arc by Henry Piffard*

Born around 1412, Joan d'Arc was the daughter of a tenant farmer, Jacques d'Arc from Domremy, a village in northeastern France. She was illiterate growing up but her mother raised her, to have a great dedication to the Catholic Church and it's teachings. At the time, France had been at war with England ( a conflict known as the 100 Years War), which England had the upper hand in. A peace treaty in 1420 disinherited the French crown prince, Charles of Valois. He was disowned, on allegations of being illegitimate and Henry V was made ruler of England and France, he was succeeded by his son Henry VI in 1422. Along with his French allies including Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, England successfully occupied most of France. Many of the people in Joan's village were forced to abandon their homes, under the threat of looming invasion.

When she was 13 she began to hear voices, which she believed to be from God, giving her a mission of greatest importance: to expel France's enemies and crown Charles as the rightful king. As part of this mission she took a vow of chastity. Her father tried to set up a marriage for her when she was 16 but she convinced a local court she couldn't accept the match. 

In May 1428, Joan made her way to Vancouleurs, a stronghold occupied by people loyal to Charles. Initially rejected by the local magistrate, Robert de Baudricourt, she persisted and amassed a small band of followers that believed she was the virgin who was destined to save France. After Baudricourt finally accepted her she cut her hair and dressed in men's clothing to make the 11 day journey to Chinon, where the crown prince's palace was located. She promised to crown Charles at Reims, the site where French monarchs were crowned traditionally. Joan than asks him to send her army to Orleans, which at the time was held by the English. Against the advice of his advisors and counsellors, Charles agreed and Joan rode for Orleans in March 1429, carrying a white flag and riding a white horse. After sending a defiant letter to the enemy she lead a number of attacks against them, driving the Anglo-Burgundians from their stronghold(s), forcing them to retreat over the Loire River.

After this victory, Joan's reputation grew immensely amoungst the French military. Joan and her force, escorted Charles to Reim, taking any resisting towns by force, allowing for him to be crowned in July 1429. Joan argued they should go on to take Paris, since they had the advantage. Charles hesitated and was warned by his close advisor, Georges de la Tremoille, that Joan was becoming too powerful. The Anglo-Burgundians in Paris fortified and were able to repel an assault led by Joan in September of that year. 

In the spring of 1430, the king ordered Joan to face a Burgundian assault on Compiegne. In an attempt to defend the town and it's inhabitants, she was thrown from her horse and left outside when the gates closed. She was captured by the Burgundians and brought to the castle of Bouvreuil, occupied by the English commander of Rouen. 

At the trial that ensued, she was ordered to answer to some 70 charges including; witchcraft, heresy and dressing as a man. The Anglo-Burgundians were trying to kill two birds with one stone: get rid of the rebel leader and dethrone Charles, who owed his kingship to Joan. In an attempt to distance himself from Joan, Charles made no move to negotiate her release. In May 1431, after being in captivity for a year and under the threat of death, she relented and signed a confession, saying she had never received divine guidance. For several days, she defied orders and donned men's clothing and authorities announced her death sentence. On the 30th of May, at the age of 19, Joan was taken to the old marketplace in Rouen and burned at the stake. However her fame only continued to grow after her death, 20 years after Joan died a trial ordered by Charles VII cleared her name. She was canonized as a saint by Pope Benedict XIV in 1920 but long before than she was renowned as a hero of mythical proportions inspiring countless works of art and literature in both France and England.

Footnotes:

Anglo-Burgundy- a part of France occupied by England, many of the occupants had roots in both France and England.

http://www.history.com/topics/saint-joan-of-arc