On a midsummer day in 1424, a young girl working in her family garden in the small village of Domremy, France, saw a strange light and then heard a voice. The voice told her to help Charles, the rightful king of France, win back the crown. By the time she died at age nineteen, she had accomplished this goal. Today, this brave young woman is known as St. Joan of Arc and is celebrated as France’s national heroine.
Joan of Arc’s War-Torn Childhood
Joan of Arc was born in France in 1412. At this time, the English and French were in the midst of the Hundred Years’ War. France was also divided by a civil war between two factions, the Armanacs and the Burgundians. The Armagnacs believed that Charles VII was the legitimate successor to the throne, whereas the Burgundians allied themselves with the English and favored the English king, Henry V, to succeed. By 1422, the English and the Burgundians controlled all of northern France.
The fate of France lay in the city of Orleans, nestled in the territory surrounding Joan of Arc’s childhood home. This was a strategic location because both the English and the French had to take control of Orleans in order for their armies to advance.
The ongoing conflicts strongly affected the young Joan of Arc. On several occasions, Joan and her family, who were loyal Armagnacs, were forced to flee their home when English troops raided their village, setting houses on fire and killing many people. No one in Joan’s family was harmed, which she attributed to the will of God.
Voices and Visions
From childhood, Joan was a devout Christian who attended church at least once every day. Many people in the town were concerned that Joan spent far too much time at church for a young girl, but Joan continued to go despite the concerns of her family and friends.
When she was twelve years old, Joan received her first visit from the Archangel Michael. In this mystical experience, she heard the voice of Michael tell her that, one day, she would successfully lead the French army against their English oppressors. She would also help Charles return to Reims, the city where French kings were traditionally crowned, to take his place on the throne. At first, Joan doubted the voice. She fell to her knees and prayed, "Oh, Lord, how can I, a young maiden, lead an army to save France? Is this a true vision, or one of Satan’s lies?" Her questions were answered by a vision of St. Catherine and St. Margaret. They urged her to be strong and to trust in the Lord. Joan, nevertheless, did not feel ready to lead an army, so she quietly disobeyed. Instead of going to see Charles, she sought guidance at church and continued her normal life for four more years.
Joan’s First Battle
After a particularly vicious raid by the English in 1428, Joan finally decided to follow the directions of the Archangel Michael and lend her help to Charles’ army. With the assistance of her family, she rode to Vaucouleurs, a nearby town, to speak with the Armagnac army captain stationed there. Initially, he refused to listen to her, but she insisted. To persuade the captain to allow her to meet with the heir to the throne, she predicted that his troops at Orléans would be betrayed. Sure enough, a badly wounded soldier arrived in Vaucouleurs and confirmed Joan’s claims. This convinced the captain, and he decided to help her reach Charles. For eleven days, Joan, disguised in men’s clothes, traveled on horseback with an escort through dangerous Burgundian territory.
When Charles heard that an illiterate village girl was coming to deliver a message from God, he thought it might be some kind of trick. He decided to test her. Joan was brought into a large hall where a finely dressed man was seated on the throne. Other nobles were standing on either side. Without being informed which of the men was the true king, she dropped to her knees in front of Charles, who was disguised as one of his noblemen, and said, "Most Noble Lord, I was sent in the name of God to bring aid to you and your kingdom. I can lead you to victory if you will give me an army."
Impressed by Joan’s knowledge, Charles gave her a suit of armor, a sword, and command of a small army. She then set out for Orléans, which had been under siege by the English for over six months. More and more people around the country joined her army when they learned that God had sent her to lead them to victory. Once they reached Orleans, they attacked the English. Joan stood holding the French flag, even though arrows, flaming oil, and rocks were being hurled at her and her troops. With Joan beside them, the French soldiers were triumphant, ending the siege in nine days.
The Hope of the People
The Armagnac army’s win at Orléans gave hope to those loyal to Charles, and Joan’s army continued to grow. When Charles met Joan to congratulate her on her victory, she told him that it was time to be crowned at Reims. This was no easy task; Reims was located deep within enemy territory, but Joan assured Charles that it could be done.
She led her army all summer, and they succeeded in winning both Paris and Reims back from the English. Joan was injured several times, but on each occasion, she returned to the battlefield and led her soldiers to victory. By that winter, Joan had led France to many victories: Charles had been crowned, Paris had been liberated, and the English were retreating.
A Tragic Ending
Joan knew that if she could raise additional support and money for her army, she could finish the mission entrusted to her by the saints and push the English entirely out of France. All winter, she sent letters to French nobles asking for support, but none came. She was simply no longer necessary to unite the kingdom.
On May 24, 1430, Joan was defending the town of Compiegne, not far from Paris. When the drawbridge was raised to protect the townspeople inside, Joan was stranded outside the town’s walls. She was swiftly captured and handed over to the English for an enormous reward. The English decided to put Joan on trial for being a witch and a heretic. If they could prove that Joan used sorcery to achieve her victories, then they could claim that Charles had been made king by witchcraft. The English cited the fact that Joan had worn men’s clothing as proof of her heresy. Joan tried to explain, but the English court found her guilty and sentenced her to death.
On the day of her execution, soldiers took Joan from her prison and tied her to a stake on top of a great pile of firewood. Joan was only nineteen years old. An English soldier took pity on her and gave her a small wooden cross. Joan took the cross, kissed it, and exclaimed, "To those of you who have condemned me unjustly, I forgive you! I will pray that God takes mercy on your souls." The wood was set on fire, and as the flames engulfed her, she prayed.
Many of those involved in the trial realized that it was politically motivated. They knew the trial was meant to discredit Charles and to get revenge for English losses during the war. After Joan’s execution, the Cardinal of England said in great agitation: "We are ruined, for a good and holy person was burned." The leaders who came after him agreed with the Cardinal about Joan’s innocence. In 1449, the Pope cleared Joan of the charge of heresy, and in 1920, Joan of Arc was officially declared a saint.