Introduction
Joan of arc was a peasant girl who emerged to be the most popular saint and heroine in France. The heroine originated from Domremy, a small village that underlined River Meuse adjacent to Lorraine boarder currently renamed as the Northeastern part of France. Joan’s home environment was cool and a breeze could be felt circulating slowly all a round the valley from the Meuse river. The land was rugged and evergreen with wooded sloppy hills where sheep and cattle could be seen grazing. Joan of Arch, a catholic saint peasant girl and a French national heroine was born in a stone-rubble small house erected just a stone throw away from the Domremy village church in 1412. She grew up in Domremy village in the duchy Bar in a family of Jacques d’Arc and Isabelle Romee.
The family of Joan was perceived as of substance and of great significance by the fact that, the house was made of stones and not wood (Sackville-West, 2001). Jacques d’Arc, the father was the village tax collector and at the same time served as the village leader who played a fundamental role of instilling security to the village peasants and their properties in times of attacks and raids from enemies. During such times of hardships and raids, Joan of Arc together with her siblings (brother and sister) would help their father to drive their livestock away in seek of refuge to the chateau fortified river islands. Joan of arc, the build square strong peasant girl was raised up by her parents in strong and healthy conditions. She had a swarthy complexion, black hair, and dark brown eyes thus referred to as sharply figured lady and not beautiful as most could prefer for any lady of such caliber as perceived by Brooks (2000).
Background
Joan at her teen became a threat to her lovely parents due to her repellant characteristic. However, she was considered by her parents to be more pious than ever before. In addition to that, she was not meek and naughty as it was depicted earlier on though her intensified convictions turned out to be of extreme strength for that character. Her parents became upset by her marriage refusal suggestion and independent state that she used to live in thus considered being extra-ordinary as proposed by Pernoud (2002). She came out to defy her parents’ conventions in the village by also standing aloof to her friends. For Joan to outwit this battle imposed on her by the parents she decided to run away from her home without her parents’ conscience which she testified in her bitter regrettable remarks. Joan later on fled to Burey village near Vaucouleurs in December 1428 where her cousin was married to Durand Laxart. The couple was happily living in a matrimonial marriage where they were expecting a baby in the near future.
Joan purposed to go to Burey to offer a helping hand to the cousin who was expecting a baby. Durand who was older than Joan by fifteen years was fond of Joan. In return he confided in her the startling strategic plan of rescuing Charles Douphin for the sake of being crowned as a king (Lucie-Smith, 2000). Joan on hearing this with her aggressiveness, she asked Durand if there was any prophecy that France was likely to be lost courtesy of a woman and be saved by a virgin. By then France was under the ruling of the most hated woman known as Queen Isabella as referred to as by Joan. This was a disgrace in the society because the leadership was underscored in unusual conditions; she inherited the queen title from her son commonly known as Prince Charles whom she exposed out to the enemies. Such prophesies were commonly expressed in 15th century whereby they served the purpose of political propaganda that permeated the air polluting the citizens’ minds to cause conflicts.
Joan was much obsessed with her strategic mission that she begged Durand to direct, introduce, and popularize her to Robert de Baudricourt the Vaucouleurs’ Governor as the only person who could assist Joan to venture and explore her mission. Joan knew Baudricourt as a royal representative when he offered direct allegiance to Dauphin who had been out of exile. She also knew him as a friendly man to French cause and a great hater of the English cause. On the completion of the plan, Joan established herself in Vauncouleurs town and ventured into the occupation and public career.. This resistance was experienced in the final phase of the war that lasted for Hundreds of Years as from 1339–1453. The long lasting war ever experienced in France involved England that led to severe hardships in France. The history of Joan of Arc was believed to be magnificent in the twentieth century when the declaration was made clear that she was a catholic saint as stated by Narsh-Arshal (2002).
Charles VII delegated the leadership responsibility to Joan by sending her to Orleans to guide the forces of men’s troop in 1429. Joan with the support of Duke and Jean eliminated the immediate greatest threat that hampered Charles for many decades. This made him to allow her for the first time to participate in the military reining triumph. However, Charles VII did all this in acceptance of Joan’s mission, her attitude in possession; and finally her pressing advisory service that he followed strictly to the latter by Orleans’ success to facilitate his crowning ceremony (coronation) at Reims. This gave him the title of a king in the eyes of men around. The coronation ceremony of Charles VII was conducted on 18th July 1429 at Reims (Brooks, 2000). During that time Joan was considered to be one of the VIPs and she occupied a visible seat in the coronation ceremony. Joan was captured after being cut off and considered as a valuable prize. She was then converted by the Burgundians from French to English for preparation of the trials of heresy in France.
Conclusion
Joan of arc a peasant girl was the most popular saint and heroine in France. She originated from Domremy, a small village which underlies River Meuse that is adjacent to Lorraine boarder which is currently renamed as the Northeastern part of France. Joan’s home environment was cool and a breeze was felt circulating slowly all a round the valley from the Meuse river. The land was rugged and evergreen with wooded sloppy hills where sheep and cattle could be seen grazing (Nash-Arshall, 2002). Joan of Arch, a catholic saint peasant girl and a French national heroine was born in the in a stone-rubble small house lying adjacent to the Domremy village church in 1412. Joan of Arc was given the leadership responsibility by Charles VII who sent her to Orleans to guide the forces of men’s troop in 1429 (DeVries, 2001).
Joan with the support of Duke and Jean eliminated the immediate greatest threat that hampered Charles VII for many past years. This made him to allow her for the first time in the military reining triumph. However, Charles VII did all this in acceptance of Joan’s mission, her attitude in possession; and finally her pressing advisory service that he followed strictly to the latter by Orleans’ success to facilitate his crowning ceremony (coronation) at Reims. This gave him the title of a king in the eyes of men around. The coronation ceremony of Charles VII was conducted on 18th July 1429 at Reims (Brooks, 2000). During that time Joan was considered to be one of the VIPs and she occupied a visible seat in the coronation ceremony. Joan was captured after being cut off and considered as a valuable prize. In the process of preparing for the heresy trials, Joan was converted by the Burgundians from French to English.
Reference List
Brooks, Polly. Beyond the Myth: The Story of Joan of Arc. New York: Lippincott print. 2000.
DeVries, Kelly. Joan of Arc: Military Leader. Gloucestershire: Sutton publication. 2001.
Lucie-Smith, Edward. Joan of Arc. (7th ed) Bristol: Allen Lane. 2000.
Nash-Arshall, Siobhan. Joan of Arc: A Spiritual Biography. New York: Crossroad Publication. 2002.
Pernoud, Regine. Joan of Arc: Her Story. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000.
Sackville-West, Victoria. Saint Joan of Arc. Garden City, NY: Doubleday Doran & Co., 1936. Reprint, New York: Grove Press. 2001.