Joan Of Arc

Joan of Ark was born in Domremy on the borders of Champagne and Lorraine probably on January 6, 1412. She died on May 30, 1431 at Rouen. Joan's father, Jacques Darc was a peasant. Her mother was Isabella de Vouthon. She was the child out of the five. She was skilled in sewing, spinning, and other housekeeping skills by her mother. She also learned religion. However, she had never learned how to read or write. There is an idea that she spent days of her childhood in the pastures with the sheep and cattle. People described her as absorbed in her prayer. She also had great love for the poor.

In the summer of 1425 she began to hear people speak to her. She was thirteen and a half at the time. At first, it was a voice but then it came with a stream of light. Next, she saw an individual appearance of each one of them. She recognized them as St. Michael with other angels, St. Margaret, and St. Catherine.

Huge efforts have been made by rationalistic historians to explain these voices as the result of a state of religious and hysterical adoration, which had been fostered in Joan by pastoral influence, combined with certain prophecies current in the countryside of a maiden from the oak wood. This maiden was to save France by a miracle. There is not an outline of evidence to support this speculation of pastoral advisers coaching Joan in a part, but there is much, which contradicts it.

Joan claimed that the voices of the saints were telling her to do things. One of these things was to help the Dauphin gain the throne of France. So she did. They told her that it was her mission. She was to cut her hair, dress in a man's uniform, and pick up the arms.

Due to this one of her greatest achievements was gaining the throne of France for the Dauphin. The Dauphin was crowned King Charles VII. This happened on July 17, 1429 in Reims Cathedral. She also freed her country from the English. A place of honor was given to Joan next to the king. She was later recognized for her services to the country.

The Burgundies captured her in 1430 while defending Compiegne, which is near Paris. They sold her to the English. The English handed her over to the religious court at Rouen led by Pierre Cauchon, a pro-English Bishop of Beauvais, to be tried for witchcraft and heresy. The court told her that when a woman wears men's clothing, it is a crime against God. Her continuation of wearing the clothing was seen as insubordination and also sealed her fate. She continued to wear the clothes because the voices had not told her to stop and for protection from sexual abuse