Joan of Arc: The Story of the Maid of Orleans. Joan of Arc - warrior, martyr, saint

Biography, life story of Joan of Arc

There is more than one mystical belief around the person of Joan of Arc. Firstly, the rooster crowed for a very long time at her birth. Secondly, Jeanne grew up near the place where a wonderful tree grew, around which fairies gathered in ancient times.

At the age of 12, Zhanna discovered something. It was the voice that told her of her destiny to be the protector of King Charles. The voice told her that she would save France according to prophecy. She had to go and save Orleans, lift the siege from it. These were the voices of Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret and Saint Catherine. The voice haunted her every day. In this regard, she had to turn to Robert de Baudricourt three times in order to fulfill her destiny. The third time she came to Vaucouleurs, where her uncle lived. The residents bought her a horse, and she rode again in the hope of being accepted. Soon a messenger from the Duke of Lorraine arrived in Vaucouleurs. He invited her to come to Nancy. She put on a man's suit and went to see the Dauphin Charles in Chinon. There she was first introduced to the wrong person, but she learned that it was not the Dauphin Charles. She showed a sign to the Dauphin standing in the crowd, and he immediately believed in the righteousness of her path.

She told him words on behalf of the Almighty. Jeanne said that she was destined to make him king of France, to crown him in Reims. The king turned to the people and said that he trusted her. The parliamentary lawyer asked her many questions and received answers like from a scientist. The future king equated her with the “banner knights” and gave her a personal banner. Jeanne was also given two messengers, two pages and two harolds.

D'Ark went at the head of the troops with a personal banner and Charles won. The siege of Orleans was lifted in just 9 days. This was a sign of her divine mission. Since then, May 8th has been a miracle of the Christian era. In Orleans it is the feast of the Appearance of the Archangel Michael. The English retreated without a fight, after Orleans had been under siege for 7 months. Rumors about her spread throughout Europe. Jeanne went to Loches to meet with the king. Their victories can only be explained by a miracle. of our time, this is the result of chance or something that science still cannot answer.

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After this, Jeanne was captured by the Burgundians. Charles concluded a strange truce with them. The king's army was disbanded. Six months later, the Burgundians gave d'Arc to the British, and they brought her before the Inquisition. She waited for help from France, but in vain. There were two attempts to escape. She was guarded by five soldiers, and chained at night. There were grueling interrogations one after another, she was waylaid traps at every step. So a year passed from the day of captivity. She was interrogated by one hundred and thirty-two inquisitors of the tribunal. The criminal acts were outlined in 70 articles. was declared invalid. After all, it was an “exemplary process.” Therefore, the second charge was formulated, it contained 12 articles.

Zhanna did not admit anything. Then they came up with a procedure that was supposed to induce fear of death in her. They brought her to the cemetery and began to read the verdict. Jeanne could not stand it and agreed to submit to the will of the church. The protocol was probably falsified, since it turned out that this formula applied to all of Jeanne’s previous activities, which she could not renounce. She only agreed to submit to the will of the church in further actions. She realized that she had been blatantly deceived. She was promised that after her renunciation the shackles would be removed from her, but this did not happen. The inquisitors needed her to fall back into heresy. Then she would have been executed. It was done very simply. In the cell, her head was shaved and she was dressed in a man's dress. This was enough to prove "heresy".

Joan of Arc was burned in 1431 AD on May 30 in the Old Market Square in Rouen. When Joan was executed, the executioner repented. He was convinced of her holiness. The heart and liver did not burn, no matter how hard he tried. Thus , the imperishable heart remained unburnt.

It took 25 years before Jeanne's reputation was rehabilitated. There was a trial again, 115 witnesses and Zhanna’s mother were present. She was recognized as the beloved daughter of the Church and France. The Roman Church canonized Joan as a saint.

On January 6, 1412, a daughter, Jeanne, was born to a peasant family living in the village of Domremy, and her birth was accompanied by long crows of a rooster. Almost immediately after her birth, she was constantly accompanied by various mystical events.

1. Zhanna spent her entire childhood near the place where the magic fairy tree grew. As you can find out from the chronicle, little Zhanna loved to walk in the local forest. One day, returning from a walk, she told her parents that near her favorite tree she saw an open door that led to a magical land. When she entered there, she was greeted by the main fairy, who predicted a great, famous future for Joan of Arc. It was from then on that the young girl began to hear constant voices and observe strange and unusual visions.
2. For the first time, Zhanna heard an otherworldly voice addressed to her person at the age of 12. In a dream, he informed her that the girl was entrusted with a special mission, and she must protect her king and save France.

   

3. In 1429, news spread among the French people that they would be saved by a “virgin holding an ax in her hand.”, although there was no longer any hope that it would be possible to get rid of the English invaders. In May of this year, this prophecy came true completely when Joan of Arc and her squad attacked the English troops.

   

4. When Jeanne was born, Domremy was an independent district. Until the 19th century, d'Arc was not a national hero of France, as she was forgotten a few years after her death. When Napoleon came to power, he needed a “personal” hero who would awaken the pride of the French. Joan of Arc, whom Napoleon chose as such a hero, was well suited for these purposes.

   

5. In the village where the girl lived, everyone called her Jeanette. The heroine’s parents were the poor peasant Zhakad’Ark and Isabelle Romeu. In the 1430s, the surname d'Arc was written together, since at that time they did not yet know such a thing as an apostrophe and did not distinguish the two-letter particles “de” and “du” using writing. Since in the Middle Ages people were not yet familiar with paper bureaucracy and had no idea about identity cards, Jeanne’s surname was constantly pronounced and written on canvas in different ways: Day, Tark, Dark Dar. Only towards the end of the 16th century did the form of writing a surname familiar to the current generation appear, when one little-known poet decided to elevate and glorify the heroine and remade her initials in the current manner (noble).

   

6. During the trial, d'Arc swore that she did not shed a single drop of blood in the battles and all the time she acted only as a strategist and military leader, throwing her army into hard-to-reach places. This was possible thanks to the gift of hypnosis, which Zhanna probably possessed.

   

7. Another secret weapon of the girl is clairvoyance, in this she had no equal. She constantly checked with her inner voices and brilliantly won one battle after another. One of the victories of the French army, which took place under the leadership of Jeanne, even went down in history. About one and a half thousand people took part in it on the French side, and about 5 thousand on the British side. But, despite the clear advantage, the British fled in disgrace, leaving about 2.5 thousand killed soldiers on the battlefield, and many of those who survived were captured. French losses were only 10 people.

   

8. During the execution of Jeanne, whom the church called a witch and sentenced to death at the stake, a mystical story occurred. After the fire burned out, the lady's whole and unburnt heart was found in a pile of coal. He was carefully carried to the bank of the Seine River and thrown into the icy water. And a few months after this bloody execution, the judges and prosecution witnesses died for various reasons.

   

9. Thanks to her vision, which descended on the girl during a church service, she knew in advance that when she took part in the next battle, she would be taken prisoner, which the girl informed her friends about. They dissuaded her from launching an attack, but she did not listen and was soon captured by a Burgundian archer.

   

10. Since rumors of Joan of Arc's mysterious gift reached her enemies, they did not hesitate to accuse her of witchcraft and tortured her, trying to find out which voices provided her with constant support. As a result of interrogations and torture, the girl contracted a fever, and the doctor who came to her bedside refused treatment, saying that medicine was powerless here. But soon the voices descended on Zhanna again, and after 2-3 days she was completely cured of the fatal fever.

    

11. In 1455, Jeanne's mother petitioned for her rehabilitation.. Throughout the trial, the testimony of 110 witnesses was heard and in July 1456, Joan of Arc was rehabilitated.

    

12. Jeanne's contemporaries constantly talked about the girl's superpowers. When one horseman cursed at the sight of Jeanne in armor, she predicted his quick death, which soon happened. In another case, a girl warned her friend to move aside, otherwise a shell would hit him. When the knight left, his place was immediately taken by another, who was immediately killed.

    

13. When the secretary of the English king returned after the execution, he cried about what he saw, saying: “We all died, because we burned a good and holy man.”

    

14. After the execution of d'Arc, the previously permitted wearing of men's clothing and armor was incriminated. In order to get out of this situation, her supporters began to depict the girl in paintings in a dress, but since she could not appear on the battlefield without any armor, they chained her arms and neck in armor.

    

15. The first poem dedicated to Jeanne was written 5 years after her death. It includes more than 20,500 verses. Voltaire, Schiller, J. Bernard Shaw, Shakespeare, Twain and others also often wrote about Jeanne. Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Liszt and others dedicated many musical works to her.

    

Each of us has heard the legendary name of Joan of Arc, the folk heroine of France, a young girl who saved her homeland from the English invaders during the Hundred Years War.

The appearance of Jeanne in the political and military arena of those events marked a new round in the fate of France, and this really was salvation for the country, otherwise, who knows how the war between England and France, which lasted as much as 116 years, could have ended.

Today we will talk about a fearless girl who managed to lead the French troops, instill fighting spirit in them and lead France to victory.

And in France at that time the Hundred Years' War was raging, which we discussed in detail on our website.

In addition, poor France is literally torn apart by internecine wars between the Burgundians and the Armagnacs. Peasant uprisings break out here and there, which is what the Parisian uprising led by the Parisian provost Etienne Marcel and the Jacquerie cost the country.

King Charles VI the Mad died, France, according to the treaty signed in Troyes, came into the possession of England, and the real heir to the French throne, the future King Charles VII, was forced to hide.

These were the events that preceded the appearance of Joan of Arc, and she came just in time.

A few words about the folk heroine

Joan's date of birth is believed to be 1412, although historians disagree. The girl was born in the village of Domremy, which was located on the border of the provinces of Champagne and Lorraine. Some believe that she was born into a family of impoverished nobles, while others claim that her parents were wealthy peasants.

Jeanne claimed that at the age of 13 she first heard the voices of the Archangel Michael, as well as St. Catherine of Alexandria and, as is believed, Margaret of Antioch, who appeared to her from time to time in visible form. The girl claimed that after some time they revealed to her that it was she, Jeanne, who must lift the siege of Orleans, elevate the Dauphin to the throne and expel the English invaders from the kingdom.

Zhanna understood the full responsibility of the mission entrusted to her. She was not afraid, and she turned 16 years old, she went to the captain of the city of Vaucouleurs, Robert de Baudricourt, and there announced her mission. Of course, she was ridiculed, Zhanna was forced to return to the village, but a year later she repeated her attempt again. Captain Robert de Baudricourt, amazed by her persistence, was more attentive this time and agreed to give her people so that she could go to the Dauphin. In addition, he provided the girl with men's clothing - a chaperon, a hook and shoss. Until the end, Zhanna preferred to dress this way, saying that in men's clothing it would be easier for her to fight and not attract unhealthy attention from the soldiers.

Jeanne covered the distance from Domremy to Chinon Castle (the residence of the Dauphin Charles) in 11 days and on March 4, 1429, Jeanne arrived at this castle. Dauphin Charles took advantage of the fact that the girl wrote to him in a letter that she would certainly recognize him. Karl put her to the test by placing another person on the throne instead of himself, and he himself stood in the crowd of courtiers. However, Zhanna passed this exam and recognized Karl. She announced to the Dauphin that she had been sent by Heaven to liberate France from English rule and asked for troops to lift the siege of Orleans. In Chinon, Jeanne amazed the future Charles VII with her horsemanship and perfect use of weapons.

However, Dauphin Charles did not dare to immediately believe the young girl, he hesitated. First, he ordered experienced matrons to confirm Jeanne's virginity, then sent her to Poitiers, where she had to undergo interrogation by theologians, and also sent messengers to her homeland. After nothing was found that could discredit Jeanne's reputation, Charles decided to transfer command of the troops to her and appointed her commander-in-chief. Leading French military leaders were to come under her command. The decisive role in such a bold decision was played by the fact that Jeanne, in the name of God, confirmed to Charles his legitimacy and rights to the throne, which many doubted, including Charles himself.

Zhanna is a talented military leader

After Jeanne was appointed commander-in-chief, armor, a banner and a banner were made for her. A sword for her was found in the church of Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois at the behest of Jeanne herself. According to legend, this sword belonged to Charlemagne himself.

At the head of the army, she marched to Orleans. The news that the army was led by a messenger of God inspired the soldiers and caused an extraordinary moral upsurge in the army. Hopeless commanders and soldiers, tired of endless defeats, regained courage and hope.

On April 29, Jeanne and a small detachment entered the city of Orleans. And already at the beginning of May, her army won its first victory, taking the Saint-Loup bastion. Victories follow one after another, and soon the British are forced to lift the siege of the city. Thus, a task that other French military leaders considered impossible, Joan of Arc was completed in just a few days.

After the victory at Orleans, Jeanne was nicknamed the "Maid of Orleans" ( laPucelled'Orleans). May 8th (the day the siege was lifted from the city) is celebrated to this day every year in Orleans as the main holiday of the city. Over the next few days of June, Jeanne wins one victory after another.

Jeanne went to the Dauphin and convinced him to go to Reims for confirmation, that is, to be crowned on the French throne. On July 17, Charles was solemnly anointed at Reims Cathedral in the presence of Joan of Arc, which caused an extraordinary surge of national spirit in the country. The French were jubilant; they saw their hope in Jeanne.

After the coronation, the girl convinced Charles to launch an attack on Paris, especially since the situation was favorable; there was confusion in the British camp, but Charles hesitated. The attack on the French capital was launched only in September, but Charles gave the order to withdraw the army to the Loire, and on September 21 the army was disbanded.

In the spring of 1430, military operations to attack Paris were resumed, but proceeded sluggishly. The royal courtiers constantly put obstacles in front of Jeanne. In May, Jeanne comes to the aid of Compiegne, besieged by the Burgundians. On May 23, as a result of treacherous betrayal (the bridge to the city was raised, which cut off the escape route for Joan and her army), Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians. King Charles, who owed her so much, did nothing to save Joan; he hesitated again, afraid of the consequences. The Burgundians sold Joan to the English for 10,000 gold livres. In November-December 1430, Joan was transported to the city of Rouen in Normandy.

False accusation

Of course, the young girl, who managed to win so many victories and instill a fighting spirit of courage in the hearts of the French, aroused hatred and fear among her enemies.

Formally, Joan was tried by the church on charges of heresy, but despite this, she was kept in prison under the guard of the British as a prisoner of war. The trial was led by Bishop Pierre Cauchon, an ardent supporter of English interests in France (there were traitors among his own).

Jeanne was thrown into prison, where she was kept in terrible conditions, she was treated roughly, and the English guards insulted her. They tried to force Jeanne to confess her heresy and connections with the devil. Since the girl courageously and steadfastly denied all the accusations, the judges resorted to those facts where Jeanne’s voluntary confession was not required: she was accused of wearing men’s clothing and disregarding the authority of the Church.

The folk heroine Joan of Arc was sentenced to be burned alive at the stake. On May 30, 1431, the sentence was carried out. They put a miter on the girl’s head with the inscription “Heretic, apostate, idolater” and led her to the fire. From the height of the fire, Jeanne shouted: “Bishop, I am dying because of you! I challenge you to God’s judgment!” She asked to give her a cross, the executioner handed her two crossed twigs. The fire engulfed Jeanne, she shouted “Jesus!”, Everyone cried with pity. The ashes of the people's savior were scattered over the Seine.

After the execution

After the death of Jeanne, France did not calm down; the French militia continued to drive the British from their land. France continued to win victory after victory and liberate its cities and provinces from the enemy. In 1453 the French took Bordeaux, ending the Hundred Years' War.

After the end of the war, King Charles VII began the process of Jeanne's rehabilitation. Her case was reviewed and many gross errors were found in her trial. The trial of the girl was declared invalid, and Jeanne's good name was restored.

Joan of Arc today

The name of the national heroine has not been forgotten, it remains in the hearts of people to this day, it inspires artists, directors, writers, even ordinary people.

Every year on May 8th France celebrates “Joan of Arc Day”. The asteroid (127) Jeanne, which was discovered in 1872, is named after the national heroine. The French helicopter carrier cruiser Joan of Arc, which was launched in 1964, is named after the national heroine.

In literature, works by Schiller, Mark Twain, Anatole France and others were written about her. In music, various composers and musical groups dedicated entire symphonies and rock operas to Jeanne. In painting, the image of Jeanne is found in Gauguin, Rubens, and Ingres. Zhanna is the heroine of cinema, cartoons, anime and even computer games.

A short message about Joan of Arc 6th grade will tell you about an amazing woman who forever entered the annals of French history with her feat.

Report on Joan of Arc

The story of Joan of Arc began on January 6, 1412, when she was born in the French village of Domremy. In addition to the official version of the date of birth, historians name two more: 2 dates - January 6, 1408 and 1409. Her parents were wealthy peasants.

At the age of 13 she heard a voice for the first time. It was Archangel Michael who said that Joan should help break the English siege of Orleans and win the battle, bringing glory to France. The visions were repeated again and again. When she turned 16, the girl turned to the captain of the French army, Robert de Baudricourt. Jeanne told him about her visions and asked Baudricourt to help her get to the capital in order to see the Dauphin, the heir of Charles VI.

At first, the captain mocked the girl, but her persistence amazed him. He placed people with her who escorted D'arc to the king. In addition, in order not to embarrass or attract the attention of the soldiers, Robert dressed her in men's clothing.

The appearance of Joan of Arc on March 14, 1429 at Charles's residence caused a stir - she announced that she had been sent by Heaven to help the Dauphin to liberate France from the rule of the British. The girl asked him for an army to lift the siege of Orleans.

Jeanne impressed not only the courtiers, but also the Dauphin. At that time, in France there was a belief: “a young Virgin, sent by God, will help the army win the war.” Despite the fact that the girl was illiterate, she was proficient in horse riding and weapons.

The king's matrons confirmed that Joan of Arc was a virgin. Charles, mistaking her for the girl from the prophecy, appointed her commander-in-chief of the troops and allowed her to lead them to Orleans to liberate the city.

On April 29, 1429, Joan of Arc entered Orleans with a small detachment. Already on May 4, she took the Saint-Loup bastion, and 4 days later the British lifted the siege from the city. For this feat, she began to be called the “Maid of Orleans,” and May 8 is today considered the main holiday of Orleans, as the day of liberation.

The brave girl captured several more fortresses, conquering one city after another. She also elevated the Dauphin Charles to king of France.

Execution of Joan of Arc

In the spring of 1430, Joan of Arc led troops to the besieged city of Compiegne. Here she fell into a trap: the city bridge was raised, and she could not get out of the city. The Burgundians sold the “Maid of Orleans” for 10 thousand gold livres to the British. In the winter of 1431, she was put on trial, which took place in Rouen. She was sentenced to death by burning, accusing Joan of being a heretic. Charles VII, King of France, never ransomed his savior for unknown reasons. On May 30, 1431, the girl who saved France was burned alive in the Old Market Square.

The Maid of Orleans is amazing to such an extent that some doubt: did it all really happen? Without a doubt it was. There is a lot of evidence about this in historical sources: chronicles, letters, court records, preserved in both France and England.

Entire libraries of scientific works and artistic texts have been written about Joan of Arc. Anatole France wrote about Jeanne; extremely subjective, but no less interesting for that – Voltaire. And the controversy surrounding the identity of the amazing French heroine does not subside.

Her life in history is less than 3 years - a rather short period. However, these 3 years made her immortal.

She was amazing. Although the impression sometimes created by school textbooks is absolutely wrong, as if she defeated the British. No, not only she, but France as a whole did not defeat the British in the Hundred Years' War in those years. This happened later. It is also not true that Joan of Arc led the popular movement. No, nothing like that happened. She was the king's commander.

She was presumably born on January 6, 1412. As always in the Middle Ages, the date of birth is inaccurate. But it is tragically indisputable that this very young girl was burned on May 30, 1431 in the square in Rouen.

After her death, scandalous rumors arose repeatedly, impostors appeared who called themselves after her. This is natural. Zhanna is too pure, too bright an image that seems ideal. And people, as you can see, have a base need in nature - to throw a lump of dirt into this purity.

Sadly, the great Voltaire was the first to throw dirt. It seemed absurd to him - a girl (virgin in a more accurate translation from Latin), a symbol of purity, surrounded by soldiers. However, if you look more closely at her life, everything can be explained.

Zhanna comes from the village of Domremi. She is a peasant and shepherdess by origin. Her last name is Dark; the spelling d'Arc, indicating nobility, appeared later. Some of those who attack Joan today simply do not want to acknowledge the historical role of a man of the people. That is why her peasant origin has been repeatedly questioned. Versions arose that she was the bastard daughter of the depraved Queen Isabella, sent to the village as a baby.

Meanwhile, during the rehabilitation process of Joan of Arc, a lot of evidence was collected. Eyewitnesses reported on her childhood, youth, and how she took part in all village holidays, when girls danced in circles.

Joan was born during the Hundred Years' War, three years before the renewal of this great confrontation between the two leading Western European kingdoms. Officially, the war had been going on since 1337. Several major battles took place - and all were unsuccessful for the French. 1340 - defeat of the French fleet at Sluys, 1346 - defeat of the French army in the foot battle of Crecy, 1356 - victory of a smaller English detachment under the command of the Black Prince Edward over the army of the French king at Poitiers. The French army fled in disgrace, the king was captured. The feeling of national shame grew stronger in the country.

Immediately after the Battle of Poitiers, the idea of ​​a man from a simple background who should bring salvation appeared among the people. In one of the chronicles there is a story about a certain peasant who crossed all of France. The fact is that an angel appeared to him in a dream and ordered him to go to the king and tell him not to accept the battle at Poitiers. Amazingly, the peasant was actually able to reach the king and ended up in his tent. The king listened and said: “No, I am a knight! I can’t cancel the battle.”

1360 - the most difficult peace for France was concluded in Bretigny: according to it, approximately half of the French lands were under English rule. A threat arose to the very existence of the French kingdom and the Valois dynasty, a subsidiary branch of the Capetians who had ruled the country since the 9th century. This ancient, stable, strong, once strong kingdom could simply disappear!

So, France practically no longer exists. At the same time, many of the major feudal lords recognized Henry V as the future king of France. Some became his allies, such as the Duke of Burgundy.

Meanwhile, the girl Zhanna was growing up in her village. She was 13 years old when she first heard the voices of St. Catherine, St. Margaret and St. Michael, who began to convey to her the will of God related to the salvation of the country. The fact that she heard voices is not at all unique. There is such a phenomenon - medieval visionaryism.

Visions and voices from above are quite real for the man of the Middle Ages, with his inability and unwillingness to separate the heavenly, otherworldly life and the here, earthly life with impassable boundaries. For him, all this is whole, one. For example, at the court of the Dauphin Charles, who did not go into exile, but settled in the southwest of France, all sorts of sorcerers and prophets were willingly accepted and loved. In general, this figure is not so unusual for the era.

Legally, the king of England already ruled in France. But the French did not obey! The Dauphin Charles declared that he was the rightful heir, and his supporters crowned him at Poitiers. This was not the traditional coronation, which, according to centuries-old tradition, is held in Reims Cathedral, where the sacred oil for anointing kings is kept. And yet, the hopes of those to whom the already born concept of “France” was infinitely dear rushed to Charles. The not entirely legitimate king became the center of patriotic forces.

And so the 16-year-old girl Jeanne in May 1428, accompanied by a distant relative, came to the commandant of the nearby fortress of Vaucouleurs Baudricourt and said that she needed to go to the Dauphin Charles, because she had an order from God. First, she must meet with the Dauphin and gain the right to lift the siege of Orleans. Secondly, to achieve the coronation of the heir in Reims. God's will is to recognize the legitimacy of his origin. It was impossible to provide him with more moral support at that moment. After all, for him the main question is whose son he is, the king or not.

At first, Baudricourt refuses, considering it all complete nonsense. But the girl was still standing under his windows in a red dress (it seems that she had the only one).

Afterwards the commandant of the fortress listened to her again. She spoke simply, but there was something brilliant in the clarity of her answers, in her conviction. And Baudricourt may have heard that at the Dauphin’s court they love prophets. This gave him a chance: what if he would be noticed if he could help this girl. Although it is possible that he really believed her. Something extraordinary emanated from her - thousands of people soon became convinced of this.

Jeanne was given escorts, and she went to see Charles, with whom an audience was obtained. There were many people in the hall where she was taken. Karl wanted her to be able to determine who the Dauphin was here.

And she recognized him. How could this happen to a simple peasant woman?

Be that as it may, a short conversation took place face to face between the Dauphin and Jeanne. And after that, he agreed to have her checked by a special commission, which would make sure that she was not a messenger of Satan.

A commission of theologians gathered in Poitiers and talked with Jeanne. They also checked that she was a virgin. This was especially important. There was an idea in the mass consciousness: a woman would destroy France, and a girl would save it.

Where does this idea come from? The country is monarchical, moving towards absolutism, the role of the royal entourage is growing. People associated several stories from the Hundred Years' War with the bad influence of women on kings.

The wife of Charles VI is Isabella of Bavaria. A foreigner, which is no longer good. The husband is crazy. The wife's ideal behavior in this case is hardly possible. It is difficult to say whether she was so depraved or simply politically chose the Duke of Orleans as her supporter. The Treaty of Troyes was also inspired by Isabella. She was able to persuade her husband to sign this terrible document. And the rumor kept saying: women are ruining France.

And the girl will save you. These ideas have biblical origins: the Mother of God is a symbol of purity and innocence.

In the most difficult moments of life, Christians turn to her image. By the time Jeanne appeared at the court of the Dauphin Charles, there were already a lot of records about the Virgin in the chronicles. People were waiting for her to appear. This is a case of mass emotional belief - a manifestation of the “collective unconscious,” as representatives of the French historical Annales School called it.

Jeanne led the lifting of the siege of Orleans. She fought fearlessly. A small figure in light armor, which was made especially for her, was the first to storm the small fortresses around Orleans. The English who were besieging the city settled in these fortresses (they were called bastides). Zhanna was an ideal target for them. During the capture of the bastide of Turel, she was wounded; an arrow hit her right shoulder. Jeanne fell, to the delight of her enemies.

But she immediately demanded that the arrow be removed and rushed into battle again. And yet her courage is not the main thing. Her opponents, the English, are also medieval people. They believed that the Virgin was capable of performing miracles. There are many records of such “miracles”. So, when Joan of Arc with a small guard was heading to the court of the Dauphin, it was necessary to cross the river, but a strong wind rose. Zhanna said: we need to wait a little, the wind will change. And the wind changed its direction. Could this happen? Certainly! But people explain everything as a miracle, which they always want to believe in.

The presence of Joan of Arc gave rise to unprecedented inspiration in the French army. The soldiers and their commanders (for example, the Duke of Alençon, who firmly believed in the mission of the Virgin) were literally reborn. They were able to drive the British out of the bastides, destroying the siege ring. Everyone knew what Jeanne said about the path that leads to the liberation of France: “Soldiers must fight, and God will grant them victory.”

Quite the opposite changes took place in the army. The British were shocked by the unexpected and such a rapid change in military happiness and began to believe in the divine will acting on the side of the French. Rumors spread that even at the beginning of the siege, God indicated to the British the need to leave the walls of the city by allowing the absurd death of the commander-in-chief, the famous commander Earl of Salisbury. The popular military leader, covered in glory, did not die in battle. He was killed by a cannonball during a skirmish near the walls of Orleans.

1429, May 8 - the siege of Orleans was lifted, the city was liberated. The first point of the order received by Joan of Arc from above has been completed.

From this time on, Joan of Arc was the official commander of the king. She is in her light armor, with a sword, which was miraculously found in the altar, with a white banner - a symbol of purity. True, in France, white is also a symbol of mourning.

The second point remains. And Joan leads King Charles VII to Reims. The gates of cities occupied by the British are opened for her, the keys are taken out, crowds of people run out to meet her. If this does not happen, her army takes the fight. Jeanne was surrounded by commanders who believed in her - wonderful warriors who had extensive experience. And these two forces united - spiritual and purely military.

The coronation took place in Reims. How many paintings have been written on this topic! Each era depicts this event in its own way. But, apparently, there is no doubt that Joan of Arc stood next to the king, now the legal Charles VII. She rode with him through the streets of Reims, and amid the cries of the crowd “Long live the Virgin!” sounded more often than “Long live the king!” Not every person can withstand this, especially someone like Karl, who longs for self-affirmation after many years of humiliation.

Probably, at this moment of victory and glory, Joan of Arc should have returned home. But she didn't want to. Her famous statement is: “I must fight to the end. It's noble." She sincerely believed in it. And she started taking Paris.

This is the beginning of the tragedy. Not because it was militarily impossible. Simply, by that time the king had already become hostile to her: he did not want Paris to be liberated by the hands of some peasant woman.

It is significant that Joan of Arc did not ask the king for anything for herself personally - only tax exemption for the residents of her native village. And even this privilege was not given forever: then the zoning was changed, the boundaries were clarified - and that’s it, the peasants from Domremi lost all their advantages.

For herself, Zhanna did not need anything - just to fight on. It should be noted that at this moment she moved on to that part of her activity that was not prescribed to her from above.

The battle for Paris took place. The British resisted desperately. According to one version, they heard rumors that Jeanne had lost her virginity and was no longer afraid of them. But the main thing is that at the height of the assault, the king gave the order to sound the all-clear signal. The generals could not help but obey the king's order. The assault failed, and Joan of Arc was wounded in the thigh. The enemies gloated: she is not invulnerable! But she never declared herself invulnerable.

After this failure, Zhanna felt that everything had changed, she was being forced out: they were not listening, they were not inviting her to the military council. And in April 1430 she left the court. She joined the army that recaptured castles and fortresses in the Loire River valley from the British.

1430, May 23 - near the city of Compiegne she was captured. The portcullis of the gate lowered in front of her as she returned to the city after a sortie. It fell into the hands of the Burgundians. In December they resold it to the British. It is not known for sure whether Joan of Arc was betrayed at Compiegne. But there is no doubt that she was betrayed earlier - near Paris, just as she was betrayed later, when they did not try to recapture or ransom it from the British.

The English decided to try Jeanne, accusing her of serving the devil. Charles VII was afraid to offer a ransom for her. Apparently, he assumed that she would waver, renounce, admit that she was from the devil. Then from whose hands did he receive the crown?

The most difficult process lasted from January to May 1431. The investigation was headed by the French bishop Cauchon, translated from French as “pig”. Since that time, the word “cauchon” has been associated in France with the theme of national betrayal. An unjust church court found her guilty of heresy.

She was able to maintain her convictions, the belief that she was a messenger of God, although there was a moment when she wavered. She was ready to admit that she had sinned because she wore a man's suit. At the trial, she answered very cleverly, “being all the time among men, where it is much more decent to be in a man’s suit.”

More than 20 years later, in 1456, Charles VII, who continued to fight the British and went down in history as the Victor (by the 50s of the 15th century, the British were ousted from France), organized the process of rehabilitation of Joan of Arc. Now he had to cement the bright image of the Virgin in the memory of generations. Numerous witnesses were called and spoke about her life and her purity. The verdict was passed - to annul the conviction of Joan of Arc as unfounded. And in 1920, the Catholic Church canonized her.

Today we understand that it was during Jeanne’s short life that the French nation took shape and rose to its feet. And also the French monarchy. And Voltaire did not like Jeanne precisely because he saw in her a desperate champion of the monarchy, not understanding that in the Middle Ages the king and the nation, the king and France were one and the same. And Joan of Arc forever gave us a beautiful luminous point of her life, unique, like a masterpiece of art.