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Joan
of Arc, Saint, 1412-31, called the Maid of Orléans, national
heroine
and patron saint of France, who united the nation at a critical hour
and
decisively turned the Hundred Years' War in France's favor.
Joan was born of peasant parents in Domrémy ,France. Her father
was Jacques D'arc and her mother was Isabelle Romee. Joan had 3
brothers(
Pierre, Jean and ?) and 1 sister. When she was 13 years
old,
she heard voices from Heaven, sometimes with visions, convinced
that
they belonged to St. Michael and the martyrs St. Catherine of
Alexandria
and St. Margaret. Early in 1429, during the Hundred Years' War, when
the
English were about to capture Orléans, the "voices" told her to
help the Dauphin, Charles VII, who would later become king of
France.
Joan convinced him that she had a mission from God to save
France. She was given troops to command. Dressed in armor and
carrying
a white banner that represented God blessing the French ,she led the
French
army in a victory over the English. Because of her victory,
the Dauphin was crowned King of France in the cathedral at
Reims,France,
and Joan was given the place of honor beside the king.
Although Joan had united the French and ended English dreams of
controlling
France, Charles wanted to stop the wars against the English. So,
without
the King's support, in 1430 Joan led a battle against the English
at
Compiègne, near Paris. She was captured and
given
over to the English . The English then turned her over to a church
court
at Rouen to be tried for heresy (having beliefs the church does not
agree
with) and sorcery ( using witchcraft). After 14 months of questioning,
she was accused of the crimes of dressing like a man and
believing
she was directly responsible to God rather than to the Roman Catholic
church.
The court condemned her to death, but she confessed her errors, and the
sentence was lessened to life imprisonment. Because she continued to
dress
like a man after returning to jail, she was condemned again--this time
by a government court--and, on May 30, 1431, Joan was burned alive at
the
stake in the Old Market Square at Rouen as a relapsed heretic ( a
person who will not give up their wrong ways).
Twenty-five years after her death, the church retried her case, and she
was pronounced innocent. In 1920 she was declared a saint by Pope
Benedict
XV; her feast day is May 30.
Vocabulary
for Joan of Arc :
Hundred Year's
War - 100 years of fighting between England and France for control
of France
Burgundy
- area of land in Northern France, the Duke of Burgundy received money
and power
from the English to help the English defeat the French
nobles-
powerful landowners who advised leaders and raised armies
Domremy
- small village in Northeast France where Joan lived
Dauphin
- French heir to the throne. He had the right to become king but had
not
yet claimed it
Vaucouleurs
-town nearby Domremy, the lord lived in a castle there. Joan needed his
help
Orleans
- important river city - the gateway to central and southern France.
The English surrounded it
Chinon
- a city where the Dauphin was living and had his court,300 miles west
of Joan's home
Reims
- the city in Northeast France where all French kings are crowned in
its
cathedral
Compiegne
- the city where Joan was captured by Burgundians.
Rouen
- a city in Northern France controlled by the English where Joan was
imprisoned
and burned for being a witch |
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