The Beadle Maniacs

Human history is full of stories of very interesting individuals who lived their lives in ways that made a big impact not only on the people who surrounded but to the rest of the world. The name of a woman does not come out so often in history especially since in the past, men were always the only ones who were treated as leaders and the females were more concerned with maternal and domestic duties. However, the name Joan of Arc resounded in France.

Joan of Arc was born sometime in 1412 to farmers residing in Domremy, France. In her native land, she is known as Jeanne d’Arc. Aside from working in the farm, Joan of Arc’s father was also employed as a village official. Joan’s life became started to become controversial at a very young age. When she was 12 years old, she claimed that she had a vision of three saints namely St. Catherine, St. Margaret, and St. Michael. These three holy people instructed her to make the English troops leave France thereby making it possible for Charles the Seventh to be crowned as the French king.

As Joan reached 16 years of age, she asked Count Robert de Baudricourt if she can go to the royal court to speak with the king. However, she was mocked and was not allowed the chance to go to the royal French court. A year after her first visit, she again saw the count this time bringing along with her two influential men to vouch for her. During this time, she informed the count that she foresaw a military reversal happening close to Orleans. This prediction was proven to be true and the Count Baudricourt finally allowed Joan to see the royal French court.

During the time of the Hundred Years War, women taking part in the military affairs of the state were unheard of. So Joan was sent by Count Baudricort under the disguise of being a man. She was able to speak with Charles VII and after having a background check done on Joan, she was made a part of the French military. For Charles VII, this was a timely thing to do since the French troops were demoralized during that time and Joan, with her religious inclinations, can help boost their morale. And this was what Joan actually did and she was able to lead the French troops into a number of victories including the capture of Les Tourelles which is known to be one of the English’ stronger territories. There were other victories that occurred under Joan of Arc’s leadership. Her visions played a huge role in these victories and so did her charisma. She was also able to forewarn Duke Alencon of Jargeau of a forthcoming attack on his territory.

Probably one of Joan of Arc’s most successful endeavours is the battle of Patay where she fought against the English military troops under the leadership of Sir John Fastolf. Joan and the members of the French army were able to catch the English troops unguarded and were able to attack even before the enemies can put up their defenses.

Joan of Arc is a significant person in the history of France as a nation. She is probably the only female who was able to influence the French military force in a very significant and substantial way. During her lifetime, she was an asset to her nation and her influence remained even after her last breath.

Joan played a huge role in the Hundred Years’ War which pushed on more than two decades after her demise. The coronation of Charles VII, which was something that Joan fought hard for, was finally successful and he became the legitimate king of France. This happened despite the fact that the young Henry VI was also crowned during the same time. England’s military forces were following a downhill direction after they were defeated in 1429 as well as when they lost their partnership with Burgundy. Because Charles VI was still at a very tender age and was therefore unable to effectively managed his affairs, his rule finally ended making Charles VII the true, one and only King of France. Joan of Arc’s aggressive military approach when she was alive allowed the French to develop tactics that were crucial in their achievement of success.

Joan of Arc was able to obtain some degree of retribution from her execution when the Church staged a religious play depicting her life in Orleans. What’s more, the people who participated and witnessed the play were granted church indulgence which basically means that they have been partially forgiven for their sins.

The retrial of Joan of Arc occurred after the Hundred Years’ War ended. This was due to the request of an inquisitor general named Jean Brehal and Isabelle Romee, Joan’s mother. The request for retrial was approved by the then pope, Callixtus III. The case of Joan of Arc was reopened in the attempts of reversing the previous verdict and condemnation. Appeals included several members of the clergy and the court. Theologians were also asked to interview and take a good look at the testimonies of more than a hundred witnesses. The final verdict was released in the month of June 1456 which stated that Joan of Arc was indeed a martyr. It was also stated in the verdict that Pierre Cauchon, the man who was mainly responsible for Joan’s execution, was incriminated for heresy. Joan was finally freed from all charges and was affirmed to be innocent on the 7^th of July, 1456.

What is considered to be the most important posthumous event for Joan of Arc was her canonization. In the 16^th century, she was finally considered to be someone who represented the ideals of the Catholic League. In 1849, Felix Dupanloup became the bishop of Orleans and he was responsible for working towards the 1909 beatification of Joan of Arc. This ultimately led to Joan of Arc to be canonized and made into a saint by Pope Benedict XV in May 16, 1920. Although it has taken quite some time, Joan was finally recognized for her efforts.