Christian Women of the Medieval Era – Part 55

Introduction

We have been taking quite a journey through the Middle Ages! There were hundreds of faithful women who served in God’s kingdom during the approximate 1000-year span, roughly 500 to 1500 AD. We have only related the stories of a few dozen. We began with Genovefa (423 – 502) and continued on through Julian of Norwich (1342-1416). We have discovered that there were many ministering female believers including queens, empresses, abbesses, nuns, Beguines, sisters in monasteries, writers, godly wives, mothers, social reformers, and many others. Thousands of women were called and gifted by God to serve Christ during this very interesting time in history. 

 In this week’s story we introduce a new category – soldier. I am talking about Joan of Arc. This maid of Orleans did not wish to be a soldier but responded faithfully to her call to serve God and country. 

Joan of Arc – Maid of Orleans (1412-1431) – Part 1

When There is No Justice

This next story may seem like an odd one to include with the many religious women we have talked about. I decided to include it because sometimes peace comes at a terrible price. We live in a sinful world. Ever since Cain killed Abel there have always been some men who have been willing to do whatever it takes to have more power, riches, and status. Many history books divide the stories of the nations into wars and intervening periods. This is truly a sad fact of life and will probably be with us until Jesus returns.

Joan of Arc lived during a time when two nations – England and France – fought for over one hundred years for control over the Kingdom of France. At least five generations of people living in the states that make up what we now call France knew only war in their lives. There always seems to be a war going on somewhere, but that doesn’t mean that there weren’t people who abhorred it and longed for peace.

Joan’s actions demonstrate that she wanted the rightful king on the throne because she wanted peace in the land. Joan’s story is also important because it is an example of a terrible miscarriage of justice. 

The Maid of Orleans – Part 1

There are probably as many interpretations of the life of the Maid of Orleans as there are historians. Joan of Arc has not always been portrayed as a heroine. Artists and writers have depicted her as vicious, a strumpet, ugly, bloodthirsty, or psychologically unbalanced. Others have seen her as a nature lover, a revolutionist, a proto-feminist, or misguided religious mystic. The reason for the disparity in the modern accounts of Joan of Arc’s life is that the story of her life was neglected for centuries. It was five hundred years before historians took the records of her trial and examined them seriously.

Along with the small amount of evidence was the fact that many people did not know how to interpret the claims made by Joan that she heard “voices”. She claimed that she was visited by St. Catherine, St. Margaret, and Michael the Archangel. People wondered whether she was a sincere, devout follower of Christ, who really believed she heard voices or was just delusional.

All agree that she was a courageous French peasant girl who led an army to victory to save her country during the reign of a weak king. She was captured by the enemy and had to face trial. She defended herself brilliantly in spite of the fact that all of the charges and evidence were rigged against her. She was barely nineteen years old when she was burned at the stake as a witch and a heretic. Twenty years later, she would be exonerated. It would be another 470 years before the church would declare her to be a saint.

The background to this story is the tragic history of France during this time. For nearly three and a half centuries, from around 1000 AD until the mid 1300’s, France had grown from a collection of small fiefdoms to the mightiest monarchy in medieval Europe. Then began a rapid downfall.

Many believe that it all began with a curse. The last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Jacques de Molay, was burned to death by the French king Philip IV, (also known as Philip the Fair). Philip was hoping to confiscate the wealth of the Templars, by destroying the last of their order. As the flames and smoke encircled Jacques de Molay, he screamed out a curse against Philip IV, Philip’s descendants, Pope Clement V, and finally all of France. Within two years Philip, his sons and the pope were dead. Within twelve years all of Philip’s descendants, who could have claimed the throne, were dead. A great famine began in France, lasting seven years and killing millions. The Black Death struck in the 1340’s, wiping out a large part of the population. This all greatly affected people who were far more superstitious than in our day.

Within a few more years, the Hundred Years’ War began. There was a dispute over the crown of France by Philip’s nephew, a French nobleman, and Philip’s grandson, Edward III, who was the king of England. Each of these men was certain that he should be the king of France. The English and French began the war that was still going on when Joan of Arc entered the scene.

One of the results of this conflict was the growing sense of nationalism among the English and the French. The war was mostly fought on French soil. The French people suffered from sieges, famine, robbery, and the deadly epidemic known as the Black Plague. The armies were mostly hired mercenaries. They often pillaged farms and whole villages taking food, money, and clothing. The French citizens could be left completely desolate. 

Jeanne d’Arc, or Joan of Arc grew up in a village that suffered from much of this fighting. Not much is known of her early life. She was one of five children born, probably around 1412,  to a tenant farmer, Jacques d’Arcy in the village of Domremy in northeastern France. Her village was close to lands held by the English and the Duke of Burgundy who was an ally of the English. Like most of the common people Joan was illiterate. She learned about the Bible and the teachings of the church when she attended Mass with her family. It was in the village church that Joan saw the images of St. Michael, St. Catherine of Alexandria, and St. Margaret of Antioch, the three saints whose divine messages would guide her. 

Joan grew up in Domremy on the Meuse in the diocese of Toul, in the bailiwick of Chaumont-en-Bassigny, in the provostry of Monteclaire and Andelot. Her village bordered lands owned or controlled by the French and land owned or controlled by the English or the English allies like Burgundy. They also bordered the duchies of Bar and Lorraine, the westernmost parts of the Holy Roman Empire. 

It is easy to understand why people living in the fifteenth century had conflicting loyalties. A branch of the Meuse River ran through Domremy. Those on the south were serfs of the Duke of Bar. The people living in the north belonged to freedman and were under the administration of the town of Vaucouleurs, owned by the French crown. It is unclear which side Joan’s home was on, but she would have seen armed conflict all of her life. Because of where her village was located there was actually more bloody fighting, pillaging, and plundering than anywhere else in France except maybe Paris. Joan’s family fled their home several times to avoid the Burgundians. 

In 1423, several years after Joan began to hear her voices, her father became the dean of Domremy. He was responsible for collecting taxes, distributing food stores and protection the village. Because of the constant fighting Joan witnessed many tragedies including the death of near relatives. When she was about sixteen years old the Burgundian forces laid waste to all of the villages around Vaucouleurs. Many buildings in Domremy were burned including their church. Later at her trial Joan would testify to helping her family evacuate. 

Though Joan was constantly surrounded by intrigues, hostility, and instability she maintained a sense of right and valued order and unity. Because her voices constantly encouraged her to live a good life above all things, Joan trusted them when they directed her to help place Charles on the throne. It is interesting that even before he was crowned, Joan always referred to him as King Charles. 

In 1429, the English had the ascendancy in France. They had won many battles and held much territory. The French dauphin, Charles, was a small, weak, and fearful man. He also had a fatalistic outlook on life. He attended mass and took communion every day. He believed a prophecy which had been going around that stated that France had been ruined by a woman (a reference to his mother probably) and would be saved by a woman.

It was while he was in this frame of mind that he was approached by a seventeen-year-old girl, Jeanne d’Arc. She told him that voices had spoken to her, telling her to free the French from the English and to see to it that the dauphin was crowned king. Charles wasn’t sure what to think of her. The story of how he disguised himself in order to test her is very famous. She not only recognized him, but she told him things that only he and God could know. Charles invited her to stay at the castle and undergo an examination by his counselors. Charles was happy to use Joan to his advantage. It is truly one of the most shameful deeds recorded in history that he later abandoned her when it was no longer politically expedient for him.

Joan was given a horse and some armor including a helmet. The Duke of Alencon helped her practice some military skills. Soon Joan was ready to lead the French army against the English.

The most strategic spot in France was Orleans. If this city fell, the way was open for the English to push southward and finish conquering all of France. The English had set up a siege against Orleans. How surprised they must have been in the spring of 1429 to see the French army coming at them from behind, led by a small figure carrying only a battle-ax and riding on a black horse.

Later at her trial of rehabilitation^[1] Joan’s army chaplain would testify that she endeavored to improve the spiritual lives of the troops. She insisted that priests accompany the troops. Mass was said and hymns of praise were sung to God. While Joan justifiably maintained a reputation for spiritual leadership there is no evidence that she took any actual military command. She was merely an inspirational figurehead.

At the battle of Orleans an amazing thing happened. The English lined up as if to attack Orleans, but just marched away instead. Orleans had been freed! Later this retreat would be acclaimed a miracle by the French. A victorious Joan entered the city of Orleans to loud proclamations of praise and thanksgiving. The English however would blame the fact of their loss on witchcraft. The English commander told his king, “A great mischief” had befallen his soldiers, caused by “that limb of Satan, named the Pucelle, who made use against them of false enchantments and sorcery.” These accusations of witchcraft would be relied on heavily later at Joan’s trial.

After this victory, Joan went to Chinon to get the dauphin to take him to Rheims to be crowned king in order to fulfill the second command given to her by the voices. Charles was reluctant, but finally went with her to Rheims for his coronation. Along the way they defeated some more English troops, causing the French nobles to pledge their full allegiance to Charles. He was crowned at Rheims on July 12 as Charles VII.

But Joan had been given a third objective by the voices – to free Paris. Joan and the French army arrived at Paris on September 8. The city was assaulted for twelve hours. Joan received a wound in her thigh. The next day, Charles ordered a retreat, thereby thwarting Joan’s third and final task.

The following spring, Charles ordered Joan to go to Compiegne to protect it from an English threat. It was during a battle there that Joan was captured and taken to Rouen to face trial. The governor of the city ordered the gates to be closed before Joan could get safely back in. Many believe that he did it intentionally. Charles made no attempt to rescue her or even to ransom her, even though it was expected in those days. In effect, he was on the throne thanks to her, but he was jealous of her victories and her fame. He decided to use her as a political pawn and left her to others to deal with.

We will leave Joan in this perilous situation until next time – Joan of Arc, Maid of Orleans – Part 2. 

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^[1] The Trial of Rehabilitation took place 19 years after Joan’s martyrdom. See more below.