FAMOUS STORIES

Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc)

When Joan of Arc was born in 1412 in Domrémy, a small village in the region of Lorraine, France was occupied by the English.

She was only 17 years old when she heard the voices of Saint Catherine, Saint Marguerite and Saint Michel telling her ‘Joan, it is you who frees France’.

‘Me?’ Joan responded, ‘but I’m only a peasant who barely knows how to read or write.’

But the voices insisted, saying ‘Joan, go to the true King of France and tell him God sent you.’

Joan accepted her mission, but she was worried. The King lived a long way from her little village and she was well aware that all the roads were rife with thieves and trouble. She decided the best thing to do was to get the local Lord, Lord Beaudricourt, to send an escort with her. She went directly to him and asked,

‘My Lord, if it pleases you, give me an escort. I need to see the King.’

‘To see who?’ Lord Beaudricourt exclaimed.

‘The King of France, my Lord,’ she responded.

Beaudricourt laughed in her face and sent her home. But Joan returned. She insisted that his assistance was imperative and finally, but surely, won him over. So with an  escort of six strong men, Joan arrived at the Château de Chinon where Charles VII, the would-be King of France, was living with his sister and his court.

Charles VII was a king without a kingdom. He was young and shy and no longer believed that victory was possible. And above all, he doubted that a 17 year old girl could be a messenger from God.

One of Charles’ courtiers, Bernard de Chissay, suggested they test the young girl.

‘If she’s truly a messenger from God,’ de Chissay said, ‘then she will know the real King of France when she sees him. Why don’t we disguise ourselves? I’ll put on your clothes and you can wear mine. Then we’ll see how true she is.’

Joan entered the grand hall of the palace. It was thriving with people – hundreds of ladies, knights and aristocracy were buzzing around. Centre to all this action was  Bernard de Chissay, magnificently dressed in the King’s robes and receiving homages from the surrounding courtiers.

Charles, wearing de Chissay’s simple clothes, had secreted himself at the back of the room but despite this, Joan went directly to him.

‘Kind King of France, the Lord God sent me to you,’ she said.

‘I’m not the King,’ Charles said. ‘The King is over there.’

‘You’re the King, the true King of France,’ Joan responded.

Charles was impressed and agreed to listen to what Joan had to say. In a private room, Charles and Joan spoke at length. Charles emerged convinced that Joan was a messenger from God. He gave her an army and true to her word, this 17 year old girl led this army victory over the English and freed France.