Jeanne d’Arc, better known in Greece as Joan of Lorraine, was born on January 6, 1412, in the village of Domrémy in northeastern France, on the border between Champagne and Lorraine. She grew up on her family’s farm, never learning to read or write.
She was only 12 years old when she first began to hear voices calling on her to save France from ruin. As she claimed, Saints Michael and George and Saint Catherine told her that it was her divine mission to liberate her country from the English and to help the heir to the French throne, Charles, be crowned king. They told her to cut her hair short, dress like a man, and take up arms.
In 1429, the English, with the help of their allies from Burgundy, captured Paris and all the French regions north of Lorraine. The resistance they encountered was minimal, due to the lack of leadership and the defeatist attitude that gripped the French. Henry VI of England laid claim to the French throne.
Although no one took her seriously at first, Joan of Arc persisted and eventually—with the help of some divine signs—managed to convince Charles to give her troops to face the enemy. At the Battle of Orléans in May 1429, she achieved a miraculous victory over the English invaders, whom she continued to pursue throughout Lorraine. Her reputation became so fearsome that enemies often fled before even engaging in battle.
On July 17, 1429, Charles was crowned King of France. At the coronation, Joan of Arc was given a place of honor next to the king, and she was later awarded a title of nobility for her service to the country.
A year later, she was captured by the Burgundians while defending the Campagne, near Paris. She was sold to the English and tried by an ecclesiastical court as a witch and heretic. The main argument against her was her wearing men’s clothing, which was considered a crime against God. She was sentenced to death and burned at the stake on May 30, 1431. King Charles made no effort to save her.
Perhaps this is how the scene was filmed in the movie of the same name.
In 1456, the case was reviewed, and the court found her innocent. On April 18, 1909, Joan of Arc was beatified by the Roman Catholic Church, and on May 19, 1920, she was canonized by Pope Benedict XV.
