LIttle Miss Saint

This article could begin In 1337 with the one-hundred year war when England and France broke out in war over the rightful king to the throne. Although it does play a big part, this article begins seventy-five years later in 1412, when a female child predicted years before by Merlin the wizard was born.

Her name began as Jehanett Darc, but would later become known as Joan D’ Arc, and even later in her life as De Lys (a noble name), which would be added to her family’s name, because of Joan’s loyalty.

She was born to a farmer and village tax collector by the name of Jacques D’ Arc and Isabelle Romee from Domremy France. Her life was filled with hard work, and such a devotion to scripture that it led to a life of abstinence. When she was thirteen she declared that she began to hear voices, and see visions of saints.

It is documented that she said they comforted and guided her as she prepared for a three task mission that she believed was from God.

By the time she was sixteen she claimed that her visions became more frequent and persistent, and that her first task was at hand, which was to meet with Charles the seventh, (the Dauphin of France) and to show him the way to his throne. Time after time Joan was denied the privilege of meeting the first born of the old king, but in 1429 Charles agreed to a test for Joan.

In order for him to meet and believe her saint story, she would have to pick him out of a crowd of about three hundred noble dressed men. And as the story goes, when Joan walked into the room she said the saints guided her to a man more common dressed than the other men, and she fell to her knees.

After she found favor in the Dauphin's eyes, she was dressed in men's clothing, prepared with a horse and her own sword and was sent to war where her second task began. She would march in the front lines of battle after battle to make sure Charles the seventh had a safe trip to Reims where she would watch him finally crowned the rightful king.

In 1430; after not only winning the battles she lead and the hearts of all of France, she was captured by Burgundy soldiers, and held for ransom to whomever would pay the most pleasing price.

After being sold to England in the same year, Joan was tortured in prison till she recanted her saint story.

No more than one time did she discredit her visions because she was threatened by her biggest fear; to be burned at the stake as a witch. Shortly after openly asking for forgiveness from God, which was her third task, she was tried in 1431 at the age of nineteen as a heretic, found guilty and put to death a martyr’s death for recanting her denial in her saint story.

Then in 1920, Joan was declared a saint by the same church that passed her sentence five centuries earlier.

This writer can’t say one way or another how accurate her story is, as far as seeing visions and hearing voices, but I do know that it entices my curiosity to learn about our history as a people. I have enjoyed reading, learning and contributing to this historical event, and hope you follow through with learning more of it, because there are many great writers who will take you back in time.