And Now I Know How Joan Of Arc Felt

After listening to song Big Mouth by The Smith’s, with the lyrics ‘and know I know how Joan of Arc Felt,’ I came to wonder, who was Joan of Arc and what did she feel?

Here’s what I found as my answer:

Joan of Arc was a peasant girl in France during The One Hundred Year’s War. At this time England owned a large proportion of French land and the ruler of France, Charles vii (who five years after his father’s death had still not been crowned), was in dispute with Henry vi of England.

Joan of Arc claimed that at the age of thirteen in 1425 she started having visions from angels instructing her to save France from the English, and that it was her mission from God for her to do so.

After managing to get an escort of five soldiers, Joan of Arc was able to meet with Charles and managed to persuade him to let her lead an army of about five thousand men, against the English at Orleans.

Following this, at the age of eighteen, Joan fought in battle against the English and captured many of the forts in Orleans: Saint Loup on the 4th of May, Saint Augustins on the sixth and Les Tourelles on the seventh. On the eighth the English retreated and Joan of Arc was left victorious if not slightly wounded by an arrow to the neck.

As if this was not enough she then fought on to win back Reims into French allegiance on the 16th of July, and after that seeked surrender in more towns near Paris.

On the 8th of September she attacked Paris, however John Duke of Bedford led an army against her on behalf of the English King. Her leg wounded by a cross-bow and her body in agony, Joan fought on against the English, only stopping when she received a message from Charles asking her to withdraw, as he’d arranged a truce with England.

Like many of the most powerful woman in history, the strength and influence that Joan exerted led her to be described as a witch. Criticism from the English, looking for an explanation for how they could have been beaten by a girl, exclaimed that she used false enchantment and sorcery.

It was in May 1430 that she was captured by the Burgundians and sold to the English. A year later she was then trialed for heresy and famously burned at the stake. And as “the flames rose to her roman nose, ” - another Smiths lyric - it’s said she requested a priest to hold up a crucifix for her to see whilst shouting prayers above the roar of the flames.

So to conclude not only is Joan of Arc a heroine of France, but she’s also a clear glitch in the patriarchal society that existed throughout history, and probably one of the most successful young women to have ever lived.