The Saber and Scroll Journal Volume 6, Issue 1, Winter 2017 | Page 17

The Maiden of France: A Brief Overview of Joan of Arc and the Siege
of Orléans
Cam Rea
France, embroiled in a war with England in a struggle over the French
throne during the Hundred Years’ War, would find a savior who in turn was a
heretic to the English. This sinner and saint was a woman by the name of Joan of
Arc. While most people know that the English burned her at the stake at Vieux
Marché in Rouen, most have forgotten her military adventures against the English.
The Peasant Girl
In 1412, Joan of Arc (or
Domremy located in the Duchy of
Bar, France. She was the daughter
of poor farmers by the names of
Jacques d’ Arc and his wife
Isabelle. Like the upbringing on
any farm, Joan learned primarily
agricultural skills. She was said to
have been a hardworking and
religious child.
Joan’s fame came when
she claimed to hear the voice of
God, which instructed her to
expel the English and to have the
Dauphin, Charles Valois (Crown
Prince of France) crowned king
of France. Incredibly, Joan would
get her chance to meet with the
Dauphin Charles VII when the
situation changed for the worse in
1429. In 1429, the city of
Orléans, loyal to the French
crown, had been under siege by
the English for over a year. With
Jeanne d’Arc) was born in the village of
Figure 1. Jeanne d’Arc, by Eugène Thirion
(1876). The portrait depicts Joan of Arc’s
awe upon receiving a vision from the
Archangel Michael.
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