The Saber and Scroll Journal Volume 6, Issue 1, Winter 2017 | Page 30

Joan of Arc through the Ages: In Art and Imagination
Anne Midgley
Since her death at the hands of the English in 1431, Joan of Arc has
inspired and puzzled millions. The poor peasant girl who rallied the French to
victory at Orléans has fuelled the imagination of artists, authors, poets, and
cinematographers. Over the past six centuries, the enigmatic Joan has appealed to
not only the people of France, but also to groups as diverse as Philippine and
Macedonian revolutionaries, literary societies, American suffragists, and
temperance advocates. Yet, according to one Victorian writer, she has also alarmed
and troubled many, for according to her assessment, “There is no figure in history
more incendiary to the imagination than this Joan of Arc.” 1
From Heretic to Saint: The Trials of St. Joan of Arc
Cam Rea’s article “The Maiden of France: A Brief Overview of Joan of
Arc and the Siege of Orléans,” published in this issue of the Saber and Scroll
Journal, well details the French military victories that Joan inspired against the
English and their French allies, the Burgundians. The English and their allies
feared and detested Joan; however, her loyalty to the Dauphin of France, Charles,
and her visionary leadership in battle inspired the French Armagnacs to repulse
their enemies, lift the siege of Orléans, and win a number of subsequent military
victories. These victories eventually led to the coronation of Charles VII as the
king of France on 17 July 1429. Out of gratitude, Charles ennobled Joan and her
family on 29 December 1429. He provided them with the name of Du Lis and
established lilies for their coat of arms. On 24 May 1430, a surprise Burgundian
attack on the town of Compiègne led to Joan’s capture. She became a prisoner of
John of Luxemburg, who sold her to the English. The English desired her death.
This prompted the charge of heresy and the infamous ecclesiastical trial that
resulted in her death sentence. 2 The court documents record the Sentence of
Excommunication against Joan, stating,
[T]hat you have been on the subject of thy pretended divine
revelations and apparitions lying, seducing, pernicious,
presumptuous, lightly believing, rash, superstitious, a divineress
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