Middle Class Reformer or Saint-Joan of ARC

Medieval Feminist Forum, 2004

2019

It is not to be doubted but that the magnanimity of the English would have spared her, had they not found it necessary to deface the opinion which the French, even with superstition, had conceived of her. John Speed, Historie of Great Britaine (1611) An English traveler to Orléans in 1622 witnessed a "procession 'twixt Military and Ecclesiastic for the Maid of Orleans, which is perform'd every year very solemnly; her Statue stands upon the Bridge, and her Clothes are preserv'd to this day, which a young Man wore in the Procession." James Howell, future historiographer to Charles II, adds that after the English were "driven to Normandy," one "Anne de Arque" was "taken Prisoner, and the English had a fair revenge upon her, for by an Arrest of the Parliament of Rouen she was burnt for a Witch." 1 In April 1644, another traveler described that same statue (later destroyed) of the medieval city's liberator: At one of the extreames of the bridge are strong toures; and about the middle neere one side, the statue of the Virgin Mary, or Pieta, with a Christo Morto in her lap, as big as the lif; At one side of the Crosse kneeles Charles the vii th arm'd, and at the other Jane d'Arc the famous Pucele arm'd also like a Cavalier with boots & spurs, her hayre dischevel'd as the Virago who deliver'd the Towne from our Countrymen, what time they beseig'd it: The valiant Creature being afterward burnt at Rouen for a Witch. Five years later, in the spring of 1649, yet another young Englishman visited Orléans in his turn, and reported, "In honor of [the Maid of Orléans] they make yearely a generall procession the eight of May, which is the day shee raised the seege of the english, where all the orders of the towne doth assist, which goes as farre as the bridge where there is a Masse said. The 1644

Arthuriana, 2008

This paper looks at the life of Joan of Arc as represented through fiction and drama, linking the ways in which early medievalism articulated warrior hood and heresy, with the aspect of how sainthood is recognised centuries later.

The construction of the Myth of Joan of Arc and its perpetuation, 2023

Joan of Arc, a young woman from rural France, with no formal education or military training, managed to convince the dauphin, Charles VII, to give her an army and led him to his coronation. Her actions, apparently guided only by her deep faith in the voices she believed she heard, led to the construction of her myth and its perpetuation long after her death. This dissertation examines the events and the propitious time that propelled her into becoming a major historical character. A retrospective approach, accepting Joan’s medieval beliefs such as devoutness and obedience to her voices, explores how she influenced those who were in contact with her, and Max Weber’s theory of domination is employed to analyse Joan’s dominating power. The selected textual and visual art works, spanning from the sixteenth century to today, inspired by Joan, are examined to investigate their role in contributing to the perpetuation of her myth. In the face of adversity, Joan of Arc’s determination, faith and charisma allowed her to assert herself, leading to her sainthood and the emergence of an enduring myth about her. Joan’s multifaceted image remains a source of inspiration for authors and visual artists as it dissolves conventional boundaries. She has also become an icon harnessed by several ideological factions and political parties.

The French philosopher Daniel Bensaïd (1946–2010) bequeathed an extensive political and philosophical oeuvre which mixes classical Marxist references with authors like walter Benja-min and Charles Péguy. Concerned with reconstructing strategic thinking for today's world, he sought inspiration in uncommon places for Marxist thinking, such as medieval religious heresies, Marranism, Messianism and figures like Joan of Arc. The Maid of Orléans, situated halfway between history and legend, was officially turned from heretic to saint and became a French national myth. There has been a host of interpretations and re-appropriations of her. Bensaïd disputes her memory with the French right and the petrified memory of the French Republic, and he sees her as a figure inherent to a transitional period between the end of the Middle Ages and the start of the modern world. She is the emblem of a policy of resistance to an oppressive power, as shown by her steadfastness during her heresy trial. Concealed behind her figure is also a proto-feminist dimension defending the role of women in society.

2010

The cult of Joan of Arc has always had an effect on the people of France, throughout history. It has aspired too many different views and re-surfaced at times in crisis for France. During some turbulent years after the mid 19 th century the cult seems to have gained popularity. Emotional and historical writing became a fashion and Joan was presented in different ways depending on the writer and his motifs. As nationalistic front gained in popularity they understood to use her symbol in the name of France. This following study, named French Nationalism and Joan of Arc: the Use of the Cult of Joan of Arc in France between 1871-1926, has been an attempt to study her cult from an ultra nationalistic point of view. By approaching the subject by a History of Ideas theory I have tried to answer my questions in the matter, and tried to decode the image of Joan of Arc in the name of nationalism. By first studying the nationalistic development in France as background and the basics and philosophy of the ideas I have then begun the research of the period mentioned. First and foremost I have studied the framework of nationalism and then I have used material coherent to my study, such as Action Française, writers of the 19 th-20 th century and other studies. I have come to learn that the cult of Joan was perfect for the time when ultra nationalistic feelings grew in the late 19 th century as a response to the ever twisted Dreyfussaffair. Along with nationalism came anti-Semitism and fascism and in the line of Action Française also royalism. Joan of Arc stood for all those things, at least that is what the nationalist thought, using history and documents to back it up. And if the legend did not fit the purpose, it was made to fit, all in the ideology of nationalism. Joan of Arc became the symbol they wanted for all their own beliefs. Joan of Arc was to be a piece of raw clay, able to take on any form in the hands of politics.

2012

The Changing Face of Joan of Arc: The Appropriation of Joan of Arc in Twentiethcentury American Theatre shows that the evolution of Joan of Arc’s image reflected the culture of each era, and illustrated the changing social roles for women. The dramatic treatments of Joan of Arc have been divided into the following categories: Joan of Arc the warrior, which provides an in-depth look at Joan’s role in America during the First and Second World Wars; Joan of Arc the martyr, which examines the aftermath of the Second World War on American culture in regard to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC); Joan of Arc the woman, which investigates Joan of Arc’s treatment as the proto-type for the feminist movement; and, Joan of Arc the survivor, which presents modern, imaginative retellings of the Joan of Arc legend that revolve around the premise that Joan of Arc was never executed. The plays selected convey Joan of Arc’s image for each time period. For Joan of Arc the warrior, the p...