"Make the most of me, for I shall last only one year."

Joan of Arc

By: Heather N Gibson

During the Hundred Years War the English were triumphantly taking control of France. The French soldiers would run from the English. It was a dark time until a french peasant girl predicted France's victory. Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc, Jehanette Darc, Jehanne Dar`c or La Pucelle) was born in 1412 in Domre`my France. In 1429 she worked to make her own prophecy come true. From the age of 13 Joan claimed she heard voices and experienced prophetic visions. She later identified the voices, as coming from the early martyrs St. Catherine of Alexandria and St Margaret. The most prominent of the voices belonged to St. Michael.

In 1429 the voices instructed her to help the Dauphin, Charles. Charles was not yet crowned King of France. After being tested Joan convinced Charles she was on a mission from God. Charles had her examined by a group of theologians to make certain her mission was not " contrary to the faith." The board approved her task and she was granted a high commission in the army. She chose Gilles de Rais to be her protector in battle. Courageously she rode fourth in white armor carrying a white banner that represented God blessing the fleur-de-lis, the french royal emblem.

Before riding to victory over the English, she made another predication. She told Charles, "Make the most of me for I shall last only one year." At the coronation of the Dauphin in the cathedral at Reims, Joan was given a place of honor beside His Majesty.

She was a cunning leader in battle spurred on by the "voices." She was able to gain victory over England with minimal loss of life on the french side. The people adored her and Charles owed her the crown. Still once crowned Charles opposed any further campaigns against the English.

Without, support from the King, Joan conducted a military run against the English at Compiegne, near Paris (1430). Burgundian soldiers captured Joan and then sold her to the English for 10,000 franc. King Charles refused to pay her ransom and Joan was turned over to Pierre Cauchon, Bishop of Deauvais ( a renegade Frenchman acting for the English). Joan was suspected of sorcery and invocation of devils.

Joan was imprisoned in the castle of Rouen. he was exhibited in an iron cage, barely big enough for her to stand in. On January 9,1431, Joan was brought before an informal hand picked, court of nine ecclesiastics.

Even though the court was pro-English Joan gained favor. This impression was reenforced by the testimony of women appointed by the Duchess os Bedford that Joan was a virgin (therefore, not a witch). Bishop Cauchon repressed this evidence and drew up several "articles" testifying against her character. The following is an excerpt from Article III:

"The said Joan by her inventions has seduced the catholic people, many in her presence adored her as a saint and adored her also in her absence, commanding in her honor masses and collects in the churches; even more they declared her the greatest of all saints after the holy virgin; they set up images and representations of her in the shrines of the saints and also carried on their persons her representations in lead or in other metal as they want to do for the memorials and representations of saints canonized by the Church; they say everywhere that she is the envoy of God and that she is more angel that woman."

In March Joan was examined in her prison cell. she was continuously questioned about the alleged voices she heard and condemned for her belief that she was responsible only to God and not to the church.

On March 27, Joan was brought to formal trial. Seventy counts were made against her:

"Vehemently suspected, rumored, and notoriously delated by virtuous and sober persons... denounced and declared sorceress, witch, diviner, pseudo-prophetess, invoker of evil spirits, conjurer, superstitious, implicated in and given to the arts of magic, doubting in the Catholic faith, schismastic... blasphemer against God and the saints, scandalous and seditious, perturber of the peace, inciter to war... indecent and shameless, seducer of princes and people... heretic or a t least vehemently suspect of heresy."

On April 2 after exhaustively examining all of the charges against her the court dismissed all of the allegations of sorcery and the charges were reduced to twelve. Joan was found to be a heretic for believing she was responsible directly to God and not the Church.

Joan was condemned to death. However, on May 24 Joan signed a confession and promised to "return to our mother Holy Church, in order that all may see that I have re-entered the fold...." She confessed to "falsely pretending to have had revelations from God and his angles, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret." She leaves St. Michael out of her confession and never denied hearing his voice.

Her sentence was reduced to imprisonment for life. When Joan began her sentence the English guards confiscated her feminine attire and forced her to wear masculine clothing. The court was immediately informed of her change in clothing. Outraged, the court condemned her as a relapsed heretic.

Joan retracted her confession. She stated that she had confessed in order to save her life and through St. Catherine and St. Margaret God had shown her, her mistake. She had committed treason in trying to save her life. She had a vision of what was going to happen to her. She foretold a false preacher who accusses her of doing many things she hadn't. She also saw that she would be on the scaffold before the people.

On may 30 the Bishop of Beauvais and the Inquisitor handed her sentence of ex-communication. No longer protected by the Church she was handed over to the secular court. There was no secular court so the Bailiff of Rouen ordered her execution.

Joan was burned at the stake, fulfilling her prophecies.