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French Culture
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 29/01/2008, 14:24
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Renaud
 
Joined on 23/08/2004
Barnes / Mirambeau
Posts 609
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Joan of Arc - a survivor?
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It turns out that she was the niece of the French King, not a shepherdess or peasant girl and she never was burnt at the stake by the wicked English.
I was kindly given a copy of French News at the recent French Show. It contains a book review of ‘L’Affaire Jeanne d’Arc’ by Roger Senzig and Marcel Gay. The authors have gone back to the 15th century documents and come up with a very different story to the accepted tale. What follows here is their conclusions as culled from the book review.
About all that is left of the traditional story is that she was called Jeanne (or Joan or Jehanne) and was a charismatic military figurehead, instrumental in restoring her cousin Charles VII to the French throne – his father having been taken prisoner at Agincourt and dying years later in the Tower of London.
Jeanne was the (illegitimate) 12th child of the king’s brother, Louis of Orléans. She was a tomboy and mental and physical prodigy. She was trained to bear arms and joust wearing heavy armour.
Yolande, Duchess of Anjou – the force behind the anti-English party – needed a charismatic leader to rally the demoralised yet religious French public. She brought Jeanne to court where Jeanne told the prince that she would see him crowned in Reims - then in English hands. Yolande nurtured the myth that Jeanne was a previously rumoured divinely inspired peasant girl from Lorraine.
Had she indeed been a peasant from Domrémy she would have spoken the local patois not French and certainly been unable to ride stallion warhorses in armour - contemporary records have her taking part in jousting, no peasant girl could have done this, however inspired.
Jeanne led the French army that relieved Orléans and indeed saw the prince crowned King in Reims.
In due course the English captured her and a careful study of the record of her trial shows her the intellectual equal of her interrogators, some of the finest theologians of the day. Someone was burnt at the stake and Jeanne disappeared for five years.
My guess is that the English wanted to neutralise this charismatic French leader but not actually kill a member of the French nobility, a bad precedent - what would happen if her captors were themselves later captured? So they did a deal with Jeanne that she disappeared for a while and undertook not to bear arms against the English again.
The French public certainly were convinced she had died at first. The archives of the city of Orléans show that five years later they sent their herald to investigate rumours that she was still alive. He took a leisurely 36 days to get to North East France but only four to return. The city then stopped the annual festival of remembrance for her death. Instead they gave Jeanne £210 – a huge sum at that time.
By then she had married a knight - Robert des Armoises and she had been received by the king and pardoned for attacking Paris without his permission. She and Robert lived in Jaulny castle in the Meurthe-et-Moselle until she died aged about 50.
So here is a real ‘Wag The Dog’ style story. Maybe a far better one for Kate Mosse or Dan Brown et al to write than their usual concoctions?
Gus
www.relax-in-france.com
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29/01/2008, 14:59
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Russethouse
Joined on 23/08/2004
Forum Moderator
Posts 9,874
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Re: Joan of Arc - a survivor?
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29/01/2008, 15:27
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Cathy
Joined on 07/03/2006
Mostly near Bordeaux; Sometimes near Bristol
Posts 1,720
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Re: Joan of Arc - a survivor?
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The book is properly researched and takes its information from respected sources. History does have to be revised, from time to time, in the light of new information. A notable historian has discovered what is thought to be her bones.
The writers suggest that the myth of her martyrdom was perpetuated by (a) the French government, who needed a champion of the north east which was regularly changing hands between the French and the Germans, and (b) the Catholic church.
I would like to know if the book is going to be (or has been) translated into English.
Cathy
-----
Your children won't remember you ironing their pyjamas but they will remember you reading them a bedside story.
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29/03/2008, 16:43
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Cat
Joined on 21/01/2005
------- Forum Moderator ------- Lot
Posts 2,998
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Re: Joan of Arc - a survivor?
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29/03/2008, 16:51
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Clair
Joined on 23/08/2004
------- Forum Moderator ------- Lot (46)
Posts 6,860
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Re: Joan of Arc - a survivor?
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29/03/2008, 22:16
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woolybanana'sbrother
Joined on 18/01/2008
Posts 1,321
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Re: Joan of Arc - a survivor?
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Now that is the first intelligent comment I have heard in a long time, on that subject. In fact I have begun to seriously doubt (split infin) the accepted interpretation, having thought about it over a few years. Trouble is that the official version is in the hands of ultra Cathos who are fierce and pistonné in their hold on things.
Do not try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.
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France Forum » French Culture » French Culture » Re: Joan of Arc - a survivor?
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