Today is Joan of Arc’s birthday. Happy 605 Joan! You don’t look a day over 300.
She may have died six centuries ago, but she lives on in the spirit of an entire nation. Her name has been immortalized all over the country in street names, in village squares, on churches and on monuments. Even today, both sides of the political spectrum are locked in a battle to hijack her appeal for electoral gain.
Yet her life is shrouded in myth and mystery. How much do you know about her? Here’s a quick quiz.
I’ll start with an easy question first.
1. Which hairstyle did Joan of Arc inspire?
a. the Donald Trump comb-over
b. the bob
c. the Sarah Palin pouf
d. the buzz cut
| Photograph: Mila Zinkova |
Actually it was (b). In 1909, a Paris hairdresser created the bob, citing Joan as his inspiration. These days it’s just another hairstyle; back then it was a revolution, ending centuries of taboo against women wearing their hair short.
It became a symbol of rebellion among women in the nineteen twenties, and was adopted in the US and Britain by the ‘flappers.’ The haircut is still known in French as coupe à la Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc’s haircut)
2. Which of the following did she survive in the course of her military career?
a. a stone cannonball blow to the helmet
b. a crossbow bolt through the thigh
c. a glancing blow from a mace to her bob
d. An arrow wound to her shoulder
Her entirely military career only lasted a year but in that time she had a cannonball dropped on her head, and was shot with an arrow and a crossbolt. In each case she continued to fight on until the action was over. This was one very, very tough and courageous young woman.
She claimed to have been divinely inspired, having been visited on many occasions by the Archangel Gabriel, and Saints Catherine and Margaret. The Catholic Church now claim these two saints never existed; whether they did or they didn’t, they moved Joan to do the impossible.
Oh and in case you were wondering re (c) : As far as historians can tell, her bob was never damaged in combat.
3: Where was she born?
a Arques
b. Orleans
c. Paris
d. Domremy
She was born in Domremy, the daughter of Jacques d’Arc and Isabelle Romée in modern day Lorraine. Her father was a farmer, who supplemented his income by collecting taxes for the king.
Her life, from the age of seventeen, is preposterous; ‘a peasant girl experiences divine visions telling her to lead the French armies against the hated English, in defiance of every limitation placed on a woman of the late Middle Ages.’ If that was your pitch for an historical fiction novel, you’d get thrown out of the publisher’s office.
Yet that’s what she did; lopped off her hair, put on armor and roused an exhausted and demoralised army into a string of victories that changed the course of the Hundreds Year War and of history. How she did it beggars belief.
4. Which of the following actresses never played Joan of Arc on the screen?
(a) Ingrid Bergman
(b) Jean Seberg
(c) Vanessa Redgrave
(d) Whoopi Goldberg
Ah-ha! You thought I was going to say Whoopi, didn’t you; in fact, Whoopi played Joan in a 2010 TV campaign for Poise adult underwear. Vanessa Redgrave was the red herring there.
5. Why was she put to death at the stake?
a. Because she was a witch
b. Because she was a heretic
c. Because she was a virgin
d. Because she voted for the Euro
Her trial was staged; the Duke of Bedford had claimed the French throne for his nephew Henry VI. Joan had given her imprimatur to his rival, Charles, so he wanted to burn her as a witch to undermine the reigning king’s legitimacy. It was a politically motivated smear campaign (How medieval. Thank God those days are behind us!)
Unfortunately, the Duchess of Bedford inconveniently confirmed that Joan was as a virgin and virgins cannot be witches (the Church’s position was that a real witch had real intercourse with the Devil). So they had to think of something else.
Her show trial dragged on for over a year. Uneducated as she was, Joan was too smart for the best the Church could bring against her. In the end they resorted to falsifying documents, convicted her of heresy and then burned her at the stake.
Their verdict was overturned thirty years later but vindication came a little late for Joan.
No post about her would be complete without this: I think it is one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and was composed by Canada’s national treasure, Leonard Cohen. It is sung here in duet with Jennifer Warnes.
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January 9, 2012 at 3:42 pm
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January 10, 2012 at 3:58 am
Very informative! I've picked you for a blogging award. Visit my site you claim your prize! 🙂
January 10, 2012 at 1:42 pm
You got me with the title, for sure! And the funny thing is, the haircut was the only question I got right! That was super interesting and totally hilarious. SHe voted for the Euro. Ha! You crack me up. And now I feel smarter. I'm going to see how I can slip a Joan of Arc fact into conversation today.
January 10, 2012 at 3:17 pm
I actually got a few right! Wonderful post, Colin.
January 10, 2012 at 5:48 pm
What awesome information! I never knew much about Joan of Arc other than she was young and had short hair. It was the only question I got right lol.
January 10, 2012 at 6:34 pm
Very cool post Colin! Loved it! I have always been interested in Joan, but never really knew that much about her. Thanks for enlightening me. 🙂
January 10, 2012 at 7:02 pm
Great post Colin, factual and funny. Loved it. Always loved the song too. Thanks for the walk down memory lane.I believe the song was for the album Famous Blue Raincoat.
January 11, 2012 at 10:08 am
Thank you Serena. I shall proudly pick up my blogging award on Friday!
January 11, 2012 at 10:12 am
And Emma, you're smarter than I am. Before I did my research I didn't get any right. My mate got his hair cut today though and I slipped in my new bit of learning - I told him he looked like Joan of Arc. He wasn't that pleased.
January 11, 2012 at 10:13 am
Thank you Alicia and Melinda. I learned a lot, too. It's how most of my books start - I get curious about something I don't know much about!
January 11, 2012 at 10:16 am
Thank you, too, Aisha and Debra … and yes, Prudence, you're right, it's from Famous Blue Raincoat. I think Jennifer Warnes adds something spectacular to Leonard Cohen songs. Let's face it, the man can't sing. But when you're that good with words, what does it matter?
January 6, 2017 at 11:08 am
Enjoyed your post about Joan of Arc. Filed the quiz miserably! Are you planning to write a book about her?
January 20, 2017 at 9:04 am
No Lennie, no book at this stage. Sorry you didn’t nail the quiz - it’s the bob that throws everyone off!
January 6, 2017 at 12:24 pm
I have always admired Joan of Arc. I knew all your answers. 🙂 I have never heard that song. Wonderful. Jennifer Warnes has such a beautiful voice. My mom was always a fan of hers so I’ve loved her voice for many years now.
January 20, 2017 at 9:06 am
It’s a Leonard Cohen song. I thought he should have won the Nobel over Bob Dylan. Or they should have shared it! But no one sings this one as well as Jennifer Warnes, that’s for sure!