14 Interesting Facts About Joan of Arc

Do you want to learn some interesting facts about Joan of Arc?

St. Joan of Arc, also known as the Maid of Orléans, St. Jeanne d’Arc, or La Pucelle d’Orléans, was born on 6 January 1412, in Domrémy, Bar, France. She died on 30 May 1431, in Rouen.

She was a peasant girl who, believing she was guided by God, led the French army to a victory at Orléans during the Hundred Years’ War.

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A year later, English and French collaborators burned Joan as a heretic. She became her compatriots’ most significant national hero, and her achievement helped awaken French national consciousness. Up to this day, she’s one of the most popular French people that made significant impact to the history of the country.

Being Joan of Arc was always challenging in her era in France. The lady fought battles for her people, but they gave her death instead of appreciation. To know more facts about Joan of Arc, read the list below.

14 Interesting Facts About Joan of Arc

1. Joan of Arc was not really from Arc

An exciting thing about Joan of Arc is that her name isn’t accurate because she didn’t come from a place called Arc. She was from Domrémy, a village in the northeast of France.

Jeanne was born with the name Jehanne la Pucelle, which means “Joan, the Maid.” She said she never knew what her last name was. But after a while, she guessed that her father’s last name was d’Arc and started calling herself that.

2. She believed that she was sent from heaven to save France

Joan of Arc altered the course of French history when she got rid of France’s enemies and made Charles the rightful king. She thought that God had sent her to save the country, so she was able to do all of this.

At 13, she started hearing voices that she thought were God telling her about the task of saving France.

When she met the king who would become Charles VII, she told him private information that only a faithful messenger of God could know, according to the king. To this day, no one knows what she said to the king that won him over.

3. Joan of Arc was a very feisty lady

Joan of Arc was likely a strong-willed teen. She chastised the soldiers for swearing or skipping mass and called the nobles spineless for how they treated the English.

She also attempted to slap a Scottish allied soldier for eating stolen meat. She drove away army prostitutes and hit some.

She also had a sharp tongue, and there is a transcript of her trial where a priest with a heavy accent asked her what dialect she spoke. She told him she could speak better French than he did.

4. She cross-dressed

Joan dressed as a military commander in men’s clothing instead of traditional feminine attire. She also styled her hair short and masculine. Joan inspired the modern bob haircut, which was created in Paris in 1909.

Cross-dressing is still controversial in some parts of the world today, so you can imagine how difficult this was for Joan of Arc. Ultimately, her decision to dress as a man led to her death sentence rather than her service in the army.

5. Joan of Arc had a high IQ

Joan of Arc was not only witty but also very clever amidst her lack of formal education. During her trial, she evaded risky or controversial testimonies to interrogating priests.

Her judges, for example, attempted to trick her into allying with God against the Church, immediately labeling her a heretic. Instead, she replied, “About Jesus Christ and the Church, I know they’re one thing, and we shouldn’t complicate the matter.”

6. She won a case against an arranged marriage when she was 16

Some people look up to Joan of Arc as a strong feminist icon, mostly because she didn’t let her patriarchal society tell her how to act or what to wear.

Three years before she died, when she was 16, her father tried to set up a marriage for her. But she turned it down and persuaded a local court that she shouldn’t have to get married against her will.

8. Modern medicine diagnosed her as having a mental disorder

Doctors today have figured that Joan of Arc had several illnesses based on her symptoms. She said that the archangels came to her and gave her divine messages and advice. She would be diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder by today’s standards.

At the same time, some people have thought that Joan could have gotten bovine tuberculosis as a child in rural France. This is a disease that can cause dementia later in life.

9. She was labeled a “Relapsed Heretic” and sentenced to death

The English army apprehended Joan and charged her with approximately 70 crimes, including horse theft.

During her confinement, the number of crimes she was suspected of committing was reduced to 12, including wearing men’s clothing and conversing with archangels.

However, it appeared that more of her charges would be dismissed. Joan, on the other hand, decided to put on her male clothes one night and told the judges who came to see her that she could hear angelic voices again.

As a result, the judges labeled her a “heretic,” and she was sentenced to death by burning at stake.

10. Joan of Arc never really fought in battle

Even though Joan of Arc is remembered as a brave leader of the French army, she never actually led troops into battle.

She went with the troops and used her banner as a weapon instead of a gun. She also made military plans behind the lines, like where the troops should go, and diplomatic offers to the English that were turned down.

She was a mascot for the soldiers, but she spent most of the war behind the scenes.

11. She was burned at stake three times

On May 29, 1431, Joan of Arc was convicted of heresy. She was burned at the stake the following day in the marketplace of Rouen, a town in English-occupied Normandy. A crowd of 10,000 people gathered to witness her death.

According to one legend, Joan’s heart survived the fire because God shielded it. But history says that she was burned three times, and then her ashes were thrown into the Seine River. Three burnings were done to ensure no one could get souvenirs from her execution.

12. Her family profited from her fame after her death

Between 1434 and 1440, Joan’s brothers Jean and Pierre forced Claude des Armoises to pretend as Joan. Claude dressed up as Joan of Arc and told the residents of Orléans that she had managed to flee the English and wedded a knight.

This ploy worked, as the three received gifts and were hailed as heroes by the people of Orléans. Claude eventually admitted his guilt to King Charles VII.

13. King Charles VII could have saved her from death

Charles VII could have defended Joan of Arc while she was in prison, but he didn’t want to be seen with someone accused of being a witch and a heretic. So, he didn’t attempt to prevent her from being killed or try to save her life. Twenty years after she died, he took action.

He ordered a new trial, which showed that she wasn’t guilty of heresy. This made it possible for France to start thinking of Joan of Arc with such respect.

14. She became the patron saint of France

Joan of Arc isn’t just a historical figure in France. She’s the country’s patron saint, inspiring Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Pope Benedict XV canonized her in 1920.

Long before the 20th century, the French admired Joan for her bravery and sacrifice to free France from its English-Burgundian tyrants. The peasant girl who became a military commander, martyr, and saint stays a symbol of freedom and faith today.