In which war did the Maid of Orleans take part? The life of the Maid of Orleans. The life path of Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc, as she appears from the pages of textbooks (and it doesn’t matter whether they are French, Russian or Brazilian - they, alas, are the same everywhere), was born between 1831 and 1843 under the pen of Jules Michelet, who then served as director of the National Archives.

On the pages of his six-volume History of France, he painted an image that seemed ideal to him, a democrat, romantic and patriot. It was this black-and-white ideal (and not the real Virgin of France!) that was subsequently, on May 9, 1920, canonized by the decision of the Roman Curia. But how did everything really happen?

THE CREATION OF MYTH

First official version. When the defeat of the French during the Hundred Years' War seemed inevitable, Jeanne appeared, intending to expel the British, the “daughter of the people” carried the French along with her.

She was born in the village of Domremy, near the border of Lorraine and Champagne. At that time, local residents supported the Armagnacs (one of the two feudal groups that emerged during the reign of Charles the Mad; it was headed by the Count d'Armagnac), who fought with the Burgundian party - the Burguignons, who sided with the British in the Hundred Years' War. Taking advantage of the turmoil, they constantly attacked these regions predatory raids by the Germans, which is why Jeanne often had to see her brothers and fellow villagers bloodied.

Jeanne, the daughter of the plowman Jacques d'Arc and his wife Isabella d'Arc (nee de Vouton), who received the nickname Rome, that is, the Roman, for her olive complexion, was tall and strong. and a hardy girl, distinguished by piety, hard work and simplicity. From childhood, she saw people’s disasters around her and, as she later said, “sorrow for the misfortunes of dear France stung her like a snake in her heart.” At the age of thirteen, she heard “voices” that commanded her to save her fatherland.

At first these visions frightened her, for such an assignment seemed to far exceed her strength. However, she gradually came to terms with this idea. Zhanna was not even eighteen when she left her native place to take part in the struggle for the liberation of her homeland. With great difficulty she reached Chenon, a castle on the Loire, where the heir to the throne, the Dauphin Charles, was staying at that time. Just before that, a rumor spread among the troops about a prophecy according to which God would send a savior virgin to France. And therefore the courtiers believed that the girl’s deep faith in victory could raise the morale of the troops.

When a special commission of ladies attested to Jeanne’s purity (having found out along the way that she was a hermaphrodite (as it was elegantly formulated, “...incapable of normal intercourse” - but this circumstance, however, does not appear in the popular legend for obvious reasons), she the command was entrusted with a detachment of knights, joining the army of seven thousand, assembled to help the besieged Orleans. The most experienced military leaders recognized her supremacy. All along the way, the common people enthusiastically greeted their Virgin. Craftsmen forged Jeanne's armor and sewed a marching uniform.

Inspired by the Virgin, the Orléans left the city walls and stormed the English fortifications. As a result, nine days after her arrival in the city, the siege was lifted. The year 1429, marked by this event, turned out to be a turning point in the course of the war, and from then on Jeanne began to be called the Maid of Orleans. However, until the Dauphin was crowned, he was not considered the rightful sovereign. Jeanne convinced Charles to take a campaign against Reims, where French monarchs had long been crowned. The army victoriously completed the three-hundred-kilometer march in two weeks, and the heir to the throne was solemnly crowned king at Reims Cathedral, henceforth becoming Charles VII.

Meanwhile the war continued. Once, near Compiegne, Jeanne's detachment was surrounded by the Burgundians. They captured the Maid of Orleans and handed her over to their English allies for 10,000 livres. In order to justify their own defeats, they accused Jeanne of having connections with the devil. A tribunal of learned theologians tricked her into signing a false confession, as a result of which the heroine was declared a witch, and on May 31, 1431 (or, according to English chroniclers, in February 1432) she was burned at the stake in Rouen.

Such a presentation of the facts, quite worthy of a romantic narrative in the style of Walter Skope, Alexandre Dumas the Father or Théophile Gautier, perfectly explains why the French historian, philosopher and sociologist of art Hippolyte Taine considered Michelet not so much a scientist as one of the greatest poets of our time, and his work called it “the lyrical epic of France.”

But be that as it may, this is where the legend and the paragraph in the textbook end and begin...

COUNTLESS QUESTIONS

I will give only a few examples, although almost all of the above, alas, is not in harmony with many historical facts, nor just common sense.

Let's start with the origin. The very names of the so-called “parents” of the Maid of Orleans indicate that they belonged to the noble class, and not at all to the peasant class (although, as the documents indicate, the d'Arches were temporarily deprived of the rights of state, which, however, did not deprive them of the privilege of wearing the family coat of arms ) So one should categorically say goodbye to the “plowman’s daughter.” Moreover, none of her contemporaries called her Joan of Arc at all. She herself stated at the trial that she did not know her last name: “My name is Zhanna the Virgin, but in childhood they called me Zhannette.” In all documents of that era, she is referred to exclusively as Dame Jeanne, Jeanne the Virgin, Maid of France or Maid of Orleans, and this last name, note, appears before the liberation of Orleans. Finally, the coat of arms given to Jeanne by the Dauphin does not have the slightest relation to the coat of arms of d'Arcoves, indicating a completely different, much higher origin...

Now about the appearance. Not a single authentic image of Jeanne has survived to this day. The only known lifetime portrait is a pen drawing made by the secretary of the Parisian parliament in the margins of his register in May 1429, when Paris learned of the lifting of the siege of Orleans. However, this drawing has nothing in common with the original. It depicts a woman with long curls, wearing a dress with a gathered skirt; she holds a banner and is armed with a sword. Jeanne really did have a sword and a banner. However, she invariably wore a man's suit, and her hair was cut short due to the need to wear a helmet.

Many contemporaries called Jeanne a beauty and were hopelessly in love with her. A woman who participated in battles and knightly tournaments really had to be distinguished by strength and endurance. However, the Virgin was not tall - in one of the French museums her armor is kept, indicating that its owner... almost reached one and a half meters.

Let's talk about simplicity and hard work. As is clear from the records, during the trial that condemned her, the “daughter of the people” with arrogant contempt rejected the claim that she tended cattle or did housework. And at the acquittal process, Alain Chartier, secretary of two kings - Charles VI and Charles VII, said:

“One got the impression that this girl was brought up not in the fields, but in schools, in close contact with the sciences.” And in Chenon she amazed the Dauphin and his cousin, the young Duke of Alençon, with her unsurpassed horsemanship, perfect mastery of weapons and brilliant knowledge of the games then common among the nobility (quinten, playing rings, etc.).

By the way, about the way to Shenon. Let's start with the fact that in January 1429, shortly before Jeanne's departure there, the royal messenger Jean Collet de Vienne, accompanied by the Scottish archer Richard, arrived in the village of Domremy, where she lived in the d'Arches family, accompanied by the Scottish archer Richard. By his order, an escort of knights was formed Jean de Novelonpont and Bertrand de Poulangis, their squires and several servants. On the way, the detachment stopped in Nancy, where Jeanne consulted for a long time about something with the Dukes Charles of Lorraine and Rene of Anjou, and also “in the presence of the nobility and people of Lorraine” took part in knightly tournament with a spear.

Considering that tournaments were the exclusive privilege of the nobility, that shields with the coats of arms of the participants were displayed around the lists, it seems completely incredible that Charles of Lorraine and other lords would have come to terms with the fact that a peasant woman was mounted on a purebred war horse, and armed with a spear, which they had to use right exclusively dedicated knights. And another question: where did she get her armor? It would be very, very difficult to match someone else's height to her... Finally, what coat of arms did she perform under? Deprived (even temporarily) of the noble rights of d'Arkov? That's who it was, as they say, not according to their rank!

Finally, upon arrival in Chenon, Joan was immediately received by both queens - Yolande of Anjou, mother-in-law of the Dauphin Charles, and her daughter, Marie of Anjou, Charles's wife. As you can see, the Virgin was taken to Chenon with honor, and there is no need to talk about overcoming any obstacles. But according to the logic of things, Jeanne, being a clairvoyant humble peasant woman, should not have penetrated into the castle further than the gatekeeper. Of course, her appearance would have been reported to the officer on duty, then to the governor, and lastly, perhaps, to the Dauphin... But how would all this end? Clairvoyants in those days roamed the French roads in great numbers.

And one last thing. Yes, “artisans forged Jeanne’s armor” (and who else could have done this?), but the king paid for them, and as much as one hundred Tournaisian livres, a huge sum at that time; the armor of the Duke of Apançon, cousin of the Dauphin, for example, cost only eighty. And in general, Virgo was not shy about her means: “When my box is empty, the king replenishes it,” she used to say. And the most amazing fact: Jeanne demanded a sword that once belonged not to anyone, but to the legend of France, the famous military leader - Bertrand du Guesclin, constable of Charles V; demanded it - and received it. And one more detail: she already possessed du Guesclin’s ring when she arrived in Chenon. How did it fall into the hands of a peasant woman?

These questions can be multiplied endlessly - more and more new ones arise literally at every step. And so it will be until the place of the legend is taken...

HISTORICAL TRUTH

The Hundred Years' War, which lasted intermittently from 1337 to 1453, was a family affair - the right to the French throne was disputed by immediate relatives (it is not for nothing that in the history of England this period is called the time of the French kings). For our heroine this is of decisive importance: in any other situation she own story would have turned out completely different.

The august wife of the French crown-bearer Charles VI the Mad, Isabella of Bavaria, was distinguished by such an ardent temperament that of her twelve children, only the first four, apparently, owed their birth to her husband. The fathers of the others were the king's younger brother, Duke Louis of Orleans, as well as a certain Chevalier Louis de Bois-Bourdon. The last child of Queen Isabeau was Jeanne, who was born on November 10, 1407, an illegitimate daughter given to be raised in the family of impoverished nobles of the Arcs.

However, born in wedlock or adultery, she remained a princess of the blood - the daughter of a queen and the brother of a king; this circumstance explains all the oddities of its subsequent history. And even the nickname Maid of Orleans does not testify to the heroic command of the troops near Orleans (by the way, there were other, truly outstanding military leaders - Count Dunois, Jeanne’s half-brother, as well as Gilles de Rais, hopelessly in love with her, who went down in history under the name of Bluebeard) , but about belonging to the House of Orleans of the Valois dynasty.

The very next day after the official presentation at the court of Chenon, Jeanne talked with the Dauphin Charles, and - and this is noted by all the witnesses - she sat next to him, which only a princess of the blood could afford. When the Duke of Alençon appeared, she unceremoniously asked:

Who is this?

My cousin Alençon.

Welcome! - Zhanna said benevolently. - The more of us there are, in whom the blood of France flows, the better...

The confession, you see, is completely straightforward. By the way, in battles Jeanne used not only the sword of the great constable, but also a battle ax specially forged for her, on which the first letter of her name was engraved - J, topped with a crown. The evidence is, frankly speaking, eloquent. To appropriate a heraldic attribute that did not rightfully belong to oneself, and even of such a rank, was simply unthinkable in the 15th century.

A few days after Jeanne was wounded in the vicinity of Paris on September 8, 1429, she donated this weapon to the Abbey of Saint-Denis as a votive offering. To this day, there remains a stone slab resembling a tombstone, which depicts Joan in armor - in her left hand she clutches a battle ax with a clearly visible J under the crown. There is no doubt that it is the Maid of Orleans that is depicted, for the inscription on the slab reads: “This was the equipment of Joan, which she gave as a gift to St. Denis."

Moreover, historians have known all this for a long time. Including - that Jeanne was not burned at the stake at all: after all, royal blood is sacred (the account of the executed august persons was later opened by the unfortunate English Stuarts - first Mary, and then Charles I); a monarch or prince of the blood can be deposed, captured, imprisoned, finally killed, but in no way executed.

Until February 1432, the Maid of Orleans remained in honorable captivity in the castle of Bouvreuil in Rouen, then she was released, on November 7, 1436 she married Robert des Armoises and in 1436 she re-emerged from oblivion in Paris, where she was recognized by her former associates and treated kindly by Charles VII (tenderly hugging her, the king exclaimed: “Virgin, darling, welcome again, in the name of the Lord...”). So the legend about her arrest as an impostor was created by the works of adherents of the myth. Joan of Arc (now Dame des Armoises) died in the summer of 1449. Everyone knows about this - except those who don’t want to know.

BUT WHY?

To understand this, it is necessary to understand the historical role of the Maid of Orleans. She was not a military leader - military historians are very skeptical about her leadership talents. Yes, this was not required: strategy and tactics were successfully practiced by people like the Bastard of Dunois or Gilles de Rais. And Jeanne’s task was to assert the Dauphin’s rights to the French throne.

Two years before his death, in 1420, Charles VI, knowing that the Dauphin Charles was not his son, named his cousin, the young English king Henry VI, as his successor. The French, who disagreed with his decision, believed that, by law, the right to the throne should go to the king’s nephew, Charles of Orleans, but he languished in English captivity, where he was destined to spend another eighteen years.

Consequently, the Dauphin Charles remained a more or less suitable candidate for the throne; but whose son was he - Louis of Orleans or the rootless nobleman de Bois-Bourdon? In the first case, its legitimacy could still be recognized, in the second - in no way. This is where, according to the plans of the authors of the carefully developed intrigue, Jeanne, the undoubted princess of the blood, should have appeared on the stage; appear and confirm that the Dauphin is her own, and not her half-brother, and then achieve his coronation. She coped with this role brilliantly.

The British had only one thing left to do - to discredit Jeanne by invalidating her testimony, which was done at the Rouen trial. A natural response was the acquittal of Jeanne at the counter-trial held in 1451: during the life of Lady des Armoises, this could not be done, since the verdict of the Inquisition still weighed on the rescued Virgin, and it was under no circumstances possible to disclose the details of the falsification of the execution. Since the close end of the war was already obvious, the British, who had renounced their claims to the French throne, agreed with Jeanne’s acquittal. The next step was the canonization of the Maid of Orleans, which took place more than four centuries later - the French monarchy no longer existed, but the public consciousness required that the legitimacy of the more than dubious Charles VII be certified by the highest of authorities... And in this sense, Joan of Arc truly won the Hundred Years' War and saved France.

So why does the legend triumph to this day? It’s very simple: after all, the nature of a myth is that it draws strength from itself, not needing justification and not fearing any evidence, no facts, no matter how weighty they may be.

Too many people do not benefit from his debunking. The Catholic Church - because it is involved in both processes, indictment and acquittal, as well as in the canonization of a princess of dubious origin. Democrats - for in the place of the plowman's daughter, flesh and blood of the people, stands in the light of truth the princess of the blood, conceived in sin. Finally, for the average Frenchman, over many generations he has already become so accustomed to the legend that its destruction becomes a very painful process. But the use of myth for today's purposes is extremely convenient.

Remember, for example, the inconspicuous detail about the Germans plundering the area around Domremy? It becomes completely understandable if we remember that it was not recorded for the first time by Michelet, but later in “ Full course history of France" by Désiré Blanchet and Jules Pinard, written shortly after the defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. And how actively this motif was used by members of the Resistance during World War II...

Many more generations will read, like exciting detective stories, the brilliant historical books dedicated to the life of Joan of Arc by Robert Ambelain, Etienne Veill-Reynal, Jean Grimaud, Gerard Pesma and those now unknown who will continue their research. And yet, from the pages of textbooks, The invincible myth will continue to march solemnly.

JOAN OF ARC

The greatest heroine of the French people. Maid of Orleans.

The Hundred Years' War was going on between France and England. Fighting were fought on land mainly on French territory, in which the English crown had extensive possessions, including Normandy. During one of the most difficult periods of that war for France, a star unexpectedly lit up in its sky, granting several important victories. And most importantly, it boosted morale royal troops and the people themselves. The name of this star is the legendary Maid of Orleans named Joan of Arc.

She was born into a peasant family, distinguished by great religiosity, in the village of Domremy near the town of Vaucouleurs, which stood on the border of Lorraine and Champagne. At thirteen years old, the girl began to hear some mysterious voices. Angels and saints soon appeared in her imagination, calling to go to the king and free Orleans from the British.

In the summer of 1428, Jeanne's home village was attacked by the British and Burgundians and was plundered. Then the peasant girl decided to follow the instructions of the prophetic voices. She came to the commandant of the city of Vaucouleurs and managed to convince him to send her to the king. He, seeing her determination and some kind of exceptional conviction, gave her a letter to Charles VII, a sword and a riding horse, and a convoy of four warriors.

Joan of Arc, who was accompanied by one of the brothers, traveled 600 miles across a war-torn country in eleven days. At the beginning of March 1429, she arrived in the city of Chinon, where the royal court was located. Charles VII, albeit not immediately, accepted it. In the presence of the courtiers, the peasant girl announced to him that she had been sent by the king of heaven to liberate Orleans, crown the king and expel the English from France. To do this, she asked the monarch to give her a military detachment.

The king fulfilled her request. Joan of Arc expelled all women from the military camp, forbade the soldiers to engage in robbery and foul language, and imposed strict discipline among them. They began to obey her unquestioningly, seeing in her actions a manifestation of God's will.

The peasant girl turned into a "knighting maiden". Now she was dressed like a real knight. According to the chronicler Vann Chartier, Joan of Arc “had full equipment, was armed, like a knight of the army formed at the court of the king.” The clerk of the town hall of the city of Albi noted: “Jeanne was clad in white iron from head to toe.”

At her request, an artist named Ov Pulnuar made a battle banner with which she went into battle. The design on the banner of the “knighting maiden” was suggested by mysterious voices:

"...They told her to take the banner of her Master (God); and so Jeanne ordered her banner, with the image of Our Savior sitting on judgment in the darkness of heaven: it also depicted an angel holding a lily flower in his hands, who blessed the image ( Lord)".

On April 27, 1429, with the singing of church hymns, led by the clergy, followed by Joan of Arc on horseback in knightly garb, the French army set out on a campaign against Orleans, which was besieged by the British. On the way, she sent three messages to the enemy. In the last letter said:

“You, the English, have no right to the French kingdom. The Heavenly King commands you and demands through my lips - Jeanne the Virgin - to leave your fortresses and return to your country, if you do not do this, I will arrange for you such a battle that you will remember forever. This is what I am writing to you for the third and last time, and I will not write again.

Signed: Jesus Mary, Joan the Virgin."

On April 29, Joan of Arc entered Orleans at the head of her detachment. She was greeted on behalf of the besieged by the head of the garrison, Jean of Orleans. She promised the residents to lift the siege from the city in the coming days.

The English troops besieging Orleans surrounded it with a ring of bastides (forts). On May 4, the “knighting maiden” led soldiers to storm the bastide of Saint-Loup, which was taken by storm. On May 6, Augustine's bastide fell. On May 8, Joan of Arc led the French to attack the main siege fortification: Fort Tourel controlled the bridge over the Loire River. In that battle, she was wounded in the shoulder by an arrow. A piece of the arrow was taken out, and the bleeding wound was smeared with olive oil. The Virgin again returned to her soldiers who stormed the bastide.

The British, having lost the strongest forts to the east and south of the city, abandoned the remaining bastides (without removing provisions and the sick from them) and retreated from Orleans. The siege of the fortress lasted more than six months, and was lifted in nine days.

Joan of Arc began to be called the “Maid of Orleans.” The victory allowed King Charles VII to be crowned in Reims on July 16. This was done at the insistence of the liberator of the fortified city of Orleans.

With the detachment of the Duke of Alençon, Joan of Arc set out on a new campaign. The British suffer severe defeats at Georgeau, Beaugency and Patay and flee from the battlefield. They are struck by the fury and swiftness of the enemy’s attacks, which had not been noticed before. The commander of the English reserve, J. Falstaff laid down his arms without even engaging in battle, and several prominent military leaders, including the famous Talbot, were captured.

Joan of Arc tried to convince the king to go to Paris, which was in the hands of the enemy. But Charles VII did not then decide to go on a campaign to liberate the capital of France. At the end of August, the Maid of Orleans was able to persuade the Duke of Alençon to go to Paris without the king’s permission. Assault on the city was not successful, and Joan of Arc herself, while in the fortress moat, was wounded in the thigh by a crossbow arrow.

Six months later, the British, having received reinforcements, began the siege of Compiegne. This fortress was important because it connected Paris with Burgundy. On May 23, 1430, Joan of Arc, with a handful of knights, covered the retreat of her soldiers across the bridge to Compiegne. Here an act of betrayal was committed against her, described as follows:

"...The captain of the city, seeing a huge crowd of Burgundians and Englishmen at the entrance to this bridge, for fear of losing the city, ordered to raise the city bridge and close the city gates. And thus, the Virgin remained outside the city and a few people with her." The “knighting maiden” fought back with her sword until one of the enemy archers managed to grab her by the cape and pull her off her horse. So she was captured. It was subsequently proven that the captain (commandant) Guillaume de Flavy was bribed with English gold. For this bribe, he had to give Joan of Arc into the hands of the enemy in any way.

The Burgundians took the captive to the Beaurevoir fortress, which belonged to Jean of Luxembourg. He sold it to the British for 10 thousand ecus. Under strong escort, she was taken to Rouen, where, shackled and placed in an iron cage, she awaited a judicial verdict for about a year.

A court composed of representatives of the highest French clergy and the University of Paris found Joan of Arc guilty of witchcraft, heresy, blasphemy and rebellion and sentenced her to be burned at the stake. The Maid of Orleans was burned in Rouen Square on May 30, 1431.

A quarter of a century later, King Charles VII established a special commission to review the Rouen process. The commission called the indictment "false and biased." Joan of Arc's family was elevated to the dignity of nobility. Later, the Catholic Church canonized her.

More than half a millennium has passed since this woman walked the earth, but to this day there are legends surrounding her life and death, and...

More than half a millennium has passed since this woman walked the earth, but to this day there are legends around her life and death, and the image of Joan of Arc itself is shrouded in mystery. There are many theories about what her origins were, her role in history and her intentions, but now, after hundreds of years, we can confidently judge that, probably, all the secrets that still surround the figure of Joan of Arc are unlikely to ever be revealed...

On May 30, 1431, in Rouen, one of the main commanders of the French troops in the Hundred Years' War, Joan of Arc, who later became the national heroine of France, was burned at the stake as a heretic.

However, whoever Joan of Arc was - saint, martyr, witch, blessed, heroine, criminal or pawn in the hands of those in power - she will forever remain one of the most mysterious women in history, worthy of memory and embodiment in art.

Joan of Arc. Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1863

In May 1429, she liberated the city of Orleans, for which she was dubbed the Maid of Orleans. According to legend, Jeanne fulfilled an ancient prediction that France would be saved by a young virgin. However, there is still a lot of mystery in this story.

From the collection of the Musee Archeologique Thomas Dobree in Nantes, France, a miniature from the second half of the 15th century.

Scientist and researcher Robert Ambelain in his book “Dramas and Secrets of History” questions many facts of the biography of the famous Frenchwoman. Thus, he believes that Jeanne was not a peasant by birth, but the illegitimate daughter of Queen Isabella of Bavaria of France. It is precisely this high origin that, according to the scientist, explains the success and the honors with which Jeanne was showered during her lifetime.

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, 1854

But Ambelain does not deny her gift of clairvoyance, which was passed on to the girl from her father, Louis of Orleans. The idea of ​​​​the paranormal abilities of Joan of Arc is also supported by another researcher, American parapsychologist J. Walker. Eyewitnesses describe how a certain horseman cursed at the sight of the Virgin in armor, to which Jeanne predicted his quick death. This prediction soon came true.

Before one of the battles, d'Arc warned her comrade not to stand to her left, otherwise he would be hit by a cannonball. The knight did so, stayed away from the leader, but another took his place, and he was immediately killed.

The only lifetime portrait of Joan of Arc, dated May 10, 1429; illustration from “Les Vigiles de la mort du roi Charles VII”, late 15th century.

We are increasingly talking and thinking to ourselves even more about the possibility of the existence of parallel (parallel) spaces and times, in each of which, at the same pace of time, there are variants of events similar to ours - not repeating them completely, but lying in the general context of the development of civilization. It is unknown to us which of these time continuums we are in and whether it is so important for us. They say that until now there were not so many intelligent creatures on Earth - up to 120 billion people, and since no feedback between us and parallel worlds seems to be not observed, then all 120 billion individual concepts of the universe (or so) remain not even hypotheses, but a blow of the wind - “the wind is careless, in the eternal book of life it could move the wrong page.”
But the question of time interests us more and more and we now have more and more philosophical observations and neologisms that are slowly bringing us closer to the area experimental research Problems. And this is already important.
If our local internal Time is truly controlled, even to a small extent and range, we should at times observe the results of such control. It is from this point of view that we assess the degree of existence of Mind in the Universe, and therefore we must also assess the impact on our time from the outside or from the inside. The mosaic of time, the network of time, is perhaps observable. for example, in October 1993, during the October storming of the White House, one could seemingly physically feel the boundaries of time cells, within which events proceeded at the same usual pace, and at the border of the cell a sudden qualitative transition occurred, sharply changing the pace of life and its quantitative indicators. In this case, one can assume that the control center was very close to us, but not in space but in time - literally hours and minutes before the event marking the transition. They say that this is foresight, logic, the ability to look forward....
In the war of 1914, which claimed 20 million lives and seriously threatened the existence of humanity, no amount of foresight and ability to look into the future helped; the war was unstoppable. It was not possible to stop the war of 39-45. The entire population of Japan, in a single impulse, knelt down and prayed to prevent an armada of American planes from attacking the country, but failed to do this. So why was the hundred-year war stopped by a young girl, Jeanne, and she, as if carried out by an invisible hand, fulfilled a peace mission unknown to her? It seems to me that everything that happened then is a noticeable, crudely executed patch on the fabric of Time, the seams of the patch emerge over the years and become more visible - perhaps this is experimental confirmation of the possibility of intervention in Time from the outside with subsequent retouching of the scars from the inside?

The first portrait of Jeanne was created during her lifetime. unfortunately, it did not survive, but subsequent ones, created in the 15-16th centuries, apparently relied on that disappeared prototype.

Http://www.newacropol.ru/Alexandria/history/Darc/biogr/
“We know more about Joan of Arc than about any other of her contemporaries, and at the same time it is difficult to find among the people of the 15th century another person whose image would seem so mysterious to posterity.”
“...She was born in the village of Domremy in Lorraine in 1412. It is known that she was born from honest and fair parents. On the night of Christmas, when peoples are accustomed to honor the works of Christ in great bliss, she entered the mortal world. And the roosters, as if the heralds of new joy, crowed then with an extraordinary, hitherto unheard cry. We saw them flapping their wings for more than two hours, predicting what was destined for this little one.”
This fact is reported by Perceval de Boulainvilliers, the king's adviser and chamberlain, in a letter to the Duke of Milan, which can be called her first biography. But most likely this description is a legend, since not a single chronicle mentions this and the birth of Jeanne did not leave the slightest trace in the memory of fellow villagers - residents of Domremi, who acted as witnesses in the rehabilitation process.
She lived in Domremy with her father, mother and two brothers, Jean and Pierre. Jacques d'Arc and Isabella were, by local standards, “not very rich.” “Not far from the village where Jeanne grew up, there grew a very beautiful tree, “as beautiful as a lily,” as one witness noted; On Sundays, village boys and girls gathered near the tree, they danced around it and washed themselves with water from a nearby spring. The tree was called the tree of fairies; they said that in ancient times wonderful creatures, fairies, danced around it. Zhanna also often went there, but she never saw a single fairy.”

“When she was 12 years old, her first revelation came to her. Suddenly, a shining cloud appeared before her eyes, from which a voice was heard: “Jeanne, it behooves you to go another way and perform wonderful deeds, for you are the one whom the Heavenly King chose to protect King Charles...” “At first I was very afraid. I heard the voice during the day, it was in the summer in my father’s garden. The day before, I fasted. The voice came to me from the right side, from where the church was, and from the same side came great holiness. This voice has always guided me. “Later, the voice began to appear to Jeanne every day and insisted that she needed to “go and lift the siege from the city of Orleans.” The voices called her “Jeanne de Pucelle, daughter of God” - in addition to the first voice, which, as Jeanne thinks, belonged to the Archangel Michael, the voices of Saint Margaret and Saint Catherine were soon added. To all those who tried to block her path, Jeanne reminded them of an ancient prophecy that said that “a woman will destroy France, and a virgin will save it.” (The first part of the prophecy came true when Isabella of Bavaria forced her husband, the French king Charles VI, to declare their son Charles VII illegitimate, with the result that by the time of Joanna, Charles VII was not a king, but only a dauphin).

Three times she had to turn to Robert de Baudricourt. After the first time, she was sent home, and her parents decided to marry her off. But Zhanna herself ended the engagement through the court. “Time passed slowly for her, “like a woman expecting a child,” she said, so slowly that she could not stand it and one fine morning, accompanied by her uncle, the devoted Durand Laxart, a resident of Vaucouleurs named Jacques Alain, set off on her journey ; her companions bought a horse for her, which cost them twelve francs. But they did not go far: having arrived in Saint-Nicolas-de-Saint-Fonds, which was on the road to Sauvroy, Jeanne declared: “This is not the right way for us to leave,” and the travelers returned to Vaucouleurs.

Already in Vaucouleurs, she puts on a man's suit and goes across the country to the Dauphin Charles. Tests are ongoing. In Chinon, under the name of the Dauphin, another is introduced to her, but Jeanne unmistakably finds Charles out of 300 knights and greets him. During this meeting, Jeanne tells the Dauphin something or shows some kind of sign, after which Karl begins to believe her.
“The story of Jeanne herself to Jean Pasquerel, her confessor: “When the king saw her, he asked Jeanne her name, and she answered: “Dear Dauphin, I am called Jeanne the Virgin, and through my lips the King of Heaven addresses you and says that you will accept anointing and you will be crowned in Reims and become the viceroy of the King of Heaven, the true king of France.” After other questions asked by the king, Jeanne again told him: “I tell you in the name of the Almighty that you are the true heir of France and the son of the king, and He sent me to you to lead you to Reims so that you would be crowned and anointed there.” , if you want." Hearing this, the king informed those present that Jeanne had initiated him into a certain secret that no one except God knew and could not know; that's why he trusts her completely. “I heard all this,” concludes Brother Pasquerel, “from the lips of Jeanne, since I myself was not present.”
Hundred Years' War


During this period, she acquires a sword and a banner. (see chapter “Sword. Banner.”)

“In all likelihood, by giving Jeanne the right to have a personal banner, the Dauphin equated her with the so-called “banner knights” who commanded detachments of their people.

Jeanne had under her command a small detachment, which consisted of a retinue, several soldiers and servants. The retinue included a squire, a confessor, two pages, two heralds, as well as Jean of Metz and Bertrand de Poulangy and Jeanne's brothers, Jacques and Pierre, who joined her in Tours. Even in Poitiers, the Dauphin entrusted the protection of the Virgin to the experienced warrior Jean d'Olon, who became her squire. In this brave and noble man, Jeanne found a mentor and friend. He taught her military affairs, she spent all her campaigns with him, he was next to her in all battles, assaults and forays. Together they were captured by the Burgundians, but she was sold to the British, and he ransomed his freedom and a quarter of a century later, already a knight, a royal adviser and, occupying a prominent position as seneschal of one of the southern French provinces, wrote very interesting memoirs at the request of the rehabilitation commission , in which he spoke about many important episodes in the history of Joan of Arc. We have also reached the testimony of one of Jeanne’s pages, Louis de Coutes; about the second - Raymond - we know nothing. Jeanne's confessor was the Augustinian monk Jean Pasquerel; He has very detailed testimony, but obviously not everything in it is reliable. (*2) p.130

“In Tours, a military retinue was assembled for Jeanne, as befits a military leader; they appointed intendant Jean d'Olonne, who testifies: “For her protection and escort, I was placed at her disposal by the king, our lord”; she also has two pages - Louis de Coutes and Raymond. Two heralds, Ambleville and Guienne, were also under her command; Heralds are messengers dressed in livery that allows them to be identified. Heralds were inviolable.
Since Jeanne was given two messengers, it means that the king began to treat her like any other high-ranking warrior, vested with authority and bearing personal responsibility for his actions.

The royal troops were supposed to gather in Blois... It was in Blois, while the army was there, that Jeanne ordered the banner... Jeanne's confessor was touched by the almost religious appearance of the marching army: “When Jeanne set out from Blois to go to Orleans, she asked to gather everyone priests around this banner, and the priests walked ahead of the army... and sang antiphons... the same thing happened the next day. And on the third day they approached Orleans." Karl hesitates. Zhanna hurries him. The liberation of France begins with the lifting of the siege of Orleans. This is the first military victory troops loyal to Charles under the leadership of Joan, which is at the same time a sign of her divine mission.

It took Jeanne 9 days to liberate Orleans.

“The sun was already setting to the west, and the French were still fighting unsuccessfully for the ditch of the forward fortification. Zhanna jumped on her horse and went to the fields. Away from view... Jeanne plunged into prayer among the vines. The unheard-of endurance and will of a seventeen-year-old girl allowed her, at this decisive moment, to escape from her own tension, from the despondency and exhaustion that gripped everyone, now she found external and internal silence - when only inspiration can arise...”

“...But then the unprecedented happened: the arrows fell out of their hands, the confused people looked at the sky. Saint Michael, surrounded by a whole host of angels, appeared shining in the shimmering Orleans sky. The Archangel fought on the side of the French." (*1) page 86

“...the English, seven months after the beginning of the siege and nine days after the Virgin occupied the city, retreated without a fight, every last one, and this happened on May 8 (1429), the day when St. Michael appeared in distant Italy on Monte Gargano and on the island of Ischia...
The magistrate wrote in the city register that the liberation of Orleans was the greatest miracle of the Christian era. Since then, throughout the centuries, the valiant city has solemnly dedicated this day to the Virgin, the day of May 8, designated in the calendar as the feast of the Apparition of the Archangel Michael.

Many modern critics argue that the victory at Orleans can only be attributed to accidents or to the inexplicable refusal of the British to fight. And yet Napoleon, who thoroughly studied Joan’s campaigns, declared that she was a genius in military affairs, and no one would dare to say that he did not understand strategy.
The English biographer of Joan of Arc, W. Sanquill West, writes today that the entire mode of action of her fellow countrymen who participated in those events seems to her so strange and slow that it can only be explained by supernatural reasons: “Reasons about which are we in the light of our twentieth century science - or perhaps in the darkness of our twentieth century science? “We don’t know anything.” (*1) pp.92-94

“To meet the king after the siege was lifted, Jeanne and the Bastard of Orleans went to Loches: “She rode out to meet the king, holding her banner in her hand, and they met,” says a German chronicle of that time, which brought us a lot of information. When the girl bowed her head in front of the king as low as she could, the king immediately ordered her to rise, and they thought that he almost kissed her from the joy that gripped him.” It was May 11, 1429.

Verbal portrait of Jeanne
“...The girl has an attractive appearance and masculine posture, she speaks little and shows a wonderful mind; She delivers her speeches in a pleasant, high-pitched voice, as befits a woman. She is moderate in food, and even more moderate in her wine drinking. She finds pleasure in beautiful horses and weapons. Virgo finds many meetings and conversations unpleasant. Her eyes often fill with tears, and she also loves fun. He endures unheard-of hard labor, and when he carries weapons, he shows such tenacity that he can continuously remain fully armed day and night for six days. She says that the English have no right to rule France, and for this, she says, God sent her so that she would drive them out and defeat them...”

"Guy de Laval, a young nobleman who joined the royal army, describes her with admiration: “I saw her, in armor and in full combat gear, with a small ax in her hand, sitting at the exit of the house on her huge black war horse, which was in great impatience and did not allow itself to be saddled; Then she said: “Take him to the cross,” which was located in front of the church on the road. Then she jumped into the saddle, but he did not move, as if he was tied. And then she turned to the church gates, which were very close to her: “And you, priests, arrange a procession and pray to God.” And then she set off, saying: “Hurry forward, hurry forward.” A pretty page carried her unfurled banner, and she held an ax in her hand.” (*3) p.89

Gilles de Rais: “She is a child. She never harmed an enemy, no one saw her ever hit anyone with a sword. After each battle she mourns the fallen, before each battle she partakes of the Body of the Lord - most of the warriors do this with her - and yet she says nothing. Not a single thoughtless word comes out of her mouth - in this she is as mature as many men. No one ever swears around her, and people like it, even though all their wives are at home. Needless to say, she never takes off her armor if she sleeps next to us, and then, despite all her cuteness, not a single man experiences carnal desire for her.” (*1) p.109

“Jean Alençon, who was the commander-in-chief in those days, recalled many years later: “She understood everything that had to do with war: she could stick a pike and review the troops, line up the army in battle formation and place guns. Everyone was surprised that she was so prudent in her affairs, like a combat commander with twenty or thirty years of experience.” (*1) p.118

“Jeanne was a beautiful and charming girl, and all the men who met her felt it. But this feeling was the most genuine, that is, the highest, transformed, virgin, returned to that state of “God’s love” that Nuyonpon noted in himself.” (*4) p.306

" - This is very strange, and we can all testify to this: when she rides with us, birds from the forest flock and sit on her shoulders. In battle, it happens that pigeons begin to flutter near her." (*1) p.108

“I remember that in the protocol drawn up by my colleagues about her life, it was written that in her homeland in Domremi predator birds they flocked to her when she was grazing cows in the meadow, and, sitting on her lap, pecked at the crumbs that she plucked from the bread. Her herd was never attacked by a wolf, and on the night she was born - on Epiphany - various unusual things were noticed with animals... And why not? Animals are also God's creatures... (*1) page 108

“It seems that in the presence of Jeanne the air became transparent for those people for whom the cruel night had not yet darkened their minds, and in those years there were more such people than is commonly believed now.” (*1) p.66

Her ecstasies proceeded as if outside of time, in ordinary activities, but without disconnection from the latter. She heard her Voices amidst the fighting, but continued to command the troops; heard during interrogations, but continued to answer theologians. This can also be evidenced by her cruelty when, near Turelli, she pulled out an arrow from her wound, ceasing to feel physical pain during ecstasy. And I must add that she was excellent at determining her Voices in time: at such and such an hour when the bells were ringing.” (*4) p.307

“Rupertus Geyer, that same “anonymous” cleric,” understood Joan’s personality correctly: if some kind of historical analogy can be found for her, then it is best to compare Joan with the Sibyls, these prophetesses of the pagan era, through whose mouths the gods spoke. But there was a huge difference between them and Zhanna. The Sibyls were influenced by the forces of nature: sulfur fumes, intoxicating odors, babbling streams. In a state of ecstasy, they expressed things that they immediately forgot about as soon as they came to their senses. IN Everyday life they did not have any high insights, they were blank slates on which to write forces that could not be controlled. “For the prophetic gift inherent in them is like a board on which nothing is written, it is unreasonable and uncertain,” wrote Plutarch.

Through the lips of Joan they also spoke spheres whose boundaries no one knew; she could fall into ecstasy at prayer, at the ringing of bells, in a quiet field or in a forest, but it was such an ecstasy, such a transcendence of ordinary feelings, which she controlled and from which she could emerge with a sober mind and awareness of her own self, in order to then translate what he saw and heard into the language of earthly words and earthly actions. What was available to the pagan priestesses in an eclipse of feelings detached from the world, Jeanne perceived in a clear consciousness and reasonable moderation. She rode and fought with men, she slept with women and children, and, like all of them, Jeanne could laugh. She spoke simply and clearly, without omissions or secrets, about what was about to happen: “Wait, three more days, then we will take the city”; “Be patient, in an hour you will become winners.” Virgo deliberately removed the veil of mystery from her life and actions; Only she herself remained a mystery. Since the impending disaster was predicted for her, she closed her lips, and no one knew about the gloomy news. Always, even before her death at the stake, Zhanna was aware of what she could say and what she could not say.

Since the days of the Apostle Paul, women "speaking in tongues" Christian communities it was necessary to remain silent, for “the spirit who gives inspiration is responsible for speaking in tongues, and for the intelligent prophetic word - talking man" Spiritual language must be translated into the language of people, so that a person accompanies the speech of the spirit with his mind; and only what a person can understand and assimilate with his own reason should he express in words.

Monument to Jeanne near the wall of the church built on the site of her burning

The Maid of Orleans, aka Joan of Arc, is a rather mysterious historical figure. It is still not known for certain whether she really existed, or whether the story about Jeanne is just a myth, although scientists are inclined to the former. There is no point in disagreeing with scientists, and therefore it is worth learning more about her incredibly difficult, unusual heroic life path.

Merits of Joan of Arc

Who is the Maid of Orleans? At the moment, she is recognized as a national heroine throughout France for the fact that she participated in the war against England in XV century and made a huge contribution to its denouement.
Jeanne took part in the liberation of the city of Orleans from the capture and siege and played a key role in this military operation.

The life path of Joan of Arc

France was going through a rather difficult period - the Hundred Years' War. It flared up due to royal intrigue when the rule of France fell into the hands of short-sighted rulers. There is no point in understanding the politics of that time, because, unfortunately, it is no longer possible to reliably know what was happening. The fact is that England practically conquered the French state, and the new authorities actively carried out defeats and made life difficult for ordinary residents in every possible way.

Everyone was very surprised when a rumor spread that only a “pure” woman – a virgin – could save the captured and exhausted country. This seemed absurd, because everyone understood that a woman has no rights even to freedom of speech, and even more so, even a noble woman cannot simply decide the outcome of a war. Gossip spread, all sorts of guesses were made, but the whole society was extremely surprised when France had a defender.

Joan of Arc grew up in a wealthy family, but not a rich one. She had many brothers and sisters, which was not something surprising then. The girl, like all family members, believed in God and followed his commandments. She was kind and merciful to everyone, Zhanna had a developed sense of justice. Moreover, judging by the known information, she had a sense of providence.

Joan of Arc was a patriot of France, her country. When the state began to become poorer and troubled times came, the girl was very worried about this. And one day, according to legend, she seemed to see in reality the Archangel Michael surrounded by other saints. They gave her a message from God that Jeanne must save her country and accomplish a feat. Most likely, the girl was then told that she would die the death of a martyr - Zhanna knew about her fate.

Jeanne did not wait long and immediately went to see the king. At first they didn’t accept her there, but she still achieved her goal, although quite a lot of time passed. The girl was accepted as a messenger from God, and Jeanne herself offered help in the war. Initially, no one believed her, because everyone saw her as just a simpleton without education or skills.

Joan of Arc was interrogated by church officials because her speeches about God confused the courtiers and the king himself. They quickly found out that the girl was religious and that there was no place for self-interest in her intentions.

Zhanna was almost immediately included in the detachment of warriors, but at first she was not its leader. It is not known how this happened, but the success of several campaigns of the detachment was dizzying. Later, the Maid of Orleans quickly rose in the ranks and became a commander. She did not know defeat in any battle until a certain point.

Joan of Arc managed to save the city of Orleans and not only it, but all of France. The English retreated, the French chose a new king. It turned out that Joan of Arc was able to fulfill her destiny, after which the maiden seemed to have lost her gift.

The Maid of Orleans was captured by Burgundian soldiers. It turned out to be an accident, although there are versions about the planned abduction of the maiden. Later, the British bought her so that Jeanne could not interfere with their plans.

The English rulers immediately ordered the interrogation of Jeanne by priests. A council was held, and then the virgin was accused of spreading heresy. Soon after this, Joan of Arc's body was burned.

Joan of Arc gave her life to defend her home country, France. She, knowing about her death from visions, sacrificed herself and brought victory and freedom to the French.