There are people who get to know their mission when they are children. One of them was a well-known girl Jeanne d’Arc. Her life of 19 years was full of bravery and determination. She was a real heroine of the whole history!
Jeanne d’Arc was born in 1412, but in Pope X's decree on the veneration of the Virgin to the saints, the date is January 6, 1409, which is probably more possible. Jeanne d’Arc was born in the village of Domremi in the family of wealthy peasants Jacques d'Arc and Isabella Roma. She never named herself Jeanne d'Arc, but only "Jeanne the Virgin". In her childhood everyone called her Jeanette.
Nowadays her house was organized into a museum of the same name.
At age 13, Jeanne allegedly heard the voice of Archangel Michael, who appeared to her in a visible guise. A little later he told her that it was she who was destined to free the besieged Orleans and drive the invaders out of the country.
When the heroine became 17 years old, she went to the captain of the city Vokuler Baudricour and told him about her great mission. Naturally, he ridiculed it and Jeanne had to return to the village, but a year later repeated her attempt. The second time the captain was struck by the perseverance of the young girl. Jeanne predicted the defeat of the French at Orleans and he agreed to give her warriors, as well as military man's equipment. Later, D'ark always dressed like this, explaining it with the fact that it was much easier to fight in men's clothes. Moreover, such clothes does not cause unhealthy attention among the soldiers. Together with Jeanne, two of her faithful companions went off to war: the knights Jean de Metz and Bertrand de Pulange.
In March 1429, Jeanne arrived at Dauphin, announcing that she had been sent by higher forces in order to free the country and asked the military to raise the siege of Orleans. She surprised everyone with her knowledge of military affairs and riding. The secretary of Kings Charles VI and Charles VII sid the following about her: «It seemed that this girl was brought up not in the fields, but in schools, in close contact with the sciences».
Charles still hesitated, but after all the checks (the matrons checked her for virginity, the messengers found out information about her in her motherland, the theologians conducted interrogations) entrusted her with the army and the operation for liberation of Orleans. In addition, Jeanne in the name of God confirmed to Charles his legitimacy and rights to the throne, which many people doubted.
Since Jeanne received permission from theologians to wear menswear she was made special armor. She was given the sword of Charlemagne himself, kept in the church of Saint Catherine de Fierbois.
The next destination was Blois, where the army was already waiting, at the head of which Jeanne launched advance in Orleans. The news that the army was led by a messenger of God inspired the warriors and gave them bravery. In the end, for 4 days d'Arc completely freed Orleans, as the British were forced to raise the siege. Many military commanders considered this task completely impossible…
The military operations renewed in the spring of 1430, but they went on rather slowly. Royal courtiers constantly tried to make all sorts of intrigues, that resulted in a betrayal, because of which Jeanne d’Arc became a prisoner to the Burgundians. King Charles decided not to take any action to release Jeanne, the Burgundians sold her to the British, and sent to Rouen.
The trial began in late February 1431. Formally, Jeanne was judged by the church, accusing her of heresy, but she was kept as a prisoner of war. Besides, Bishop Koschon, a supporter of the interests of England, headed the process, and the government of this country did not hide its interests in this matter. The British even paid all the legal costs and expenses associated with the case, they were not small.
Trying to break the willpower of the prisoner, she was kept in terrible conditions, constantly been insulted and threatened with torture, but all this was useless, Jeanne did not pleaded guilty. The death penalty without confession would create an even greater halo of the torturer around d'Arc, so the judges decepted everybody. They gave her a paper to sign on disclaim of heresy supposedly in exchange for pardon. In fact, because of illiteracy, she signed a paper of total renunciation of all her misbeliefs.
A few days later she was accused of having again dressed in men's clothes, when in fact she was taken away any lady’s apparel. As a result, the tribunal had no choice but to sentence the girl to death. On May 30, 1431, Jeanne d’Arc was burned alive in the square of the Old Market in Rouen as a heretic, an apostate, an idolater. «Bishop, I'm dying because of you. I challenge you to God's judgment!» — Jeanne exclaimed and asked to give her a cross, and when the fire overwhelmed her, she cried: «Jesus!» Her ashes were scattered over the Seine, and her remains are allegedly kept in the Chinon Museum. But according to the research, these relics do not belong to Jeanne d’Arc.
After the end of the war in Normandy in 1452 Charles VII initiated a process to justify Jeanne. All documents were examined, all witnesses were interviewed, as a result of which all came to the conclusion that the execution was illegal. In July 1456 the judges read out the verdict, which fully justified the executed girl, restoring her good name.