h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Since one of my articles was extensively cited (and unfortunately misinterpreted) in this essay, I thought I should respond.
The author cites aristocratic women (Countess Jeanne de Montfort, Lady Marcia Ordelaffi, etc) whom my article mentioned as examples of women who led armies during the Hundred Years War period, but the author has misquoted or misinterpreted my article when he claims that such women fought in combat: with perhaps rare exceptions (and even these are in dispute), they most certainly did not fight in combat, but merely had titular command of an army in the absence of their husband (a fairly common arrangement under feudalism, roughly analogous to Queen Victoria's role as the symbolic commander-in-chief). They did not fight, and neither did Joan: she was quoted both in the Condemnation transcript and by an eyewitness (Friar Seguin) at the Rehabilitation trial as saying that she carried her banner into battle so she wouldn't have to fight. Her armor was made for her (by an armorer at Tours named Colas de Montbazon for the cost of 100 livres-Tournois) to protect her from arrows and other projectiles while carrying her flag, not so she could fight hand-to-hand. Jeanne de Montfort probably wore armor for the same purpose. As I recall, my article used the analogy of the modern bulletproof vest, which can be worn by non-combatants (e.g., the "embedded journalists" seen in the recent war with Iraq) simply for their own protection, not as preparation for a combat role.
At any rate, I suppose my article should have been more carefully worded in order to avoid misconceptions. I was simply making the point that Joan was not the "only" woman to lead an army in that era, and was not embarking on any sort of "proto-feminist" crusade to change gender roles: after all, during Joan's own lifetime French Royalist forces in the Auvergne were led by Duchess Marie de Bourbon (since her husband was a prisoner and their son was leading troops farther north), and Countess Jacqueline of Hainault led a war against the Duke of Burgundy in Holland (in order to retain the territories she had inherited from her father). This is feudalism, not feminism, and Joan was granted a similar form of command simply because she was accepted as a religious visionary - another facet of the medieval system, in an era in which religion was of paramount importance. I was merely making the point that she wasn't doing anything "subversive" in the context of the period.
Since these essays are supposed to be a collaborative effort (as I understand it), is there a possibility of changing the essay in light of the above?
Regards,
Allen Williamson, Joan of Arc Archive
([email protected]) http://archive.joan-of-arc.org/

Dear Allen,

There certainly is the chance that this entry will change in the light of what you've said. I am slightly certained though that if I make the changes then inaccuracies could remain. Would you consider rewriting the piece? If so, then let me know and, if you're not familiar with h2g2 I'll talk you though how to do this.



Anna