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

Joan of Arc' story is one that i have been brought up with as i used to live near Orleans...

You've certainly done a good job there with your entry...

My views on the tragic end of her life is that she was the victim of a vicious witch-hunt and not just the traditional kind.

She was in the way of the powers that be and the only way for them to get rid of her was to destroy her influence among the people by accusing her of being a witch...

unfortunately her life was destroyed too in the process...

Thanks for providing us with an excellent piece of history...

loup dargent's (not that suffering) sidekick

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.

It's a story that captures the imagination for all sorts of reasons. It raises interesting theological questions, of course. There's also the science versus religion versus politics angle. The thing that I find most compelling is simply that here is a young girl who finds herself at the centre of the biggest event of her time, and is consumed by it... literally. Imagine anything like that happening today. How would we react, say, to a school girl suddenly becoming the focus of political and religious scrutiny and then being executed under suspicious circumstances? How would the media handle that?

JTG

hi.... thanks for your reply...

and... err... thanks for your question i think...

well, that's a tough one... i suppose the story itself could be very similar to more modern events where influencial figures were/are quickly dealt with by the powers-that-be when those characters get in their way...
so on that there haven't been much changes...

but a young girl becoming an heroin and leading an army is certainly even now something astonishing... i know there is another entry on joan of arc explaining that women were fighters too in the middle-age but even so would men usually follow a young woman with not much experience to literally their death?!... i don't think so somehow... and of course her presence did terrify the enemy armies... once again were soldiers of that time usually scared of young girls?! i don't think so either...

unfortunately the media interest toward a young girl hearing voices telling her to fight the invaders [and lead an army as well] in a modern times version could be her downfall from the start... she might not even have to go through a trial as an alledged witch as she could be branded as a mad woman from the start and laughed at if not thrown in an asylum on top...

interestingly enough the detractors of this modern version of joan of arc might not be scientists but certainly some religious and political leaders... oh EXACTLY what happened to the original joan of arc...

talk later....

loup

pedants note:

She is the only non catholic saint. As she was excommunicated.

Good point there...

loup

Hello people,

Thanks for the original article, seems quite balanced and objective.
I came across it as I'm talking about Jeanne D'Arc in my A level french oral exam.

One thing I find remarkable is the similarities between Jesus' life (and death) and Jeanne D'Arc's.

1. Both he and she had humble origins. He was born amongst animals and she was a peasant girl from a farming family. His coming was a fulfillment of prophecy. You make no reference to it, but wasn't their a prophecy also surrounding Jeanne d'Arc? I seem to remember one film referring to it.

2. Jeanne d'Arc had an encounter with God at the age of 13, the voices. When Jesus was 12, in his only recorded childhood incident in the Bible, Jesus recognises he came from God by affirming that he was in the his father's house (the temple) when his earthly parents thought they'd lost him.

3. Jesus, though not formally trained as a Rabbi, notheless demonstrated wisdom beyond his years in the above incident and later in his ministry years, confounding the experts. Jeanne d'Arc also stood up to questioning by experts and she too had no formal training. I guess she couldn't even read a Bible even if she had access to one.

4. Jeanne d'Arc had the ability to predict the future, know stuff she shouldn't normally know, a reputed gift for healing and could hear the voice of God. She even predicted her own demise. Jesus had an awesome healing ministry, knew peoples thoughts, predicted his death and other events and he was always hearing from God. Sometimes others also heard the voice of God at the same time.

5. During the time of Jesus Israel was in the control of the Roman occupiers & Jesus brought a message of hope for a new Kingdom. (OK, the Jews hoped he was going to boot the Romans into the sea and restore a Davidic kingdom, they were wrong and his plans were bigger than that!) Of course, in the time of Jeanne d'Arc the France was on the verge of falling totally into the hands of the English and their french collaborateurs. She brought hope of a kingdom being restored.

6. There is speculation that Jeanne D'Arc's capture was arranged and thus she was betrayed. Maybe not, but her own countrymen subsequently sold her into the hands of the English (priests for trial). Sounds similar to Judas selling out Jesus for 30 pieces of silver to the Jewish religeous leaders of the day.

7. Both were deserted and left alone by their friends. King Charles VII didn't try to help, rescue or ransom. Peter verbally denied he knew Jesus 3 times. Which was worse?

8. Jesus was judged worthy of death by priests behind closed doors at night, which was later ratified by Pilate publicly. Although many including Pilate (and his wife) were uncomfortable with this verdict, knowing he was innocent. Similarly, for Jeanne D'Arc it was unjust and unfair. Your article tells the story well on this. The final charge in each case was ridiculous and the result of religeous and political appeasement.

9. Both died attached to wood -a stake and a cross, and calling on their God "Father into your hands I commit my spirit" said Jesus. "Jesus" said Jeanne D'Arc. Jeanne D'Arc felt the burning of man made fire, Jesus felt the fires of hell as he experienced God's wrath against the sin of the world. Both died at an early age, 19 & 33.

10. Death was not the end! Jeanne D'Arc was vindicated 25 years later & made into a saint in 1920. Jesus came back from the dead and ascended into heaven, where I am sure he & Jeanne D'Arc are enjoying each other's company!

11. Lastly, both achieved their God given mission. Jesus to save people from sin and to "lay down his life for the sheep" and Jeanne D'Arc to restore the king of France to his rightful throne.

So those are the similarities, but there was also a love relationship between the two. Jeanne D'Arc loved Jesus and demonstrated it by her obedience and that in her dying breath spoke his name. If Jeanne D'Arc were
here today I believe she would not be carrying a flag for french right wing politics. She would again, with just as much passion and sacrifice, be endeavouring to restore the king to his rightful throne, that is King Jesus onto the throne of our hearts!

Very interesting. Thanks for the info.