Joan of Arc

Perhaps one of the greatest love stories of all time is that of Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) and St. Joan of Arc. Twain’s passion for young Joan first manifested itself when, one day, young Samuel was walking home. It was windy and a breeze blew past, carrying a piece of paper. The paper was on Joan of Arc. Young Samuel captured the paper and devoured it. He immediately fell “in love” with her simplicity, her ignorance as well as her fluency in speech, her commitment to do God’s work, even when she was wounded. Decades and a dozen years of intensive research later, Samuel Clemens, now known as Mark Twain, began his fictional memoirs on the life of Joan of Arc.

He once wrote, “I like Joan of Arc best of all my books; and it is the best; I know it perfectly well. And besides, it furnished me seven times the pleasure afforded me by any of the others; twelve years of preparation, and two years of writing. The others needed no preparation and got none.” It is apparent through out his telling of Joan’s story that each movement she made, every word that she spoke had some deeper poetic meaning. The narrator of the story, a fictional Sieur Louis de Conte, is said to be a weak man, having nothing to do with Mark Twain himself. In the story, de Conte says, “As the years and decades drifted by, and the spectacle of the marvellous child’s meteor-flight across the war-firmament of France and its extinction in the smoke-clouds of the stake receded deeper and deeper into the past and grew ever more strange and wonderful and divine and pathetic, I came to comprehend and recognize her at last for what she was-the most noble life that was ever born into this world save only One.” (Here a footnote is added saying that Twain has evidently overlooked Our Lady when saying this, but he was not a Catholic.)

However, the words that Twain wrote about Joan seem to make the reader think that, weak as de Conte was made out to be, his recollections later in life were a reflection of Twain’s. Mark Twain lovingly writes in the Appendix, “There is no blemish in that rounded and beautiful character…she is easily and by far the most extraordinary person the human race has ever produced.” He presented her in all of her humanity and spirituality. Twain described Joan of Arc as a simple gardener would, showing each velvet petal and every thorn--though what thorns there were to reveal were scarce.

God called this extraordinary girl at a young age to lead France against the English. At the time Britain was invading France and taking it inch by inch. Henry V of England was to rule France. However the French Dauphin (Prince), Charles VII, was still alive and now calling himself King, although he had not yet been crowned. It was around this time that St. Catherine, St. Margaret and St. Michael the Archangel appeared to Joan and began informing her of her mission to drive away the English and crown the Dauphin. After much hassle (i.e. convincing her parents to let her leave, obtaining a small group of armed men, getting in to see the Dauphin) Joan proved to the Dauphin that she was indeed “heaven sent”. She was made Commander-in-Chief and given a large army, the first army she had ever seen.

Mark Twain illustrates Joan as France throughout the novel. There is one man, the ‘Dwarf’ who Joan saved from execution. De Conte writes, “To the Dwarf, Joan was France, the spirit of France made flesh--he never got away from that idea that he started with; and God knows it was a true one. That was a humble eye to see so great a truth where some others failed.” It would seem that Joan was France to many people in the country with no hope, for with a divine sense of command, Joan was able to take over Orleans (where many English were in control) in just a ten days, whereas France was unable to for seven months! The scene that best shows Joan at her worst, and yet at her highest point, in the siege of Orleans (for she never surrendered) is the battle of Tourelles. Here, Twain wrote of the wound that Joan foretold. He discloses that while Joan was encouraging her men onwards, and was scaling a ladder herself, an iron bolt from an arbalest struck between her neck and shoulder. De Conte says: “When she felt the sharp pain and saw her blood gushing over her breast, she was frightened, poor girl, and as she sank to the ground she began to cry, bitterly…and you will not forget the Dwarf. For he stood over her, and did the work of any six of others. He swung his axe with both hands; whenever it came down, he said those two words, ‘For France!’…Joan lay on the grass, weak and suffering, hour after hour, but still insisting that the fight go on…Toward night Dunois [one of Joan’s commander’s] gave it up. Joan heard the bugles. “ ‘What!’ she cried. ‘Sounding the retreat!’

“Her wound was forgotten in a moment. She countermanded the order, and sent another…and standing there in the rain of the bolts and arrows, she ordered the Paladin to let her long standard blow free, and to note when its fringes should touch the fortress…

“ ‘Now, then,’ said Joan to the waiting battalions, ‘the place is yours--enter in! Bugles, sound the assault! Now, then--all together--go!’

“And go it was. You never saw anything like it. We swarmed up the ladders and over the battlements like a wave--and the place was our property. Why, one might live a thousand years and never see so gorgeous a thing as that again. There, hand to hand, we fought like wild beasts, for there was no give-up to those English--there was no way to convince one of those people but to kill him, and even then he doubted.”

Many more battles follow in which “She took Jargeau by storm; then Meung; she forced Beaugency to surrender; then-in the open field-she won the memorable victory of Patay against Talbot, “the English lion,” and broke the back of the Hundred Years’ War,” as Twain writes in the Appendix. “Then followed the great campaign of the Loire, the capture of Troyes by assault, and the triumphal march past surrendering towns and fortresses to Rheims, where Joan put the crown upon her King’s head in the Cathedral…”

Oh, poor Joan who loved her King, her Dauphin, dearly, with the love of a devoted patriot, was allowed to be captured by the pirating English during a minor campaign. “‘The Maid of Orleans taken!…’” writes de Conte, speaking for the people of France. “Joan of Arc a prisoner!…the Savior of France lost to us!’…The 23th of May. We will draw down the curtain, now, upon the most strange, and pathetic, and wonderful military drama that has been played upon the stage of the world. Joan of Arc will march no more.”

Aye, she will march no more. She was ransomed, a King’s ransom of 61,125 francs, which were duly paid by Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais. He took her to the dungeons of the Castle of Rouen. It was then that she was tried for heresy. They grilled her as to the reason of her wearing men’s attire, the origin of her “voices”, if she was really doing witch-craft or not. It was a horrible time for the girl. She stood up to each question and turned them aside, neatly deflecting each one. It was not until she was at her weakest time, both physically and spiritually, that Joan was tricked, under the threat of being burnt to death, into signing a document against her. It stated that she was a heretic, apostate, and idolater. When she recovered, Joan realized what she had done and denounced everything she approved with her own hand. Cauchon, knowing that she would do this, declared that she was a relapsed heretic and condemned her to death—by fire.

Where was everyone at the end? Who would comfort France, that sweet France? Only God and her Saints were there to sooth the burning flames. Her family was at Domremy, her beloved army scattered, her devoted generals weeping in their rooms. Oh, earthly France, that you were not there when she knelt in prayer and weeping for the traitorous King Charles! Where were you when she kissed the cross? You did not stay to see her lift her eyes to heaven, with flames eating at her skin, as Cauchon cried out, “I am come, Joan, to exhort you for the last time to repent and seek the pardon of God.” Where did you stand when she uttered her last defiance to Cauchon? “I die through you.” The last words she would ever speak. Oh, earthly France, you were weeping in your homes, weeping for the many scars you gave the heavenly France and for the kisses you were never able to bestow. Yes, Cauchon ruined her name with words that you would not refute until years later. “HERETIC, RELAPSED, APOSTATE, IDOLATER.” *

The accusations against Joan were named because the English wanted to win France utterly and completely, not because she was a woman. Without Joan they would be able to control the country, but with Joan in the way—rather, with France in the way—the Francs would rise up. Twain presents Joan of Arc as somewhat of a novelty however. A woman doing a man’s job was unheard of in Twain’s time due to the Protestant world he lived in where women were not given places of honor, especially a single woman. For instance a single woman and a married woman could not inherit land. They had to marry, else they would be penniless spinsters. There was no place for the single woman especially such as the convent. For the married woman, her traditional role was in the home. Joan’s situation was unfamiliar to the people of Protestant America. She dressed like a man, road like a man, led men in war, and did it all for the glory of God.

In modern times we look back upon the “dark ages” and are led to believe that the achievements of women were not acknowledged, that only men were glorified in their deeds. Many women were praised for their roles in that society. For example Isabella of Castile was glorified for her political boldness when she unified Spain, picked out the religious apostates, and allowed Columbus to sail “around the world”. Joan was not out for the glory, as often happens. She was only a simple shepherdess who wished to please our Lord.

In the days before the reformation women in the Catholic Church were held in high esteem. One girl, Catherine of Sienna, was the main factor that brought the Popes back to Rome from France. She was at the Pope’s hand for weeks, advising him to return from France (which had a strong hold upon the Church at that time). Catherine lived and died about half a century before Joan of Arc. Both took a vow of virginity and, “Both their political careers were decisive,” says Regine Pernoud in her book Women in the Days of the Cathedrals. “One influenced the pope; the other, the king of France, and indirectly they both affected the equilibrium of Europe, which was itself the whole world of their time.”

It was not only in those medieval times that women were looked to for political guidance. In the book of Judges in the Old Testament the prophetess and female judge, Deborah, instructed a warleader, Barak, to strike against their enemy Sisera as God commands. When Barak refused out of cowardice and begged Deborah to come with him she replied, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Deborah led the army and Sisera fled in panic. He took refuge in Jael’s (a neutral woman’s) tent, asking her to turn away any man who asks for him. Instead she drove a tent peg into the side of his head, killing him. She then turned him over to Barak. So we see that it was a woman who was in the highest position of the time, a woman who led the men into war, a woman who defeated the enemy-all under God’s instruction.

Unfortunately, the media would have us believe those brave women, Deborah the Prophetess, Catherine of Sienna, and Joan of Arc, were not performing these great deeds under the Lord’s guidance. In the recent movie, “The Messenger”, based on the life of Joan of Arc, it is left ambiguous as to whether Joan is schizophrenic or has a strange conscience, but not that she really heard and saw St. Catherine, St. Margaret and St. Michael the Archangel. They seem not to be able to comprehend that any woman or girl could sacrifice her virgin life for God outside of a mythological story. The only rational explanations are those mentioned above.

The perversity and immorality of today’s media leads many astray in the truth, yet Mark Twain, a Protestant with no inclination towards Catholicism, shows that the voices of the Saints were real. He lets it be made known that he truly believes that it was God who directed the actions of Joan. Twain knew that through it all it was not Joan but our Lord who allowed her to be strong throughout her battles and trials. It was not with blind love that Mark Twain saw his precious Rose, but with the eyes of wisdom and understanding. He did not try to embellish her for she needed none.

De Conte writes a poem about a young lady named Catherine titled the Rose of Orleans who the regiment is very much in love with. But, it is theorized by this author that the beginning is written to and about Joan from Mark Twain. “…this pure and dainty white rose [grew] up out of the rude soil of war and looking abroad out of its tender eyes upon the horrid machinery of death…it blushes for the sinful nature of man, and turns red in a single night…then it sent its sweet perfume out over the embattled city, and when the beleaguering forces smelt it they laid down their arms and wept.” She is and was a shining light for all that saw her; a ray of encouragement to her men, an inspiration to young Samuel, and a novelty of virginity and courage to the world today. She is the Rose of Orleans.

Eichenberg, Caroline. “The Real Joan of Arc.” Youth for the Next Millennium: YOU! 12 (November-December 1999), 15

The Holy Bible. Revised Standard Version. Catholic Edition. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1966

Myshak, Nicole. “The Reel Joan of Arc.” Youth for the Next Millennium: YOU! 12 (November-December 1999), 15

Pernoud, Regine. Women in the Days of the Cathedrals. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1998.

(c) 31 May, 2000
Last updated 31 May, 2000
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