The Truth and Lie about Joan of Arc and Charles VII

Did Joan exist really?

Yes, yes, she did. Before she was executed, she faced trial because England thought she was a witch (魔女) and a heretic (異端者). The trial records in those days are still left.

By the way, today Joan is famous and popular all around the world. However, in fact people had forgotten her for a long time before Napoléon (ナポレオン) introduced her as a heroine of France. He wanted to raise nationalism, and thought that she was effective. As a result, she became very popular among French people, and soon became popular around the world.

Who was Joan?

Some people say that Joan was not a countrywoman but a person of high rank. They insist if Joan had been just a farm, Charles would not have met her. Other people say Charles’ mother, Isabeau de Bavière (イザボー・ド・バヴィエール) supported her because it was Isabeau that was the true mother of Joan and Joan was a half-sister of Charles. Many people are doubtful about these theories. They say that Charles felt like clutching even at straws and her passion moved him. But why Charles met just a country girl and decided to depend on her is still a mystery.

Many legends of Joan

Joan has many legends. For example; She saw through Charles’ disguise right away: She became a dove after she died: She stayed alive. These stories are fiction, but it is natural that people give Joan romantic stories.

Why Charles VII did not save Joan?

Charles does not have good images generally, since he did not save Joan. But actually he sent a threatening letter saying that Joan must be taken care of courteously. However, it is also the fact that he did not prepare a ransom (身代金) for her.

Well , Charles VII seemed to be a timid (臆病) and skeptical man. He did not want to face a situation fearlessly and he always filled with anxiety. I think that he did not want to desert Joan, but his anxiety made him negative.