This was not the first time she had won over the confidence of authority figures in her life, she prevailed in a legal trial when her father sought to bound her to a marriage obligation to a man she did not even know. Somehow, she convinced the Judge to free her from the obligation her father had made. At the age of fourteen. Without any legal education.
So after receiving her military escort, she arrives at the French Court, where she correctly identifies the prince hiding in the crowd of courtiers. She strikes up a conversation with the prince and whispers a secret known only to the two of them and God. (We still have no idea what this secret was, though it has been rumored to be the prayer the future king had prayed to His Creator. Joan of Arc refused to reveal this confidence even under torture.)
After an investigation by the court officials and priests confirm her orthodoxy, the leaders of the clergy suggest that the success of a pending expedition serve as a test of her inspiration’s divine origin - so she is granted permission to travel with the army about to march to the relief of one of the kingdom’s great cities (Orleans), provided with a suit of armor by the royal government, and given special permission to wear it. (Suits of armor were expensive. Financially, it was about the equivalent of giving her a Ferrari.)
She accompanies the French soldiers to Orleans, which had been under siege for over six months. Upon Joan's arrival she raises the morale of the locals by passing out food and praying for their families, all the while earning the trust and confidence of her fellow soldiers. Eight days after Joan's arrival, with her leadership and bravery no longer in doubt, the siege is over, the city is freed, and the English were beaten. Coincidence?
During this and subsequent campaigns she sits on commanders’ councils, leads hosts to victory in battle, survives several grievous wounds, sees her prince crowned king, and generally saves the kingdom - just as she was commanded. All without personally killing anyone. (In fact, she hated the side of blood and prays with her vanquished enemies.)
Just writing these facts it is difficult to imagine they are factual, but they are! It is established beyond reproof that Joan and her achievements were historical facts, even though they seem more destined for a work of fantasy. In fact, some people have had such a hard time believing it actually happened that, and when forced by the overwhelming evidence to accept that it did, they’ve been tempted to invent a variety of explanations for which there is no evidence whatsoever, but would leave their respective world-views intact.
To me one of the most incredible facets of Joan of Arc's story is the loyalty she received as a commander from hundreds of battle-hardened soldiers of all ranks.
Love would be less remarkable. And even understandable. It is well known that soldiers have always adopted young people as mascots whom they adore. (Caligula was one, once. They even made him a little suit of armor; his name means “little-boots”.) They dote on these innocents in their midst, and no one loves innocence so ferociously as soldiers in a war-camp, but they don’t obey them - a soldier’s continued willingness to follow someone, obeying orders which could mean their deaths, which have already gotten comrades killed, is of course much harder earned. Try and imagine a regiment of veteran U.S. Marines enthusiastically following the orders of a sixteen-year old girl. During battle. For her to gain that kind of respect and loyalty in such a short period of time is unfathomable. Miraculous even.
Not only did it happen, her after-action reviews were all glowing.
Let me now pivot to a question she was asked, taken from the transcript of her last trial. Before reading her reply, consider the wisdom of the answer of this uneducated teenager, after being imprisoned for months before facing her accusers. The famous “trick question” that Joan’s inquisitors asked her was, “Are you in God’s Grace?” (This was one of many "trick questions" by the way . . . )
Now know one can truly know if they are in God’s grace or not, so if Joan had answered “yes” she would have been guilty of heresy. If she answered “no” then she would have admitted her guilt. Her famous answer, which stunned her inquisitors, was, “If I am not in God’s grace may He put me there. If I am in His grace, may He so keep me.”
I believe that her faith in God is the only explanation for her wisdom, bravery, charisma, and unwavering belief in her destiny here on earth. How else can you explain the chronicles of her journey?
Ponder this:
"Consider this unique and imposing distinction. Since the writing of human history began, Joan of Arc is the only person, of either sex, who has ever held supreme command of the military forces of a nation at the age of seventeen." - Louis Kossuth
Now I'll close with this fact, with no particular motivation, here is the coat of arms Joan of Arc received when she was ennobled.
