Ep. 108: Joan of Arc – 6 Famous Events
Intro
Hello and Welcome to this episode of the podcast, "The Mnemonic Tree", where we add a single mnemonic leaf to our Tree of Knowledge.
I’m Jans you Mnemonic Man and today's episode is on one of the most admired women in history Joan of Arc. Born in Domremy in 1492 to a peasant family, she had divine visions and believed she was chosen by God to liberate France from English occupation.
By the age of 17 she had joined the French army and led troops into battle 13 times, nine ending in a French Victory. Her trial after capture found her guilty of heresy and she was sentenced to death to be burnt at the stake. Ironically years later Joan of Arc was posthumously declared innocent of heresy in a retrial.
Today’s mnemonic is on Joan of Arc’s six famous events.
So, with no further ado, we will begin with a summary from Wikipedia.
Wikipedia Summary
Joan of Arc (French: Jeanne d'Arc pronounced [ʒan daʁk]; c. 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronation of Charles VII of France during the Hundred Years' War. Claiming to be acting under divine guidance, she became a military leader who transcended gender roles and gained recognition as a savior of France.
Joan was born to a propertied peasant family at Domrémy in northeast France. In 1428, she requested to be taken to Charles, later testifying that she was guided by visions from the archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine to help him save France from English domination. Convinced of her devotion and purity, Charles sent Joan, who was about seventeen years old, to the siege of Orléans as part of a relief army. She arrived at the city in April 1429, wielding her banner and bringing hope to the demoralized French army. Nine days after her arrival, the English abandoned the siege. Joan encouraged the French to aggressively pursue the English during the Loire Campaign, which culminated in another decisive victory at Patay, opening the way for the French army to advance on Reims unopposed, where Charles was crowned as the King of France with Joan at his side. These victories boosted French morale, paving the way for their final triumph in the Hundred Years' War several decades later.
After Charles's coronation, Joan participated in the unsuccessful siege of Paris in September 1429 and the failed siege of La Charité in November. Her role in these defeats reduced the court's faith in her. In early 1430, Joan organized a company of volunteers to relieve Compiègne, which had been besieged by the Burgundians—French allies of the English. She was captured by Burgundian troops on 23 May. After trying unsuccessfully to escape, she was handed to the English in November. She was put on trial by Bishop Pierre Cauchon on accusations of heresy, which included blaspheming by wearing men's clothes, acting upon visions that were demonic, and refusing to submit her words and deeds to the judgment of the church. She was declared guilty and burned at the stake on 30 May 1431, aged about nineteen.
In 1456, an inquisitorial court reinvestigated Joan's trial and overturned the verdict, declaring that it was tainted by deceit and procedural errors. Joan has been revered as a martyr, and viewed as an obedient daughter of the Roman Catholic Church, an early feminist, and a symbol of freedom and independence. After the French Revolution, she became a national symbol of France. In 1920, Joan of Arc was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church and, two years later, was declared one of the patron saints of France. She is portrayed in numerous cultural works, including literature, music, paintings, sculptures, and theatre.
Extracted from: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_of_Arc]
Mnemonic
Joan of Arc – 6 Famous Events Mnemonic – MiS BoBCaT
(Picture Joan of Arc with her pet bobcat that speaks to her in divine voices)
1. Meeting with Charles
2. Siege of Orleans
3. Battle of Patay
4. Battle of Compiegne
5. Crowning of King Charles
6. Trial and Execution
Five Fun Facts
1. Meeting with Charles
The meeting with Prince Charles was preceded by an extremely dangerous 11-day journey through English-controlled territory where Joan dressed as a boy and cropped her hair. Joan then, led by her visions found Prince Charles, who she had never sited, and asked for an army so she could attack the English who had laid siege to the city of Orleans.
2. Siege of Orlean
She was granted an army by Prince Charles after much convincing and against his generals’ advice. She then rode into the city of Orleans wearing white armour and riding a white horse where she fought and inspired her soldiers, and gave the people of Orleans hope, forcing the retreat of the English.
3. Battle of Patay
This was followed by the battle of Patay which was the culmination of the Loire Campaign during the Hundred Years’ War. While Joan was with the main body of the French army, the French vanguard (the foremost part of an advancing army) was responsible for most of the fighting.
4. Crowning of King Charles
The crowning of King Charles in Rheims was part of Joan of Arc’s vision. She cleared the way and Charles was crowned King of France.
5. Battle of Compiegne
The Battle of Compiegne was Joan of Arc’s military highlight. On hearing that the Duke of Burgundy intended to lay siege to the city of Compiegne Joan of Arc gathered 300 to 400 volunteers and attacked the Burgundians outside the city walls. During the battle, Joan of Arc came off her horse and was left outside the city walls with the gates now closed and was subsequently captured and later sold to the English.
6. Trial and Execution
Joan of Arc was brought to trial on charges of heresy and wearing men’s clothes and after a particularly unfair trial was sentenced to death by burning at the stake. So, on the 30th May, 1431, she was tied to a white pillar, and as I mentioned burnt at the stake.
Apparently, when she arrived in heaven God looked at her, greeted her, and said “Well done!”
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Three Question Quiz
Q.1. What happened to the remains of Joan of Arc after being burnt at the stake?
Q.2. Who wrote a biography about Joan of Arc? Options are Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, or Geoffrey Chaucer
Q.3. Joan of Arc fought in which major war? Hint: It’s a long one
Bonus Q. What year was Joan of Arc beatified? Options are 1509, 1709, or 1909
Bonus Q. What year was Joan of Arc Canonized? No options here as it was in the Wikipedia article
Bonus Q. How many miracles were required for Joan of Arc’s beatification?
Mnemonic Recap
Joan of Arc – 6 Famous Events Mnemonic – MiS BoBCaT
(Picture Joan of Arc with her pet bobcat that speaks to her in divine voices)
1. Meeting with Charles
2. Siege of Orleans
3. Battle of Patay
4. Battle of Compiegne
5. Crowning of King Charles
6. Trial and Execution
Three Question Quiz Answers
Q.1. What happened to the remains of Joan of Arc after being burnt at the stake?
A. The remains were thrown in the seine river by the executioner
Q.2. Who wrote a biography about Joan of Arc? Options are Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, or Geoffrey Chaucer
A. Mark Twain, who was intrigued by her, and considered it his most important book
Q.3. Joan of Arc fought in which major war? Hint: It’s a long one
A. The Hundred Years’ War
Bonus Q. What year was Joan of Arc beatified? Options are 1509, 1709 or 1909
A. 1909
Bonus Q. What year was Joan of Arc Canonized?
A. 1920 by Pope Benedict XV
Bonus Q. How many miracles were required for Joan of Arc’s beatification?
A. Three miracles which included three nuns that were miraculously healed from cancers. It would have been four however the pope granted dispensation for one, as she had saved France
Word of the Week
disparate
[ dis-per-it ]
adjective
distinct in kind; essentially different; dissimilar.
Example
Joan of Arc’s disparate approach to Prince Charles through her visions emboldened her with an army of over 5,000.
Extracted from: [https://www.dictionary.com/]
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References
https://www.funtrivia.com/en/Religion/Joan-of-Arc-17485.html