Joane D Arc Letters

Jeanne d’Arc, now commonly known as Joan of Arc, was born on the 6th of January 1412, in the town of Domrémy, located in the northeast of France . She was born into a peasant family, albeit a well off one, as well as a religious one, as her uncle was a priest. The Hundred Years’ War had been ongoing for the past six decades, which had taken its toll on the French economy and people. At thirteen years old, she began to hear voices in her head, urging her to aid the King of France, and by the age of 17, she was in the court of the Dauphin, dictating an ultimatum the King of England . The text in question is a letter written by Joan of Arc to Henry VI, King of England, Regent to the King of England, the Duke of Bedford, as well as many of England’s

The text was later edited and published by Auguste Vallet de Viriville in 1859 . The original letter was written in the court of Charles VII of France in Chinon2. The letter was most likely dictated by Joan to a scribe as she had been raised a peasant and was almost certainly illiterate. The use of a scribe is also made apparent in the frequent use of third person perspective at the beginning and end of the writting . This is the only known text that she authored, which gives context to the style of writing observed in the text. The letter reads much more like a speech than a peace treaty or ultimatum, speaking to Joan’s common upbringing. This less official diction, however, was ultimately what won the common folk over to her side. The intended audience of the letter was the military and political leaders of England, although it elicited no response from these individuals. This being said, news of Joan and her religious fervour brought by the letter gave hope to French soldiers besieged in Orleans

As he was most likely not in the court at Chinon, the method in which Cousinot obtained the text is unknown. The letter, as it appears in Chronique de la Poucelle, is full of religious connotation. The letter states that “[Joan] comes sent by the King of Heaven, body for body, to take you out of France” and “she and the French will perform the greatest feat ever done in the name of Christianity”, giving her cause an almost crusade like appearance. Though the text was not commissioned by an impartial authority and is given as an exact transcription of the letter that Joan of Arc dictated, glorification of her persona is well within the realm of possibility. Even during her life time, Joan obtained a folk hero like status. The English had captured many French cities, including Paris. The Hundred Years War had been ongoing for many years, which had reduced the economy and population of France. The population had also not recovered from the Black Death, which had ravaged the country the pervious century4. These stresses on the population of France served to increase Joan’s charisma and leadership, as she was viewed as a champion of the people . Joan dictated the letter as an ultimatum to the English, but the eventual transcription of