Clan of the Horses: Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc)

- WELCOME -

The bestselling novel Clan of the Horses/Hestenes klan, was published in Norway in 2010 and is out in it's fifth print. The novel is also available in German under the title "Zwischen Himmel und Erde".

In this blog you can read omitted elements from the book. You can also read about women and horses as they are described through written mythological and historical records, but more importantly you are invited to read excerpts of a completely different story: A story that women have preserved through the centuries solely by oral traditions.

In Bonnevie's enchanting story, she speaks of the pitfalls related to the common human error of trying to live up to the expectations of others - and thus losing one's innate intuition and wisdom. Bonnevie speaks of the search for your inner, true voice - and the journey of becoming who you are meant to be.

torsdag 25. februar 2010

Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc)

JEANNE D’ARC (1412 –1431) was a national heroine of France and now a Catholic saint (canonized by the pope in 1920). She was a peasant girl born in eastern France who led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, claiming divine guidance. This young girl was indirectly responsible for the coronation of Charles VII…
The extent of her actual military leadership is a subject of historical debate, for sure. Some say she was a standard bearer whose primary effect was on morale. Others say that her fellow officers esteemed her as a skilled tactician and a successful strategist. In either case, historians agree that the army enjoyed remarkable success during Jeanne’s brief military career…
A reckless skirmish on 23 May 1430 led to her being captured. Jeanne had ordered a retreat and assumed the place of honour as the last to leave the field. She was unhorsed by an archer and forced to surrender.
It was customary for a captive's family to pay ransom to free a prisoner of war, but unfortunately, Jeanne’s family lacked the financial resources. Jeanne had to face a trial of heresy (challenging the established system of belief) which was a capital crime. The trial against her was politically motivated, and the trial record demonstrates her remarkable intellect.
Jeanne d’Arc was not a feminist. She was just a girl who felt she received a divine calling, and since her mission was to do a man's job, she dressed accordingly. She kept her hair cut short through her military campaigns, but agreed to wear women's clothes when she was captured, but ended up dressed as a man again during the trial. Some say she did it to protect herself from harassment in jail. Some say she did it because her dress was taken from her and she was left with nothing else to wear.

The technical reason for her execution was a biblical clothing law. Jeanne d’Arc was burned at the stake. She was 19 years old.

Source: Wikipedia