Symbol of Joan of Arc

How much would you pay to save your loved ones, your state, and your nation? Would you give your life to be burned at the stake? Well this scenario was a reality for Joan of Arc in the 13th century. Joan of Arc symbolizes, a sword for her loyalty to her army, a cross to represent how holy she was, and a crown because she was noble and didn’t take no.

Born in c. 1412 in Domrémy-la-Pucelle Joan of Arc was a French Visionary who was known as the maid of Orleans.

She was led by her visions to inspire the French to turn the tide of the hundred years war. Joan was a poor uneducated peasant girl. She grew up with magical lore, and local legends of the French’s’ continual surrender to the English. When she turned thirteen, she was believed to have heard the voice of god. The voice told her she was to deliver the French from the hundred years’ war. After many attempts she finally became part of the king’s army. This is when the sword comes in because, when they fought the English in Orleans, Joan was wounded and became the hero of the day. With Orléans secured, Joan impatiently counseled the army to move on. Town after town along the Loire fell, others offered their loyalty without battle. (Anne Llewellyn Barstow) This shows her persistence with the army the sword shows how willing she was to fight. She was so good at leading it became that people just surrendered without fighting.

The next symbol is a cross. The cross represents her holiness and willingness to follow the voice of god to save France. First, after she heard the voice at thirteen, she took on a vow of virginity. For the people the fact she was a virgin added a mystic aura. According to Maureen Lauder, “Virginal women were considered the brides of Christ, and some women discovered a certain power in their virginity” this shows that people in Christian religion in medieval time valued virgins because they held power and were used by god. Joan of arc was willing to give up so much just to follow god and save France.

The last symbol is a crown. No, the crown does not represent that she was a princess, because as discussed before Joan of arc was a peasant girl. The crown represents her nobility and loyalty to the people she oversaw. The dictionary definition of nobility is, having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals.  Joan of arc represented this when she,

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