Joan of Arc was without a doubt one of the most intriguing women who ever lived, and her image is as varied as it is powerful. Her extraordinary life has inspired generations of writers and artists, and her image has been used for centuries to promote a variety of political, cultural and religious views.."

"Joan of Arc, otherwise known as “Jehanne la Pucelle” or “Joan the Maid,” has been admired for centuries in France and around much of the world. Her likenesses have been deployed not only as symbols for the power of the people, but also to support the divine right of kings. A model of female fortitude, Joan has contrarily been represented as defiantly androgynous.

Her extraordinary life - The story of her transformation from an illiterate provincial peasant girl, to a victorious army commander, to a martyr condemned of heresy and burned at the stake, to Catholic saint - has featured in histories, poetry, drama, novels, and politics. She has been a heroine for Romantic writers, a symbol of France, a moving example of patriotism and dedication, a mascot for the suffrage movement, an inspired lunatic, an internationally loved saint, a salesperson for beans and circuses, and the model girl, woman, and soldier.

We know an enormous amount about Jeanne d'Arc based on contemporary records - but thousands of historians, poets, and writers have created thousands of Joans and Jeannes, many of them very different from one another. In this site, we explore the evidence and the histories, poetry, and dramatic works, tracing her appearances through the years.

This site include images, illustrated manuscripts and rare books from the collections of the Library of Congress, Columbia University and Harvard University. Also on view are facsimiles and partial translations of the earliest surviving trial transcripts.

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Joan of Arc - Her ways, her premonitions...

" Si nous faisons abstraction de la divinité du Christ, nous trouverons une grande analogie entre ces deux caractères si nous les comparons à un point de vue purement humain. Tous les deux appartenaient à la classe humble et laborieuse : tous les deux affirmaient et accomplissaient une mission. Tous les deux subirent le martyre quand ils étaient encore jeunes. Tous les deux furent acclamés par le peuple et trahis et méprisés des grands. Ils inspirèrent la haine la plus vive à l'Eglise de leur temps dont les grands prêtres complotèrent la mort de l'un et de l'autre. Enfin tous deux s'exprimèrent en phrases claires et simples, fortes et concises. " La mission de Jeanne était apparemment guerrière, mais en réalité elle eut pour résultat de mettre fin à un siècle de guerre. Son amour et sa charité étaient si immenses qu'ils n'ont de comparables que les paroles de celui qui, sur la croix, pria pour ses bourreaux. "

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