Joan of Arc: Military Commander or Holy Cheerleader?
'tis but a scratch: fact and fiction about the Middle Ages
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Today’s episode concerns one of the most celebrated medieval people, Joan of Arc. She is among the best-known saints of the Middle Ages, especially among non-Catholics, and one of the most unusual. She is the only saint to my knowledge to have been condemned by the Church as a heretic and turned over to secular authorities to be burnt at the stake. That took place in 1431. It wasn’t until 1920 for the Catholic Church to formally recognize her sanctity. She is also an atypical female medieval saint in terms of her actions. Her fame owes less to her personal sanctity, theological insights, or defense of the faith than to her military and political accomplishments that led to France’s ultimate victory in the Hundred Years War.
In this episodes we will examines Joan's military exploits. Was this illiterate seventeen year old peasant girl an actual military commander, or was she more of a holy cheerleader or even sacred mascot. I am fortunate to have as my cohost the historian best suited to answer this question, Dr. Kelly DeVries, author of Joan of Arc: A Military Leader (Sutton Publishing: 1999). DeVries, professor emeritus of History at Loyola University Maryland, is one of the most prominent historians of medieval warfare of my generation. The author of 35 books and more than 80 articles on medieval military history and the history of military technology, DeVries has appeared on more than 40 shows for PBS, History, History International, Military History, National Geographic, HBO, and Vanity Fair Channels. He and Mike Livingston host the popular medievalist.net podcast, Bow and Blade.. Today, Kelly returns to the question of Joan of Arc as military commander. Together he and I will be exploring the nature of warfare in the latter decades of the Hundred Years War and Joan’s contribution to France’s ultimate victory.
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Intro and exit music are by Alexander Nakarada
If you have questions, feel free to contact me at richard.abels54@gmail.com