Joan of Arc — Jeanne d’Arc — remains a fascinating and mysterious figure. Born over 600 years ago, she has become a polyvalent symbol in French politics, regularly invoked by all the parties across the spectrum, Communists to Extreme Right. Nicolas Sarkozy went to her birthplace of Domrémy, in Lorraine, officially launching his 2012 presidential campaign… which failed.
There are a lot of details that ordinarily are not included in tales of her exploits. Her name was not Jeanne but Johanne. “d’Arc” was her father’s name, but in her part of Lorraine, children took their mother’s surname. Her mother, Isablet, was called de Vouthon, the name of the village next door. But she apparently had made a pilgrimage to Rome and so also had a last name of “Romée”. So her daughter’s name was Johanne de Vouthon or Johanne Romée. And Joan referred to herself as “Johannette”.
You can find original materials from her trials here. The more interesting account is the transcript of her first trial. Her own words, transcribed by her enemies, are remarkable. She is clear in her thoughts and precise in her choice of words. In fact, her discourses are claimed by some to be the beginning of modern French. (However, it seems she spoke with a thick accent.)
It’s really weird
I am not interested in her legend, her épopée, as the French say. Too many rascals have…
