The Golden Girl Project started a year ago when I had an inspiration from a dream to write about famous and legendary women, linked to beauty, power and the supernatural. As there are plenty of topics and debates about men who are heroes, monsters and kalki avatars, nothing has been written about women of similar calibre. So far I've written 8 posts on the individual these special, incredible women. The female Avatara, goddesses incarnate, from Cleopatra, the Four Beauties of ancient China, Marilyn Monroe and Lady Godiva. One is a fairytale princess, Cinderella.The ninth post on the Golden Girl Project is about Joan of Arc.
Most of us know that Joan of Arc was a very strong willed French peasant girl who was religious, then rose to power with an army. She fought in battle, lost, and was executed for the crime of witchcraft. There are films made about her. Books written about her, even children's books have something on her. This is what we know, the very basics. Historically she was a type of super girl, but there is another side too that history overlooks. She was gifted with psychic abilities, she a warrior woman and she was goddess-like.
Joan was born Jehanne D'arc on 6th January 1412, in Domrémy, Barroise, France. Her father was Jacques D'arc, and her mother Isabelle Romee. As a child she would've been raised on a farm. The country itself was troubled between the French and English. There was a bitter feud among the French royalty about retaining a truce with England and others who disagreed because it posed a threat of English take-over. The two factions made a split in French society at the time. The Burgundians were in favour of the agreement between France and England, while the Orleanists didn't want any English invaders.Sometimes the Burgundians caused trouble. They once burned a village near where Joan lived, so as a little girl she would've been witness to such unrest.
Joan reported seeing visions of angels. She claimed to see a variety of angels, including saints. These beings spoke to her and guided her throughout her life since growing up. They told her to attend church and practice religion, as she did. These visions then wanted her, from the age of twelve, to warm with the Orleanists as it's leaders Duke Charles and Count Bernard II were "loved by God". During her trail she described seeing "light" when the voices spoke and she knew this was from angels. She could see Saint Michael and Saint Catherine. Even she'd seen the Virgin Mary. It was these very paranormal influences that encouraged this girl to take up arms and fight against the Burgundians, to protect France from the English.
She was a prophetess who could foresee the outcome of Burgundians winning. It wasn't a France she loved or wanted to happen. It was as if these supernatural visions were forcing through a chain of events and making history through this one girl. Or the girl had special gifts she didn't understand well. Maybe she was mentally ill, as people have diagnosed these symptoms as psychosis. Whatever it was really but this girl managed to alter history on her own! Dressed in armour, and informing commanders where to go, and what she wanted by the voices and the angels, she was regarded as a "holy figure". Looking at her made military men want to bend on their knees for being in divine presence. When she was captured by the Burgundians and handed over to the English, she was able to discuss her psychic abilities. During her execution, she was screaming to God that she had done holy work as told and will be ready for paradise. (In other words, she was a Valkyrie going home to the All Father in the Halls of Valhalla). After she died, many including the English felt a sense of shock for they realised they'd killed a powerful and divine woman!
Joan of Arc was a mortal goddess. She was canonised as a saint and is now the Patron Saint of France. She was 19 years old when she died. Not just any teenage girl, or even a girl who was mad, but a girl who was filled with thunder and sunlight, and could shift a country one way. This girl motivated France and is an icon.
More details on Joan of Arc can be found:
Joan of Arc at Wikipedia
.Joan of Arc Archive
The picture on this post is "Joan of Arc" by Michael C Heyes.
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