2019 - 2020
Heresy and Knights Armour: Joan of Arc’s Prosecution and her Choice to Wear Men’s Clothing Holly Benison
of the religious pertinence to her case, this essay will determine the exact role her clothing played in her persecution. To better illustrate how her clothing impacted her case, it is important to understand the world that she was living in, and how her actions challenged the assumptions that the Inquisitors presiding over her case had of her. First, the Hundred Years War will be briefly described as well as how Jeanne was involved. Then, a short
Nearing the end of the Hundred Years War, analysis of the historiography surrounding Joan of an unlikely figure emerged onto the battlefield. Arc, her clothing and motivations will be included.
She called herself Jeanne la Pucelle, and was a
In addition to works written about Joan, there will
young peasant girl from a small town in the North
also be works regarding gender roles in Europe
of France named Domrémy. She is better known as
through this time period, costume history and a
Joan of Arc, however, documentation indicates that short look at women donning men’s clothing in she never referred to herself by this name and that medieval hagiography. Finally, Joan’s trial records is was given to her posthumously at the Nullifica- and correspondences will be examined to discern tion Trials.1 2 At the age of thirteen, she claimed to if her clothing had a major effect on the outcome have heard voices from God and the Saints, telling
of the trial. In light of the evidence presented in the
her to engage in battle to take back Orléans from
primary sources and through analyses of histori-
the hands of the English forces and their French
ans, this paper will aim to prove that her clothing
allies. The battle, known as the Siege of Orléans, played the largest role in her persecution. represented a decisive French victory, but not To better understand Joan’s case and trial,
long after, Jeanne was captured and handed over we must first look at her military involvement in to the English and their Inquisition and tried for the Hundred Years War. This war was a conflict
heresy.3 The result after a lengthy trial process - that lasted from 1337 to 1453 on who would have she was burned at the stake. When her trial began, the ability to rule over France. The war was fought
it was a highly politicized event.4 Within the trial between the French forces of the House of Valois records themselves, her inquisitors tried to paint and the English forces of the House of Planta-
a negative picture of the young Frenchwoman, genet.5 By 1428 it seemed that the Dauphin, the and frequently mentioned her choice of clothing, soon to be crowned Charles VII of France, and his
specifically her choice to wear men’s clothing, as
cause of keeping France in French hands was lost.
a means to discredit her. Connotations of gender To the French, “the English appeared invincible, and gender transgression appear interspersed their continuing victories proof that God was with
throughout these records as well. Whether this
them.”6 In the same year, it would appear that
was because it was unusual for women at the time Jeanne of Domrémy had received holy messages to present themselves as male, or if it was because from God and the Saints Michael, Catherine and
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