Saint Joan of Arc (Jeanne la Pucelle): Difference between revisions
| Line 6: | Line 6: | ||
== Background to the entry of Saint Joan of Arc == | == Background to the entry of Saint Joan of Arc == | ||
Joan was likely born in January of 1412 in a village in eastern France that lay on the margin of warring French factions and the quasi-independent Duchy of Lorraine. She was about eight years old when in 1420 the French King Charles VI, "the Mad", through marriage to his daughter, granted to Henry V of England succession to the French crown. As did his recent predecessors, when Henry ascended to the English throne in 1413 he proclaimed himself also King of France. Unlike those predecessors, however, he fully reasserted | Joan was likely born in January of 1412 in a village in eastern France that lay on the margin of warring French factions and the quasi-independent Duchy of Lorraine. She was about eight years old when in 1420 the French King Charles VI, "the Mad", through marriage to his daughter, granted to Henry V of England succession to the French crown. As did his recent predecessors, when Henry ascended to the English throne in 1413 he proclaimed himself also King of France. Unlike those predecessors, however, he fully reasserted English claims on France, including its former possessions in Normandy and western France. Disunited,<ref>The principle factions the Houses of Orleans and Burgundy, in the 1415 Peace of Arras temporarily settled an armed conflict that arose following the assassination of the Duke of Orleans by the Burgundians. See [https://archive.org/details/agincourtkingcam0000bark/page/68/mode/2up?q=67 Agincourt : the king, the campaign, the battle, by Barker, Juliet R. V (Archive.org)]; p. 68</ref> the French failed to address Henry's demands cohesively, or they simply did not take him seriously.<ref>There were a variety of treaties and negotiations over the years. In 1414, the French were angling for a payoff and a princess in return for English cessation of claims on the French throne. Rumors were thrown around, which Shakespeare made famous, the the French prince, Charles (the Dauphin), had mocked Henry by sending him tennis balls to go play with. From Shakespeare's Henry V: | ||
We are glad the Dauphin is so pleasant with us; | We are glad the Dauphin is so pleasant with us; | ||
| Line 48: | Line 48: | ||
Rejecting the French response, which was essentially, "here, take another princess,"<ref>In 1396, Charles' second and surviving daughter, six years old, was married to Richard II of England, the goal of which was to maintain peace between the countries. The marriage was never consummated, as age 12 was considered the age of consent. Richard, apparently, loved her like an adopted child or niece. </ref> in 1415 Henry invaded Normandy, reviving the ongoing but episodic French succession conflict we now call the "Hundred Years War". At the famed Battle of Agincourt, Henry destroyed French forces that consisted mostly of loyalists to the House of Orléans, while its French rival, the House of Burgundy, sat out, possibly by agreement with the English.<ref>Per See [https://archive.org/details/agincourtkingcam0000bark/page/68/mode/2up?q=67 Agincourt : the king, the campaign, the battle, by Barker, Juliet R. V (Archive.org)]; p. 67</ref> Animosity continued between the French factions, further weakening Charles VI, who had long suffered attacks of severe mental illness which periodically left his rule up for grabs. | Rejecting the French response, which was essentially, "here, take another princess,"<ref>In 1396, Charles' second and surviving daughter, six years old, was married to Richard II of England, the goal of which was to maintain peace between the countries. The marriage was never consummated, as age 12 was considered the age of consent. Richard, apparently, loved her like an adopted child or niece. </ref> in 1415 Henry invaded Normandy, reviving the ongoing but episodic French succession conflict we now call the "Hundred Years War". At the famed Battle of Agincourt, Henry destroyed French forces that consisted mostly of loyalists to the House of Orléans, while its French rival, the House of Burgundy, sat out, possibly by agreement with the English.<ref>Per See [https://archive.org/details/agincourtkingcam0000bark/page/68/mode/2up?q=67 Agincourt : the king, the campaign, the battle, by Barker, Juliet R. V (Archive.org)]; p. 67</ref> Animosity continued between the French factions, further weakening Charles VI, who had long suffered attacks of severe mental illness which periodically left his rule up for grabs. | ||
Charles VI assumed | Charles VI assumed the throne as a minor at age 11, so France was ruled by a regency council made up of his father's brothers, but dominated by the youngest brother, and most ambitious, Philip II "the Bold", Duke of Burgundy.<ref>Through marriage and negotiation, Philip created the Duchy of Burgundy and so was the first Duke of Burgundy. He earned the nickname "the Bold" at the age of fourteen for fighting alongside his father at the 1356 Battle of Poitiers. They were both captured and ransomed four years later. Later, Philip adopted artillery into his military tactics and used it to conquer Flanders. </ref> At the age of twenty-one<ref>or was he still 20?</ref> in 1389, Charles VI finally assumed full control from his uncles, whom he forced out by reinstalling his father's old and loyal advisors. While his mental illness must have been already evident, in 1392 Charles deliriously attacked his own guard, killing a knight and several others.<ref>He was subdued and lapsed into a coma.</ref> The Duke of Burgundy reassumed control which was ostensibly exercised by a regency council under Charles's queen, Isabella of Bavaria. Between mental bouts Charles actually ruled in competency, but he largely let his wife represent him to the council. Henceforth, she and the the King's younger brother, Louis II, Duke of Orléans,<ref>Charles VI appointed his brother Louis Duke of Orleans in 1392. The title was a royal grant that was later used as the title for the French prince. </ref> angled for power over Charles' uncles, especially Philip, Duke of Burgundy. | ||
As regents, the dukes of Orléans and Burgundy managed | As regents, the dukes of Orléans and Burgundy largely managed in conciliation, although when one was traveling, the other would pull some stunt back at the court. However, when Philip, the Duke of Burgundy, died in 1404 the Duke of Orleans removed Philip's son John the Fearless from both the council and the Royal treasury, a huge powerplay. In 1407, John got back by ordering the assassination of Louis I, an act that John not only admitted but acclaimed, justified by a reduction in taxes that Louis I had imposed upon Paris and a general appeal to Parisian autonomy. Additionally, the all-powerful University of Paris was upset that the Duke Orléans had returned French alliance from the Avignon antipope back to the Roman Pope. Louis had supported the antipope in exchange for an annulment of a prior betrothal of the Princess of Hungry, whom he was angling to marry in order to take the title King of Hungry.<ref>They were married by proxy, but before Louis could travel to Hungry to claim his throne, the Duke of Luxembourg invaded and with the support of Hungarian nobility married the princess to whom he had already been betrothed prior to Louis' intervention. It would have presented an interesting scenario by which were he King of Hungry, Louis would have supported an (anti) Pope that the Hungarian nobility did not recognize. Louis's claim on Hungary started when he was two and betrothed to the older sister of the Hungarian princess. By that time, the younger sister was already betrothed to the Princess that the Duke of Luxembourg, who became King of Hungry and later on Holy Roman Emperor. </ref> After that deal fell through, Louis returned French official allegiance to the Roman Pope, Benedict XIII. | ||
Such is the life of the little brother of a king, only Louis' life was further complicated by rumors of an affair with his brother's wife, the Queen of France. True or not, the stories came from Philip of Burgundy, who knew the intimate lives of the court. Since Charles VI son, the Dauphin Charles, was born in 1403, the timeline fits, although there seems not to have been any such rumors about the other children born in the 1390s and early 1400s, including a son born in 1407.<ref>Louis Duke of Orleans was on this way to visit the Queen after she had given birth to a boy when he was told that the King needed to see him urgently (indicating that the King was lucid for most of the time). He was murdered as he headed back to see his brother. I have no idea if it is normal for the brother of the king to visit the queen shortly after she gave birth, but if there was any possibility that Louis had fathered his brother's children, it seems to me that it would be this one. The boy, ironically named Philip, died soon after in infancy.</ref> | Such is the life of the little brother of a king, only Louis' life was further complicated by a reputation for debauchery and rumors of an affair with his brother's wife, the Queen of France. True or not, the stories came from Philip of Burgundy, who certainly knew the intimate lives of the court. Since Charles VI son, the Dauphin Charles, was born in 1403, the timeline fits, although there seems not to have been any such rumors about the other children born in the 1390s and early 1400s, including a son born in 1407.<ref>Louis Duke of Orleans was on this way to visit the Queen after she had given birth to a boy when he was told that the King needed to see him urgently (indicating that the King was lucid for most of the time). He was murdered as he headed back to see his brother. I have no idea if it is normal for the brother of the king to visit the queen shortly after she gave birth, but if there was any possibility that Louis had fathered his brother's children, it seems to me that it would be this one. The boy, ironically named Philip, died soon after in infancy.</ref> | ||
Two final important notes on the murder of Louis I, Duke of Orleans. First, a University of Paris theologian, Jean Petit, the following year gave a speech in front of the King justifying the murder as legitimate tyranicide.<ref>See [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/John_Parvus Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/John Parvus] (Wikisource)</ref> Charles VI was powerless to do anything about it, as Duke of Burgundy held Paris militarily and the King issued an official pardon. The King, however, appointed a Count to lead an army of 500 that escorted the Burgundians and supporters of the House of Orleans, whom we will from now on call the Armagnacs. The army was pledged to defend whichever side was attacked by the other. Next, one of the most important French theologians, Jean Gerson, was appalled by Jean Petit's speech, and issued a formal objection. In 1413, the Duke of Burgundy prompted a street takeover of Paris, called the Cabochien revolt,<ref>Named for a leader of "butchers" who were actually upper class merchants unaligned with the nobility.</ref> but they overreached and the people of Paris rose against them. The Duke of Orleans, Charles, led an army that took over the city, while the Duke of Burgundy fled with his Cabochien supporters. During the rebellion, Gerson's house was ransacked and he nearly killed, certainly under orders of the Duke of Burgundy, John the Fearless. Gerson fled to the vaults of Notre Dame where he remained hidden for two months. He attributed his escape to the protection of Saint Joseph, whose devotion he henceforth promoted.<ref>Gerson was among the first to depict Saint Joseph as a younger, virile man, as opposed to the more wise, calm, but strong elderly Joseph.</ref> | Two final important notes on the murder of Louis I, Duke of Orleans. First, a University of Paris theologian, Jean Petit, the following year gave a speech in front of the King justifying the murder as legitimate tyranicide.<ref>See [https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/John_Parvus Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/John Parvus] (Wikisource). Petit accused the Duke of many offenses, including sorcery. (see [[wikipedia:Bal_des_Ardents|Bal des Ardents - Wikipedia]])</ref> Charles VI was powerless to do anything about it, as Duke of Burgundy held Paris militarily and the King issued an official pardon. The King, however, appointed a Count to lead an army of 500 that escorted the Burgundians and supporters of the House of Orleans, whom we will from now on call the Armagnacs. The army was pledged to defend whichever side was attacked by the other. Next, one of the most important French theologians, Jean Gerson, was appalled by Jean Petit's speech, and issued a formal objection. In 1413, the Duke of Burgundy prompted a street takeover of Paris, called the Cabochien revolt,<ref>Named for a leader of "butchers" who were actually upper class merchants unaligned with the nobility.</ref> but they overreached and the people of Paris rose against them. The Duke of Orleans, Charles, led an army that took over the city, while the Duke of Burgundy fled with his Cabochien supporters. During the rebellion, Gerson's house was ransacked and he nearly killed, certainly under orders of the Duke of Burgundy, John the Fearless. Gerson fled to the vaults of Notre Dame where he remained hidden for two months. He attributed his escape to the protection of Saint Joseph, whose devotion he henceforth promoted.<ref>Gerson was among the first to depict Saint Joseph as a younger, virile man, as opposed to the more wise, calm, but strong elderly Joseph.</ref> | ||
From thus grew the Armagnac–Burgundian civil war, although Charles VI's surviving uncle John, Duke of Berry, was the ballast that kept the calm. He died in 1416 shortly after the Battle of Agincourt, the English victory that fully split the French factions -- and in which the son of Louis I, Duke of Orleans, was captured, leaving a power vacuum on the Armagnac side. While not officially siding with the English quite yet, the Burgundians at the least accommodated their presence in northern France. In 1418 the teenage prince was forced out of Paris by Burgundian elements and fled south to Bourges, where he set up his princely court. The next year, the Duke of Burgundy, in control of Paris and calling himself Protector of the King of France, approached him to sign a conciliation treaty. So it was, and to great joy, but the Dauphin's side knew that the Duke was also playing around, cutting deals with the English.<ref>John was playing both sides, negotiating with the English as well, but he needed money and figured he was most empowered by holding the middle ground.</ref> The Dauphin demanded another meeting in person, which was arranged on a bridge -- indicating just how tense the situation had become. Likely planned in advance, as the Dauphin was not present, his escorts axed the Duke, ending John the Fearless' life. | From thus grew the Armagnac–Burgundian civil war, although Charles VI's surviving uncle John, Duke of Berry, was the ballast that kept the calm. He died in 1416 shortly after the Battle of Agincourt, the English victory that fully split the French factions -- and in which the son of Louis I, Duke of Orleans, was captured, leaving a power vacuum on the Armagnac side. While not officially siding with the English quite yet, the Burgundians at the least accommodated their presence in northern France. In 1418 the teenage prince was forced out of Paris by Burgundian elements and fled south to Bourges, where he set up his princely court. The next year, the Duke of Burgundy, in control of Paris and calling himself Protector of the King of France, approached him to sign a conciliation treaty. So it was, and to great joy, but the Dauphin's side knew that the Duke was also playing around, cutting deals with the English.<ref>John was playing both sides, negotiating with the English as well, but he needed money and figured he was most empowered by holding the middle ground.</ref> The Dauphin demanded another meeting in person, which was arranged on a bridge -- indicating just how tense the situation had become. Likely planned in advance, as the Dauphin was not present, his escorts axed the Duke, ending John the Fearless' life. | ||