Jeanne d'Arc, or Joan of Arc translated into English, is a mystical figure in history whose life and memory have been used as a tool for political gain for centuries. Joan considered herself a "maiden", a virgin warrior sent by God to release the French from the cruel injustice of English dominance (Fraioli 12). By analyzing attitudes toward her life and death during different periods throughout history, the common theme will always be exploitation. The English, the Church, or even in the latest age, the feminist movement have acted to cosign Jeanne to their own side, either by misinterpreting factual data or by creating their own. The truth is never simple when speaking of folk figures that play largely into history, but if one would try and understand the "maiden", one would have to explore the reasons behind her use as a political device.
             According to Régine Pernoud Jeanne d' Arc was born on January 6th 1412, to Jacques and Isabelle d'Arc in the village of Domremy, right on the border of eastern France. At the time she was born a there was a truce in effect between the two usual warring countries, England and France (Pernoud 12). Pernoud also states that when she was 12, Joan said she began to have visions of saints such as St. Michael and St. Catherine, both saints associated with the French army (Pernoud 14). With Paris under occupation since 1418, in 1428 the situation became grave, as the English prepared to attack the city of Orleans and gain control over the northern part of Charles VII's diminishing realm. According to Gordon it was now that Joan found the courage and willingness to obey the visions sent by God ordering her to lead an army against the English (Gordon 36). After obtaining a royal escort, Pernoud relates Jeanne met with Charles in 1429 and convinced him to allow her to lead an army (28). After being tested by the clergy to allow that she was not a witch, Jeanne ...