Solved At Last: The Burning Mystery Of Joan Of Arc

The Guardian (UK) ^ | 12-17-2006 | Alex Duval

[blam]

Solved at last: the burning mystery of Joan of Arc

France's favourite saint was martyred by her English foes, who ordered her remains to be cast into the Seine. Now scientists believe they have established the facts surrounding her execution

Alex Duval Smith in Paris
Sunday December 17, 2006
The Observer (UK)

Catholic saint, national icon and one of the world's most famous military leaders, Joan of Arc has been a subject of fascination for the French for almost six centuries. Now academics believe they are close to proving that controversial relics are actually those of the real-life Maid of Orleans. Much is unknown about the life of the warrior. Facts have often been mixed with myth and theory. But what is generally agreed is that Joan's body was burnt three times by the English and ashes from the foot of the pyre were supposedly discovered in 1867, lurking in the Paris loft of an apothecary .

French scientists, who have been studying those ashes, confirmed yesterday that a piece of cloth found among the remains may have been a fragment of Joan of Arc's gown. A new series of DNA tests of bones and tissue found among the ashes is expected to confirm that they belong to a female. These initial discoveries suggest recent controversial claims surrounding the death of Joan of Arc are wrong. One theory, put forward by Ukrainian anthropologist Sergey Gorbenko, suggested Joan was not even burnt at the stake but lived to the age of 57. Another theory is that she was a man.

But the initial discoveries by forensic anthropologist Philippe Charlier, the project's leader, indicate that the standard version of Joan of Arc's death - by being burnt as a witch by the English - appears to be right, although the research...

[Polybius]

Now, that is interesting. Enlisting a National Icon to arouse patriotic ardor to ally with the British against the Hun. Of course, said Icon found her place in history fighting the British.

Well, actually, it was the British who allied with their traditional enemy France against one of France's many traditional enemies and Britain's traditional ally, the Germans.

The World would have been a lot better off if the Brits and the Germans had been able to find an amicable way to decide that the Royal Navy and not the German Imperial Navy would Rule the Waves in the early 20th Century and if, in August of 1914, the Germans had defeated France for the third time since June of 1815.

[GoLightly]

Godgifu of Buckingham, wife of Leofric III "the Great" of Mercia...

King Edward I, being an inquisitive man (he devised an earnest, but rather awkward system for the classification of songbirds in Wales), wished to discover the truth of the Godiva story and, therefore, commissioned an inquiry of ancient records which showed that in 1057 and thereabouts, there were indeed no taxes levied in Coventry except those on horses, which was a rather anomalous situation not seen elsewhere at the time, thereby establishing the merit and probable accuracy of the legend.

[GoLightly]

Bone fragment likely not Joan of Arc

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1754961/posts

[rabidralph]

[COBOL2Java]

Military History of France

Gallic Wars

Lost. In a war whose ending foreshadows the next 2000 years of French history, France is conquered by of all things, an Italian.

Hundred Years War

Mostly lost, saved at last by female schizophrenic who inadvertently creates The First Rule of French Warfare; "France's armies are victorious only when not led by a Frenchman." Sainted.

Italian Wars

Lost. France becomes the first and only country to ever lose two wars when fighting Italians.

Wars of Religion

France goes 0-5-4 against the Huguenots

Thirty Years War

France is technically not a participant, but manages to get invaded anyway. Claims a tie on the basis that eventually the other participants started ignoring her.

War of Revolution

Tied. Frenchmen take to wearing red flowerpots as chapeaux.

The Dutch War

Tied

War of the Augsburg League/King William's War/French and Indian War

Lost, but claimed as a tie. Three ties in a row induces deluded Frogophiles the world over to label the period as the height of French military power.

War of the Spanish Succession

Lost. The War also gave the French their first taste of a Marlborough, which they have loved every since.

American Revolution

In a move that will become quite familiar to future Americans, France claims a win even though the English colonists saw far more action. This is later known as "de Gaulle Syndrome", and leads to the Second Rule of French Warfare; "France only wins when America does most of the fighting."

French Revolution

Won, primarily due the fact that the opponent was also French.

The Napoleonic Wars

Lost. Temporary victories (remember the First Rule!) due to leadership of a Corsican, who ended up being no match for a British footwear designer.

The Franco-Prussian War

Lost. Germany first plays the role of drunk Frat boy to France's ugly girl home alone on a Saturday night.

World War I

Tied and on the way to losing, France is saved by the United States. Thousands of French women find out what it's like to not only sleep with a winner, but one who doesn't call her "Fraulein." Sadly, widespread use of condoms by American forces forestalls any improvement in the French bloodline.

World War II

Lost. Conquered French liberated by the United States and Britain just as they finish learning the Horst Wessel Song.

War in Indochina

Lost. French forces plead sickness; take to bed with the Dien Bien Flu

Algerian Rebellion

Lost. Loss marks the first defeat of a western army by a Non-Turkic Muslim force since the Crusades, and produces the First Rule of Muslim Warfare; "We can always beat the French." This rule is identical to the First Rules of the Italians, Russians, Germans, English, Dutch, Spanish, Vietnamese and Esquimaux.

War on Terrorism

France, keeping in mind its recent history, surrenders to Germans and Muslims just to be safe. Attempts to surrender to Vietnamese ambassador fail after he takes refuge in a McDonald's.

[COBOL2Java]

Excellent movie!

[Mila]

Ah, Joan. Here she is the French Quarter in New Orleans. This statue is an exact replica of the statue that was erected in 1880 in La Place de Pyramide in Paris. It was a gift from France to New Orleans in 1972.

[sageb1]

Mon Dieu! There is hope for France after all? I've never heard of this little girl. Interesting.

[J_Baird]

Those people aren't interesting Joan was. She was a focus for change in her time. Why waste resources on someone who did nothing when you can focus resources on the important. Your attitude is very Liberal in that regard.

[Continental Soldier]

"Liberal?" Wash your mouth out with soap and water right now! lol However, your points were well made and well taken here. Certianly, Joan was "interesting." And for a study of someone interesting, maybe even seriously disturbed, Joan fits the bill as well as any, maybe, better than a lot of others. :)

[SunkenCiv]

Just adding this to the GGG catalog, not sending a general distribution.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
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[decal]

"France becomes the first and only country to ever lose two wars when fighting Italians."

Tell that to the next Carthaginian you meet...

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Joan of Arc-the first and last brave Frenchman.

[Old Student]

“Well, it’s the only military icon france has ever had so they didn’t have much of a choice!

Perhaps the subtext of the ad was: ‘it took 100 years to find someone french with a backbone last time, can we try harder this time. . . .’ :D”

Hey, wait! There was Roland! Oh. Yeah. That was about 5-600 years earlier, wasn’t it? Darn....

[lawdude]

“Burning Love” but not “His Latest Flame”

[truth_seeker]

“Well, it’s the only military icon france has ever had so they didn’t have much of a choice!”

Ever heard of Charlemagne?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne

[ALASKA]

I can’t remember. Was Noah one of her ancestors or a relative that came after her?

[Don Carlos]

So, where did she keep the chocolates?

[Sam Cree]

Nice painting of Lady Godiva, Blam. A quick Google tells me that it’s by John Collier, English Victorian artist. He lived to 1934, long enough to recieve the disrespect that the modern art world came to feel for anyone who actually mastered the craft of painting. A shame, he was clearly a talented guy.