Answer: None exist
As far as the hair is concerned, there is a story that Joan put a piece of her hair in the wax seal of a letter she sent to the people of Riom. This piece of hair has been lost since the mid-1800s. In the museum at Chinon, which was used as a base by the Dauphin and visited by Joan during the Hundred Years War, there was a container that held bones and other materials. Attached to it was a note dating back to the 1600s that said, "Remains found beneath the scaffold site of Jeanne d' Arc, Maid of Orleans". Historians have debated for centuries the possibility that these remains belong to Joan; she wasn't, however, the only victim of death by fire in Rouen, and the accumulated ashes could have belonged to several people.
From Quiz: Tales of The Maid's Relics
Answer: 409 years
First, it should be said that the purpose of the five-year waiting period is to give some time for emotions to calm a bit. The Pope, however, can waive that requirement, as Pope Benedict XVI did in beginning the canonization process for Pope John Paul II in 2005, and John Paul II did for Mother Theresa in 1999.
While initially the late-coming canonization may surprise readers, it must be remembered that immediately after Joan's death in 1431, the country was still at war with England; Paris (whose university had provided accessors for the trial), and Rouen (where the trial was held) were still in the hands of the enemy. After the conclusion of the Hundred Years War in 1453, it took three more years for the issue of Joan's trial and death to be reexamined. Historically over the course of the subsequent centuries, it might be argued that France (who would press for canonization) and the Church (who would bestow it) had other more urgent matters at hand. While there are examples of the five year waiting period being shortened, there are many cases where the process took much longer. In the case of Thomas More, for example, canonization was given 400 years after his death. It took 707 years for St. Agnes of Prague to be canonized. The theologian, Saint Bede, waited 1,164 years before he was given sainthood.
From Quiz: The Canonization of The Maid
Answer: Her voices
At her trial Joan testified that she received her first vision when she was thirteen years old while in her father's garden. Saint Catherine, Saint Michael, and Saint Margaret appeared to her at the time and told her that she had been chosen to lead the French army that would drive the English out of France and bring about a victory so that the Dauphin could be crowned king. The saints continued to "talk" to Joan and they told her where the sword was located. Joan did seem to have some sort of "inside source" that counseled her. Perhaps the best example of this is the fact that she was able to tell the Dauphin a secret that only God would know. That really gained his attention!
When asked at her trial how she knew about the sword, she stated, "I knew the sword was there because my Voices told me so...."
From Quiz: Tales of the Sword
Answer: The Hundred Years' War
Joan of Arc entered public life during France's lowest ebb in this extended conflict. Within a few months she achieved a string of victories and crowned the French claimant to the throne.
From Quiz: Joan of Arc
Answer: St. Michael, St. Catherine, St. Margaret
Around the age of 13, Joan of Arc was standing in her father's garden when she experienced her very first vision, hearing voices accompanied by a bright, heavenly light. She identified these divine messengers as Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and Saint Margaret of Antioch.
At first, the voices simply offered her personal comfort and told her to be a good child and go to church often. However, as the visions continued over the next few years, their messages grew far more intense and specific: they told her that God had chosen her for a grand, impossible mission.
From Quiz: An Interview with Joan of Arc
Answer: They were thrown in the river.
There was quite a bit of concern regarding the disposal of Joan's remains. Anything that the people might be able to keep and revere could have been potentially dangerous, as many had already begun to venerate Joan. Apparently her body did not entirely burn, even after three attempts. While the fact that some of her organs did not burn was viewed as a miracle, modern scientists say that the high content of water in organs like the heart and intestines make it very difficult to completely burn a body. When, after three attempts, it appeared that it would not be possible to turn the remains completely to ash, the executioner was told to gather up everything and throw it into the Seine. Contemporary accounts say that he followed the directive.
From Quiz: Tales of The Maid's Relics
Answer: Church of Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois
It should not be a surprise that the Fierbois sword was found in the church of Saint Catherine of Fierbois, especially because Saint Catherine's voice was one that Joan said she heard. Joan had stopped at this church in 1429 on the way to Chinon, one of the last fortresses held by the Dauphin at the time. At that time she finally had been granted an audience with the Dauphin, picking him out of a crowd, even though he was disguised. When he offered to provide her with a sword, she replied that she would rather use the ancient sword that had been left at the church of Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois.
From Quiz: Tales of the Sword
Answer: Lorraine
You can visit her village today, and there is a cottage industry there related to her life. She is, after all, France's patron saint.
From Quiz: In the Footsteps of Joan of Arc
Answer: Domremy
Domremy is a small village in the province of Lorraine. D'Arc was her family name. She became known as The Maid of Orleans only after Friedrich Schiller wrote a play by that title in the early nineteenth century. She liberated the town of Orleans.
From Quiz: Joan of Arc
Answer: Recognized him even though he was disguised
To prove she was truly guided by God, a young Joan traveled to the royal court in Chinon (southwest of Tours) to meet Charles VII, who was the uncrowned prince fighting to be the rightful King of France. To test her claims, Charles hid himself among the crowd of courtiers and dressed a noble in his royal robes to act as a decoy.
Despite having never seen the real prince before, Joan walked right past the fake king, stepped directly up to the real Charles in his disguise, and bowed to him. She claimed she knew him from "the counsel of my Voices". She then pulled him aside and privately told him a secret, something he had only ever said in a silent prayer to God, which completely convinced Charles that she possessed divine, heavenly knowledge and earned her the royal backing to lead the army.
From Quiz: An Interview with Joan of Arc
Answer: She saved France.
In order to be blessed by the Catholic Church, four miracles performed by the individual must be proven. If a potential candidate for sainthood founded a religious order, they are given an automatic dispensation for one of the miracles. Joan did not do that, but she did save France. There is no doubt that the morale of the French army, after suffering defeat after defeat, was rejuvenated by Joan's presence. The army believed in her, and her aggressive tactics worked! The swift victory won at Orleans and subsequent success on the battlefield led to the coronation of the Dauphin as King of France.
From Quiz: The Canonization of The Maid
Answer: To see the Dauphin of France crowned King at Reims
Joan felt the coronation at Reims was necessary for the legitimacy of the monarch and would galvanize the French people behind their king.
From Quiz: In the Footsteps of Joan of Arc
Answer: transcript
Joan of Arc had been remembered mostly through legend and chronicles until the rediscovery of her condemnation trial transcripts. She actually underwent two trials: one at the end of her life and a second posthumous trial that cleared her name. Both sets of transcripts have now been recovered.
From Quiz: Joan of Arc
Answer: Orleans
By 1429, the city of Orleans was the last major stronghold protecting the rest of France from being completely taken over by the English in the Hundred Years War. The city had been surrounded and starving for six months, and the French soldiers had completely lost hope. Everything changed when a young Joan of Arc arrived.
Instead of waiting around, she immediately gave energy to the French troops, leading them right to the front lines to attack the English forts. Even after being shot in the shoulder with an arrow, she refused to quit, running back into the fight to inspire a final, large French victory. In just nine days, Joan completely broke the siege and forced the English to retreat, saving France from total defeat and proving to the world that she was the real deal.
From Quiz: An Interview with Joan of Arc
Answer: It no longer exists.
During the French Revolution, which was anti-government and anti-religion, many symbols of the Ancien Regime - even sacred ones - were destroyed. Joan's gray hat was burned in a bonfire in Orleans in 1792; her standard, which she said at her trial was her favorite possession, was also burned during the Revolution. While some would say that the banner that was burned really wasn't Joan's due to the fact that it had apparently been extensively damaged by moths and mended and repaired several times, it had been painstakingly restored. The revolutionary government even banned the annual celebration at Orleans that had been held to honor Joan and melted down a statue of The Maid in order to construct a cannon.
From Quiz: Tales of The Maid's Relics
Answer: She healed three nuns.
The Roman Catholic Church has established a procedure to determine if and when miraculous events have taken place. The sponsors of the proposed saint are to verify that the miracles actually took place. In the case of Joan of Arc, she was said to have cured three nuns of illnesses. Joan cured the first nun, Sister Thérèse of Saint Augustine, of leg ulcers. This happened in Orleans. Next a cancerous ulcer that was located on the breast of Sister Julie Gauthier of Faverolles was cured. Sister Marie Sagnier of Frages, also was miraculously cured by Joan of Arc. She suffered from stomach cancer. Joan of Arc was beatified on April 8, 1909.
As a side note, the other choices are all reasons why others have been granted sainthood.
From Quiz: The Canonization of The Maid
Answer: Charles Martel
Charles Martel was the Mayor of the Palace who led an army that stopped the Moslems at the Battle of Tours in 732. One version of the legend is that after his defeat of the Moslem army, Charles Martel actually founded the church of Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois, which was near Tours, and that he buried his sword there for use by the next person who was chosen by God to defend France. Another version of the legend is that he left his sword there are an offering. This was apparently a common practice at the time; soldiers would typically leave their swords at a church as a symbol of thanksgiving to God for his help in battle.
From Quiz: Tales of the Sword
Answer: A white banner with religious symbols
When Joan of Arc rode into battle, she wore a full suit of gleaming steel armor, which was specially fitted for her by order of the French prince. While the heavy armor (for the most part) protected her from deadly arrows and swords, her most famous and beloved piece of equipment was not a weapon at all, but a giant custom white banner that she carried proudly into the heart of combat.
Joan openly stated that she loved this banner forty times more than any sword, largely because she wanted to inspire her troops without ever having to kill anyone herself. The banner, made of a heavy fabric, was painted with a detailed religious image showing God sitting on the clouds and holding the world, flanked by two kneeling angels, with the sacred words "Jhesus Maria" (Jesus Mary) displayed across it. In the middle of battles, French soldiers could look up and see Joan's bright white banner waving right on the front lines, leading them forward and giving them courage.
From Quiz: An Interview with Joan of Arc
Answer: Loches
Joan did eventually persuade the Dauphin to be crowned at Reims, and he thereby became king in all Frenchmen's eyes.
From Quiz: In the Footsteps of Joan of Arc
Answer: Five crosses
When Joan of Arc heard her heavenly voices revealing a sacred weapon buried behind the altar of the Church of Saint Catherine at Fierbois, she gave the clergy specific details to look for. She told them that the sword was hidden in the earth, heavily rusted, and contained five crosses on the blade. It was found exactly where she directed. Once "the rust fell from it without difficulty" (as she later stated in her trial), the five distinct crosses became clearly visible.
Although there is no definitive historical proof, many people passionately believed this weapon had originally belonged to Charles Martel, the legendary grandfather of Charlemagne who had saved France from invasion seven hundred years prior.
From Quiz: An Interview with Joan of Arc
Answer: A hole in the foot
The second miracle performed by Joan of Arc was the cure of Miss Mirandelle, who had been diagnosed with "Perforating Plantar Affliction". It is the prerogative of the Roman Catholic Pope to decide if miracles were really - miraculous. Joan was finally canonized on May 16, 1920, at St. Peter's in the Vatican. May 30, which was also the day of her death, was set aside as the feast day of Joan of Arc.
From Quiz: The Canonization of The Maid
Answer: It was covered in rust.
There are differing versions regarding the recovery of Joan's sword from the church of Sainte-Catherine-de-Fierbois. During her trial she stated that an "arms merchant from Tours" went to retrieve it; there is also an account that states that she wrote a letter to the prelate of the church asking for the sword. She sent Jean de Metz, one of her men, to find it. While some sources say that it was buried behind the altar, others state that it was part of a stash of arms that had been left behind the altar in a trunk.
In Joan's own words at her trial - "This sword was in the earth, all rusty.... After this sword was found, the prelates of the place had it rubbed, and at once the rust fell from it without difficulty".
From Quiz: Tales of the Sword
Answer: Reims Cathedral
French tradition strictly mandated that a monarch must be anointed with holy oil at Notre Dame Cathedral in Reims. The city of Reims was where Clovis, the very first King of the Franks, was baptized around the year 500 AD. According to legend, a white dove had delivered a vial of holy oil from heaven for that ceremony, and that same oil was used to anoint every French king who followed.
Joan marched Charles VII through enemy lines to this specific cathedral on July 17, 1429. Instead of standing quietly in the crowd, she took center stage during the coronation ceremony, standing right beside the altar. This was a massive breach of traditional royal protocol, as only the highest ranking male nobles and church officials were typically allowed near the altar during a king's crowning.
From Quiz: An Interview with Joan of Arc
Answer: Stone
Third class relics are items that were touched by the saint. Three of the nine letters that were dictated by Joan to be sent to various people have her signature. While much has been documented about the fact that Joan was illiterate; apparently she was able to progress from making a simple "X" to signing her name, Jehanne.
During the time Joan was staying at Vaucouleurs, waiting for a meeting with the Dauphin at Chinon, she often prayed in the church at a statue that is called "Our Lady of the Vaults". There is also a crucifix at the town's museum from the Church of Saint Nicolas-de-Septfonds, where she prayed as well. There is a statue of Saint Catherine in the chapel of Saint Catherine-de-Fierbois (where Joan's sword was found) where she prayed, and in the town of Saint-Pierre-le-Moutier's church, there is an ancient stone statue of Saint Michael before which Joan also prayed. There is even a stepping stone still in existence where Joan mounted her horse at Poitiers.
From Quiz: Tales of The Maid's Relics
Answer: It was engraved with five crosses.
During the Middle Ages blacksmiths sometimes added engravings on their work as a personal trademark or signature, so it should not be surprising the Joan's Fierbois sword was decorated. Apparently the prelates at the church were happy to allow Joan to take possession of the sword. They also sent two intricately decorated scabbards - one was made of red velvet, and the other of golden cloth. Joan had one made for herself out of a sturdy leather.
Joan stated, "...and there were upon it five crosses, and I knew it by my voices...."
From Quiz: Tales of the Sword
Answer: Patay
Shortly after Orleans, French forces found the English army preparing defenses on the open field at Patay. Heavily armed French infantry surprised the English longbowmen. A rout ensued that decimated the main body of the English army. Some historians consider this battle's consequences as important as Agincourt.
From Quiz: Joan of Arc
Answer: Domremy
The Church of Saint Remy in Domremy has three third class relics; the holy water and Baptismal fountains were both touched by Joan of Arc, as was the statue of Saint Margaret. St. Margaret was one of the "voices" who directed Joan from the age of thirteen. As a child, Joan lived within sight of the church and visited it frequently. In the countryside close to Domremy there is a small chapel, Notre Dame de Bermont, where Joan is said to have visited every Saturday. Inside is the Statue of Our Lady of Bermont, before which Joan is said to have prayed.
From Quiz: Tales of The Maid's Relics
Answer: Joan's Family
This was, of course, the first step that had to be taken before Joan could even be considered for sainthood. Why? She had been tried and found guilty of heresy. Before anyone could even consider that she was a "servant of God", she had to be exonerated of those charges.
In 1455 the surviving members of Joan's family, her mother, Isabelle, and brothers, Jean and Pierre, enlisted the aid of Cardinal Guillaume d'Estouteville to petition Pope Callixtus III to review Joan's case. The Trial of Rehabilitation took place at Notre Dame Cathedral, and the testimonies of 115 witnesses were heard. At the trial, Joan's mother gave a very impressive speech, stating why her daughter's verdict should be changed. In the end, the hearing found that Joan was innocent of heresy and died as a martyr. Her sentence was annulled; the findings "....We proclaim that Joan did not contract any taint of infamy and that she shall be and is washed clean of such". This is what made it possible for Joan to be proclaimed a "servant of God".
From Quiz: The Canonization of The Maid
Answer: Siege of Paris
According to eyewitnesses, Joan was gravely wounded at least twice (although there are accounts which also point to more injuries) and miraculously recovered. The first time she was hit in the shoulder by an arrow during the Orléans campaign. During the Siege of Paris she was hit in the thigh with a bolt from a crossbow.
At her trial, when the inquisitors asked about her sword she replied by asking them why the whereabouts of her sword was important. It can only be assumed that they were interested in possessing such a holy relic; Joan, however, dismissed their question, "But when I was captured, it was not that sword which I had. I always wore that sword until I had withdrawn from Saint-Denis after the assault against Paris". She also stated that her brothers had what was left of her possessions. Part of the belief that the sword may have been left at Saint-Denis stems from the fact that there was/is a story that Joan left her white armor at the church there as an offering after the siege of Paris failed. If, in fact, that is the case, there is a distinct possibility that the English might have it (!) as it is written that they entered the church after she left, and stole the armor. Some sources claim that the armor that was left was the armor of a Burgundian knight.
From Quiz: Tales of the Sword
Answer: Her voices told her to look for a sword hidden behind a church altar.
Although there is much speculation about the eventual fate of the sword, it was allegedly found behind the altar at Fierbois, where Joan's vision indicated.
From Quiz: In the Footsteps of Joan of Arc
Answer: Death by burning at the stake
Following a grueling and deeply biased five month trial in the city of Rouen, the English controlled court found the 19-year-old Joan guilty of heresy. Because the English could not legally execute her just for winning battles, they used the church court to brand her a witch and a heretic to claim that King Charles VII had won his crown through dark magic.
Her sentence was execution by being burned at the stake, a brutal punishment reserved by the medieval church for unrepentant heretics. On May 30, 1431, she was tied to a pillar in the old marketplace of Rouen. As the flames were lit, she requested a crucifix to be held before her eyes and loudly called out the name of Jesus until her death, a final display of faith that reportedly moved many in the watching crowd to tears.
From Quiz: An Interview with Joan of Arc
Answer: the English and the Hussites
Although Joan of Arc was illiterate she dictated letters through scribes. Her unsteady signature indicates that she had just learned to sign her name. She threatened war against both the English and the Hussites.
From Quiz: Joan of Arc
Answer: It was officially overturned and declared null
In 1456, a formal retrial known as the Trial of Nullification was opened by Pope Callixtus III at the request of Joan's surviving mother, Isabelle Romée, and the French grand inquisitor. With the Hundred Years' War finally winding down and the English driven out of most of France, King Charles VII wanted to permanently clear his own name of any association with a convicted heretic.
Church officials re-examined the transcripts of the original 1431 trial, interviewed over a hundred living witnesses who had known Joan, and investigated the corrupt judges who had condemned her. The Pope officially declared the original trial full of fraud, deceit, and legal errors, completely overturning her conviction and declaring Joan entirely innocent. She was proclaimed a martyr who had been wrongfully executed, restoring her honor after a quarter of a century.
From Quiz: An Interview with Joan of Arc
Answer: French Revolution
Unfortunately, during the French Revolution many of the remaining relics that were connected to Joan of Arc were destroyed by revolutionaries. Joan was forever connected to the Roman Catholic Church, and the revolution was not only anti-government, but anti-religion as well. The banner, which she had stated during her trial was her favorite possession, was burned. Another relic connected to Joan of Arc that was burned at the time was a hat that Joan had worn and given to Charlotte Boucher, the young daughter of a family with whom she had stayed in Orleans. The revolutionary government even banned the annual celebration at Orleans that had been held to honor Joan and melted down a statue of The Maid in order to construct a cannon. Napoleon, realizing that Joan was a popular heroine, lifted the ban and also had coins made with her image.
From Quiz: The Canonization of The Maid
Answer: Rouen
The city in which Joan was burned at the stake is the site of the museum for France's patron saint.
From Quiz: In the Footsteps of Joan of Arc
Answer: the Milanese style of manufacture
National styles of armor began to emerge during the early fifteenth century. The dominant movements were German and Italian. France had no national style of its own. German armor was decorative and lightweight. Milanese "white armor" had unadorned surfaces and better joint protection.
From Quiz: Joan of Arc
Answer: Officially canonized as a Saint
On May 16, 1920, Pope Benedict XV officially canonized Joan of Arc as a Saint during a grand ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, attended by over 30,000 people. While the French public had revered her as a national hero and a symbol of patriotic courage for centuries, the official journey to sainthood took nearly half a millennium due to the complex politics surrounding her original trial.
To achieve canonization, the Church meticulously reviewed her life and verified the required miracles attributed to her intercession. Today, Saint Joan of Arc is recognized globally as the patron saint of soldiers, captives, and France. Her transition from a condemned heretic to an officially recognized saint remains one of the most amazing reversals of honor in world history.
From Quiz: An Interview with Joan of Arc
Answer: Agincourt
Henry V's revolutionary use of the longbow might have gained him all of France if he had survived a few years more.
From Quiz: Joan of Arc
Answer: one year
Her career was remarkably brief.
From Quiz: Joan of Arc
Answer: Bishop Cauchon
He was the same bishop who gave The Dauphin Charles spiritual advice.
From Quiz: An Interview with Joan of Arc
