Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Are there any relics of Joan of Arc?










Anonymous said...

You should put up La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc by Dreyer among your "non-soulendagering movies." I do hope, and believe, you've seen it, but if otherwise what are you waiting for?

Angelicbob said...

I second what Anonymous said!

happyhockeymom said...

Other than Mark Twain's book, what other books and reading do you recommend for someone who knows very little of this Saint or the historical circumstances of the time?

BONIFACE said...

I don't have a non soul endangering movie list, but I should...I have not seen the film. I probably should!

Hockeymom - I have only seen a few books on Joan - most of them tend to make her into a proto-feminist; I'm sure there are older ones that are good, but I can't think of any off the top of my head. Twain's book is actually the best I have ever read, though it is written as a novel, it is very historically accurate.

Anonymous said...

Wow, so you haven't seen it? Well aren't you in for a ride. I'm almost getting giddy all over of happiness for you. I wish I could relive seeing it again for the first time. Don't forget to tell us what you thought of it!

Tminusfun said...

Thank you for this wonderful post.

Most of the books written about St. Joan either paint her as some sort of proto-feminist, or-finding her testimony to the power of God in history unpalatable to their modernist palate-simply smudge history with their own favoured brand of revisionism until the brave, pius, and naturally intelligent Figure of the historical Joan is blurred into a naive peasant girl with a sword and a death wish.

I would really suggest reading the trial transcripts found in Regine Pernoud's "Joan of Arc: By Herself And Her Witnesses". Dr. Pernoud had written several books about St. Joan, three of them are available in English. I recommend them all.

Joan wasn't afraid of her inquisitors, and her answers to their questions, intended to trick her into confessing heresy, reveal just how clever, brash, and even funny she was.

When asked if she knew of any Burgundians in her home village,she said with a note of dark humour: "I knew only one Burgundian there and I could have wished his head cut off - however, only if it pleased God."

It's amazing how a simple, genuine faith can so easily demolish the convoluted sophism of those learned men who with to twist knowledge for their own gain, and how delightful it is to read the words of a headstrong saint see so easily through their traps.

Other great books include:
-Joan of Arc: A Spiritual Biography by Siobhan Nash-Marshall
-Hillaire Belloc's "Joan of Arc"
-John Beever's "Saint Joan of Arc"
-"Joan of Arc: The Warrior Saint" by Stephen W Richley in which a former U.S. Army officer favourably critiques Joan's skills as a field commander

Steve said...

"There is the Blessed Virgin, Joan, and then everybody else." Amen.

As far as movies go, there is only one that makes Joan "live" and that is Joan the Maid - The Battles / The Prisons by Jaques Rivette

Anonymous said...

This is one of the greatest tragedies in terms of Relics.

What makes this an even more bitter pill to swallow, however, is that the Joan was able to save France from conquest by the English through her efforts (I know it took a few decades after her death for France to completely kick the English out of their country but it would never have happened if it wasn't for Joan). She could have easily be seen a figure of French nationalism so you would think the Revolutionaries would try to save the relics associated with Joan.

The fact that they instead destroyed those relics is just sickening.

Anonymous said...

So many... are so wrong. There are existing relics of Blessed Joan but they are protected as while true, that over the centuries- many evil persons have destroyed what they could- but far from all. There are ( and rightfully protected and hidden ) relics such as locks of hair from when Jehanne cut her hair off. Her hair was to mid back length, dark and thick. Many of the locks do exist but in these times it is not safe to bring such things into the open.

Knight of Jehanne said...

Recently, Jehanne's ring was auctioned in the U.K. and returned to France. Then, the British tried to get it back under the pretense that it was 'exported illegally' to which the French replied, "Come and get it!" The ring unfortunately was purchased by the largest amusement center and is displayed for money. As the creator of this blog has expressed such dedication and understanding, if not out right love for Jehanne, you and those who have faith can go here to see that there are other relics that have been protected, that there is ongoing communication with certain persons in France to have them returned to a very Holy, Sacred place which Jehanne loved.