The Journey of Joan of Arc Trivia Quiz

Answer: Domrémy

Joan of Arc, known as "The Maid of Orléans", was born during a very tubulent time. England and France were engaged in a long conflict called the Hundred Years War. Fought from 1337-1453 - yes, it was really the Hundred and Sixteen Years War - the conflict was long-running even before Joan's birth in 1412. When Charles IV of France died without male heirs, the English claimed the throne through his relative Edward III of England, who was Charles' nephew. Another first cousin of Charles, who became Philip VI, ruled uncontested for a time, but when he interfered in Edward's war with Scotland, Edward declared war on France to assert his claim to the throne. The war was characterized by bouts of fighting followed by truces.

Joan's birthplace of Domrémy was in a volatile location. On the one hand, it was in an area that was loyal to the French king; on the other hand, it was nearly surrounded by the Burgundians, loyal allies to England. Domrémy was raided from time to time, and burned at least once during the conflict. Joan's father was a farmer, as well as an official of the village, collecting taxes and fulfilling other tasks as well. It was in her father's garden where Joan received her first vision, sometime around the age of 13. We know that she was born in 1412 due to her trial testimony; she said that she was nineteen years old at the time. Today the village is called Domrémy-la-Pucelle, or "Domrémy of the maiden".

Answer: Vaucouleurs

When Joan was sixteen years old, a relative, presumably her uncle, was asked to take her to the nearby village of Vaucouleurs to meet with Sir Robert de Baudricourt, the leader of the garrison there. She needed his help to travel to the French Royal Court to seek an audience with the Dauphin. Sir Robert wasn't very kind to Joan, and sent her back home. Undeterred, she kept returning until she was able to forge a friendship with two of his men.

They helped arrange a meeting with Sir Robert, where Joan finally was able to convince him that she was the real deal - she told him about the outcome of the Battle of Rouvray several days before news reached Vaucouleurs. Sir Robert subsequently provided Joan with an escort to see the Dauphin. This is when it was determined that for safety reasons, Joan should dress as a man, a decision that would later come to haunt her during her trial when she was accused of cross-dressing.

Answer: Saint Catherine of Fierbois

Joan was known to have had three swords after becoming the figurehead leader of the French army. She was guided by her voices to find one of them in the village of Saint Catherine of Fierbois, behind an altar at the church of the same name. Another sword was given to her by Sir Robert de Baudricourt while she was at Vaucouleurs; it was also written that she had taken one from a Burgundian soldier.

There is really no record that indicates that Joan actually used any of the swords in battle. The sword from Saint Catherine of Fierbois was apparently broken and lost during the course of the war. Eager to retrieve the sword, the Inquisitors at her trial asked where it was. Joan replied that it had been lost and that her brothers had the rest of her belongings.

Answer: Chinon

The Dauphin had lost much of his territory by the time Joan gained an escort to travel to his Royal Court at Chinon. Even though he was in a desperate situation, it was difficult to convince Charles to see her - and - after finally agreeing to see Joan, Charles came up with the idea of disguising himself before she arrived.

When Joan easily found him in the midst of the crowd of people at court, Charles was still uncertain until she told him a secret that only he and God would know. A year before the Dauphin had prayed and "had asked God to aid him in his cause if he was the rightful heir to the throne, and to punish himself alone rather than his people if his sins were responsible for their suffering".

He had told no other person about the prayer, yet Joan knew about it.

He also liked what she had to say about his request - that he was the rightful claimant to the throne of France. After that Joan agreed to submit to a rigorous test in order to determine whether she was a heretic or divinely sent. Apparently Joan passed the test; she was assigned the position of a figurehead leader of the army, while the veteran French commanders maintained their positions of authority.

Answer: Orléans

Much has been written about Joan's lack of formal education, as well as her complete lack of military knowledge. She always said that she was guided by her voices. Her strategy was put to the test at her first battle at Orléans, which had been surrounded by the English on three sides.

After a diplomatic approach failed to accomplish her goal, Joan rode into battle carrying her banner, rallying her troops to a victory at the stockade at St. Loup on May 4, 1429; this was the first time The Maid was confronted with the horrors of war. On May 7 the battle for Les Tourelles took place and Joan was seriously wounded while trying to scale a ladder at the wall of the fortress.

After seeing her men demoralized as she was taken away for treatment, she prayed, got back on her horse, and rallied them once again.

The fortress was captured, and on May 8 the English left Orléans.

Answer: Reims

After the victory at Orléans, Joan convinced Charles to travel to Reims to be properly crowned. This journey could have been very perilous for the group, as the English still controlled the route. What happened was a bit of a miracle in itself. Called the "Bloodless March", the entire entourage traveled without threat of attack, taking every English town and fortress along the way without a fight or shedding of blood.

The Dauphin was crowned as Charles VII at Reims Cathedral on July 17, 1429.

It was written that Joan stood beside the king with her banner in her hand.

Answer: Paris

After Charles was crowned king, the warring countries agreed to a truce with the understanding that the English would surrender Paris within fifteen days. That did not happen; Joan and the army traveled there to lay siege to the city. It was there that she received a grave wound to the thigh, struck by a bolt from a crossbow. Even though she apparently was healed within five days, the French army was ordered to disband.

Answer: Compiègne

After leaving Paris, Joan stayed at a variety of royal residences as a supposed truce temporarily put an end to the fighting. She traveled to Compiègne, arriving on May 23, 1430, to find the city under siege by the English and their Burgundian allies. According to sources written at the time of her trial, Joan's voices had already told her during Easter Week that she would be taken prisoner before June 24, on St. John's Day.

She prayed that she would be killed, and would not have to suffer in prison.

When Joan went to the church to pray, she commented to a group of children outside that she had been betrayed. She had stayed with the rear guard of the army that was attacking the Burgundian camp north of Compiègne, and was pulled off her horse by a Burgundian archer when the rear guard was surrounded.

Answer: Beaurevoir

After hearing of the capture of Joan of Arc, Charles VII offered a ransom for her, which was declined. Other attempts to free her failed as well. She was kept prisoner at a castle in Beaurevoir for four months. Once she attempted to escape by jumping out of the tower, and she was moved to the town of Arras. Finally the English and Burgundians agreed to the price of 10,000 livres tournois, and Joan was sold to the English.

While it is very difficult to convert medieval monetary values to today's currency, some sources estimate the amount to have been about $40,000. For a time she was imprisoned at Crotoy; however, Joan was eventually taken to the seat of the English occupation government.

Answer: Rouen

Joan was eventually taken to the seat of the English occupation government, which was located at Rouen. With a charge of heresy against her, Joan was to be tried in a church court that was overseen by Bishop Cauchon. She should have been entitled to stay in a church prison guarded by nuns; she was, instead, kept in a military prison guarded by English soldiers.

In the well-documented trial, Joan was not only accused of witchcraft, but also of cross-dressing. Of course, the trial was a total sham; Joan had done nothing wrong in the first place and very eloquently defended herself against all accusations. On May 24, 1431, Joan was taken to a scaffold and told she would be burned at the stake unless she renounced her visions and agreed to wear women's clothing. Even though she agreed to do so, four days later she recanted her renunciation, was accused of relapsing to heresy, and was burned at the stake on May 30.

Her ashes were collected and thrown in the Seine.