Joan of Arc was thought to have been born around 1412. She was born in a village referred to as Domremy. Her father was a man who owned land. He was a farmer by trade but he also worked part-time. His part-time work included collecting taxes.
The family lived in an isolated area of the countryside. They lived in the northeastern territory and they were among the people who remained respectful as well as loyal to the French crown.
Joan of Arc had what she and others would later refer to as "visions". She was noted for stating at her trial that her visions began when she was seven years old. She was only twelve when in addition to the visions, the voices began as well. She even remarked as feeling sad when the visions would leave her.
Joan of Arc impressed Charles VII. However, he wanted her morality verified. Soon after, she took up arms. Immediately, she demonstrated leadership skills. After taking up arms to defend an English and Burgundian siege, there was a lot of commotion that would soon lead to her capture. She would stand trial for heresy.
At her trial for heresy, the intelligence the woman possessed became noticed by others. The onlookers couldn’t help but notice that she was able to speak with a sound mind using the eloquent speech of someone much smarter than most women her age.
Joan believed that the visions that she had were signs of sorts. She felt that it was her duty to help her English homeland recover from the Hundred Years War. She became a 15th century France heroine. However, on May 30, 1431, Joan of Arc was executed. She was nineteen years old.
As history has shown the life of Joan of Arc, some speculation has been made about her mental state. It is believed that she possibly had psychological problems or a mental illness which could’ve been the root of what inspired her "visions".
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