Joan of Arc Remembered, Paris

Across from the Tuileries Gardens and located in front of the Hotel Regina stands a beautiful golden hued statue of Jeanne d' Arc (Joan of Arc). This statue is by Edward Fremiet and it shows the patron saint on horseback. At age 17 she was given authority to lead the French army against the British. Unfortunately she was condemned as a heretic and was executed. The statue is very impessive not only because of its size but also because of the shine.

Born in Domremy/Champagne in 1412, Jeanne d'Arc claimed she had a divine mission from God to expel the English from France. In 1429 French troops defeated the English at Patay near Orléans after been rallied by the 17 year old Joan of Arc. In 1430 she was handed over to the English who had her condemned by the church as a heretic. After being found guilty at the condemnation trial in 1431, France's heroin was burnt at the stake in Rouen.

The cult of Joan of Arc is an extraordinary myth, based around a revolutionary "Child of the people" , saviour of the monarchy and of the divine order, patriot betrayed by the church's elite.

In the Name of God, She Died

No sign of fear did flicker,
Her faith held her brave heart.
The flames were lit, as her heart was broken
with a cross within her, looking up to the sky.
In the name of God, she died.
...She bravely fought
Like a thousand arrows they struck her heart
Frightened for a truth, yet far from their comprehension;
Hate was the assassin, ignorance was the weapon
..."save me your speeches, I know...
You'll kill me for sure.
What you want you will take away from me,
Take it and I know for sure,
The light God once brought in is gone forever more"...
Too late, and hopeless, they cried,
Lost in the light that her misty soul brought,
Widely it covered the land,
And vanished forever in time.
After they fell in new horror,
Sadness reign,
And spilled the first tears.
When the sweet Saint was slain...
...but even in silence,
Some heard the words:
"an oath thou shall swear
In the Name of God, 'till the world ends."
..."Oh, Jesus, my Lord, hold me in Thy hands,
Take away this pain,
Caused not by the flames,
But by the fear of a broken heart"...
And so her heart was safe,
And the pain flew away...
In a last whisper, she cried,
"Thank you, my Lord,
Now let me die,
Let me rest at last,
Let my soul fly high,
Straight to your arms..."
...In the name of God, she died...

Lestatreb

Equestrian statue. Originally ommissioned in 1874 by Napoleon III; this is a revised version of the statue Frémiet made at that time.

Beautiful golden statue of Joan of Arc, who's almost like a godess for many French ones.

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Most (if not all) churches have a statue of St Joan of Arc. They are all very beautiful, and make you stop and reflect on the struggle the French people went through to create the France of today.