Joan of Arc rose from peasant origins to lead French forces during the Hundred Years' War. She reported divine voices that directed her decisions and inspired followers. Capture by enemy forces led to a trial for heresy and execution by burning. A later retrial overturned the heresy verdict and contributed to eventual canonization. Joan's multifaceted identity has been contested and reinterpreted across centuries, appearing as martyr, national symbol, military leader, and religious figure. The circumstances of her voice, trial, death, and posthumous rehabilitation continue to shape cultural memory and historical scholarship.
Maid, hero, heretic, saint - Joan of Arc is one of the most fascinating figures of the Middle Ages. This week, Danièle speaks with Deborah McGrady about Joan's incredible life and death, her voice, and her complex and enduring legacy. Deborah McGrady is Professor of French at the University of Virginia and Director of the Medieval Studies Program. Her new book is Joan of Arc: The Life of a French Cultural Icon.
The creator and host of The Medieval Podcast is Danièle Cybulskie. Click here to visit her website or follow her on BlueSky @5minmedievalist.bsky.social You can subscribe to The Medieval Podcast via
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