圣女贞德——农村少女、法兰西民族英雄和天主教圣女Joan of Arc: Village Girl, French Heroine, Catholic Saint

This session is about one of the most famous figures in world history: Joan of Arc. An illiterate village girl and a devout Catholic, guided by the voice of God, she helped the Dauphin of France take the throne, led France directly to victory over England and inspired the French struggle for national independence, only to fall into enemy hands and die a martyr at just nineteen. Whether as a Catholic, as a French person, as a woman or as a military commander, she stands as a model and a legend. Questions to spark interest: - What was Joan of Arc's background and where did she come from? - What exactly did the voice of God that Joan heard tell her? - Why was Joan of Arc sentenced to burn at the stake? How did she defend herself? How was she later rehabilitated and canonised? - How does the Catholic process of canonisation work? - How do the French see Joan of Arc today? Questions for discussion: - How has French identity changed over time? - How has the verdict on Joan of Arc changed across different historical eras? How do the left and the right see her differently? - How good a military leader was Joan of Arc, really? - How does Joan of Arc compare with Vietnam's Trưng Sisters and Britain's Celtic queen Boudica? - How is Joan of Arc portrayed in anime, comics and games?