Why Some Believe Joan Of Arc Was A Witch

The 19-year-old Joan of Arc was executed on May 30, 1431. Per Saint Joan of Arc Center, Virginia Frohlick, author of "The Lost Chronicles, The Story Of Joan of Arc," said that the warrior's heart survived the intense flames intact, as did her intestines. Was this a sign of her great piety and righteousness? Church in History suggests that the court that tried her was entirely biased and wanted Joan removed for political reasons rather than for any religious transgression. Live Science states that the holy voices Joan claimed to have heard, saints she claimed to have seen, and seizures she experienced could have been a result of epilepsy (idiopathic partial epilepsy can cause hallucinations). Whatever the truth may be, the facts remain: Joan was retried in 1456, cleared of all charges, and dubbed a martyr, per Biography. 

Witchcraft was just one of these charges (of which there were 70, according to Culture Trip). Perhaps a fear among her enemies that her "divine" calling had more demonic origins played a part, but her wearing of men's clothing and her seemingly supernatural influence surely did too. Heresy and witchcraft frequently collided in the medieval period, and this was very convenient for those who wanted to discredit and ultimately remove Joan from the picture.

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