JOAN, Pope, mythical female Pope, sup posed to have occupied the papal' chair in the guise of a man as Pope John VIII, 855-58. As there was no interregnum between Pope Leo IV, 847-55 and Pope Benedict III, 855-58, the story is undoubtedly pure fable; and moreover no mention is made of the supposed popess until the middle of the 13th century, contem porary history being entirely silent on the mat ter. The legend runs that Joan was of English descent but born at Ingelheim or Mainz, and that she loved a Benedictine monk with whom she fled to Athens disguised as a man. She attained great learning and after the death of her lover went to Rome, still in male attire, rose to be cardinal and finally was elected Pope. She died in childbirth during a papal proces sion, one legend having it that in a vision she was given choice between temporal disgrace and eternal punishment. The story was widely current from the 13th to the 17th centuries and was first definitely refuted by a French Calvin ist, David Blondel, in 'Eclaircissement de la question si une femme a etc assise au siege papal de Rome> (1647) and in 'Dc Joanna Papissa> (1657). These volumes were ably supplemented by Johann Dollinger,'Papstfabeln des Mittelalters' (1863; Eng. trans., 1872).
JOAN (jo-In or jon) OF ARC (JenxNE o'Axc), the Maid of Orleans, heroine of France: b. Domremy, Basse Lorraine, now department of the Vosges, 6 Jan. 1412; d. Rouen, 30 May 1431. While $he was still a girl she began to be deeply affected by the woes of her country, much of which was conquered by the English and their Burgundian allies, leaving only small portion to the French king, Charles VII. From about 13 she declared she heard heavenly voices, which at last became very definite in their 'commands to go to the aid of Charles and liberate France. At first she was regarded as irhane, but eventually she found her way to the king and his councillors, and having per suaded them of her sincerity, received per mission to hasten with Dunois to the deliverance of Orleans. In a male dress, fully armed, she bore the swore and the sacred• banner, as the signal of victory, at the head of the army. The first enterprise was successful. \'Pith 10,000 men she marched from Blois, and on 29 April 1429 reached Orleans with supplies. By bold sallies, to which she animated the besieged, the English were forced from their intrenchments, and Suf folk abandoned the siege (8 May 1429). Other
successes followed; Charles entered Rheims in triumph; and at the anointing and coronation of the king, 17 July, Joan stood at his side. She then asked to be allowed to return home, but at the urgent request of King Charles, remained with the army. She was later less successful and failed to capture Paris. On 24 May 1430 she entered Compiegne, then besieged by the Burgundian, and on the same day, in a sally from the town, was taken prisoner. Subse quently she was delivered to the English, who, with the University of Paris and the bishop of Beauvais, demanded her execution as a sorce ress. She was taken to Rouen, and after a long mock-trial, accompanied with many shame ful circumstances, condemned to death. On submitting to the Church, however, and de claring her revelations to be the work of Satan, her punishment was commuted to perpetual im prisonment. But pretexts were soon found to treat her as a relapsed criminal, and as such she was burned at Rouen, and her ashes were thrown into the Seine. She died with un daunted fortitude. Her recantation is now doubted by some historians. Voltaire, in a notorious burlesque, 'La Pucelle,' Southey, Schiller and others have made her the subject of their verse. Schiller's drama, 'Die Jung frau von Orleans,' still remains the worthiest monument of her fame. A revision of the trial was later had at the instance of family, and she was declared innocent (1456). From 1875 the question of her canonization was dis cussed at Rome, in 1902 the was pronounced "venerable>' and she was beatified by Pius X, I1 April 1909.
Bibliography.—Bangs, M. R., ' Teanne d'Arc> (Boston 1910) ; Dunaud, 'Jeanne d'Arc' (Paris 1906) ; Fabre, 'Proses de rehabilitation de Jeanne d'Arc' (2 vols., ib. 1913) ; Fawcett, M. G., 'Five Famous French Women> (New York 1905); France, Anatole, 'Vie de Jeanne d'Arc' (Eng. trans., 2 vols., London 1909) ; Lang, Andrew, 'The Maid of France' (ib. 1908 ; Lanery d'Arc, Pierre, 'Le livre d'or de Jeanne d'Arc: Bibliographie raisonnee et analy (Paris 1894); Lowell, F. C., 'Joan of Arc) (Boston 1896); Luce, 'Jeanne d'Arc Domremy) (Paris 1887); Marin, 'Jeanne d'Arc, tacticien et strategists ) (4 vols., ib. 1891); Marty, de Jeanne d'Arc d'Apres les documents originaux) (ib. 1897); Oliphant, 'Jeanne d'Arc' (London 1896): 9uicherat, (Proces de Condamnation et rehabilitation de Jeanne d'Arc) (5 vols., Paris 1841-49).