L’histoire de la vraie Jeanne la Pucelle, du Moyen Âge à Matéi Visniec

Abstract

This essay focuses on Joan of Arc, a fifteenth-century figure that has since become part of global collective consciousness. Situated between history and myth, she can only be completely defined by her thaumaturgic aspect, resisting rational explanation. Symbol and prolific source of adoration, controversy, and diverse artistic renderings, the Maid of Orléans has also inspired a play by Matéi Visniec (2009), which delivers a contemporary interpretation of her story. Finding herself in the antagonistic position of both combatant and victim, once the commander of Charles VII’s army and the symbol of French liberation, the young woman has now become a brand for vinegar, mustard, pain d’épices, chicory, Camembert or Coulommiers cheese. Questions arise with respect to the claim made by Matéi Visniec’s heroine that she is the true Joan of Arc and the miracle.