Introduction and Context
This is a letter dictated by Joan of Arc threatening to lead a
crusading army against the Hussites, a religious / military faction in
Czechoslovakia considered "radical
Catholics" or "Proto-Protestants", being composed of the followers of the dissident theologian
Jan Hus plus various other groups with a common grievance
against the Church or the government of the Holy
Roman Empire. In the letter, Joan denounces their theology as a "mad and obscene
superstition", and threatens to add her own leadership to the
ongoing crusading efforts against them unless they, quote, "return to
the Catholic faith and the original Light".
Ironically, the German Inquisitor Johannes Nider, working from badly muddled
information provided by pro-English partisans, would later cite
this letter among his collection of allegations - perhaps the first and
only time that someone's crusading zeal against
heretics would be included among such a list.
On a final contextual note: some people have been shocked by the
violent threats against the Hussites contained in this letter, but it
needs to be remembered that - as with her efforts against the English -
she was responding to an existing state of war being waged by her
opponents. She specifically refers to their attacks on churches and
monasteries, and it may not be coincidence that the letter
was sent out following a particularly vicious campaign by
the Hussites which had devastated significant areas in
Silesia, Hungary, Lusatia, Meissen, and Saxony - precisely the sort
of campaign against civilians which always upset her. This is the
setting for the threats of violence.
The Text
The original version of the letter was translated into Latin
by her scribe and confessor, Jean Pasquerel, since Latin was the most convenient
means of communicating with the Hussites (who, unlike the English
commanders, spoke little or no French), which is why
Pasquerel's name appears at the bottom of the letter - as in fact was
frequently done in that era when a scribe recorded a letter dictated by someone
else.
Such translation would account for the linguistic style:
while the views expressed in the letter are consistent with what
we know of Joan's opinions, and some of her distinctive manners of
speech are also in evidence, the occasional difference in style is
an expected consequence of the
conversion out of French; whereas the other letters were frequently recorded
directly in her rural Barrois/Lorraine dialect. [click here for an article on these issues].
An English translation is below, with notes and commentary on
the right; a transcription of the original language is also available.
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