Not a Fad: A Trans History Lesson

Chapter 10: Jeanne D'Arc (15th Century)

No book on medieval gender transgressions would be complete without a discussion about Jeanne D'Arc (aka Joan of Arc): the girl who wore men's clothing and led a French army against the English.

Both a French heroine and a popular Catholic saint, Jeanne D'Arc has captivated many an imagination. As such, there have been extensive research articles, books, and movies dedicated to an analysis of her life. This chapter will but scratch the surface on what makes her so special.

Every cross-dressing story in this book so far has centered on an AFAB person who presents themselves as male in either a reaction to a personal crisis, or out of a sense of familial obligation.  While dressing as men, these women hid their female identity, and conformed the best they could to the expected gender role of a man.  Jeanne D'Arc is the one glaring exception to this rule.

Jeanne D'Arc was born to a peasant family in north-east France in 1412 CE. France and England were in the midst of fighting the Hundreds Year War. She claimed to have visions of the Archangel Michael telling her to fight for France's Charles VII. She was able to gain an audience with the yet-to-be-crowned king and impressed him enough to be given military command. She is credited with leading several victories that helped to boost French morale. She did all this while being a girl dressed as a boy.

When Jeanne donned male attire and a sword, she did so without ever hiding the fact that she was actually female.  It can be argued that her lack of shame in her cross-dressing, and her blatant disregard for traditional gender roles, is what signed her death warrant. 

In 1431 CE Jeanne was captured, handed over to the English, and put on trial. After her original interrogation, Jeanne agreed to return to wearing female clothes, and was sentenced to life in prison.  However, a few days later she reverted to wearing male clothes.

Upon hearing the news of Jeanne's reversion to cross-dressing, two judges came to visit her in her jail cell. They found her in a man's robe and hood. The judges reminded her that she had sworn to not to wear male clothing, "to which she replied that she had never intended to take an oath not to take man's dress again" (trans. Scott 169).  They continued to ask her why she had returned to male dress, and eventually she replied that, "it seemed more suitable and convenient to wear man's dress being with men, than to wear a woman's dress" (trans. Scott 169).  She followed that statement by saying that the church had not fulfilled their promise of allowing her to go to mass, and therefore she did not feel obligated to uphold her oath.  Her line of argument is not logical.  She first denies taking an oath, and then offers excuses for breaking that same oath.  Jeanne also recanted her previous confessions, and was over-all uncooperative.  Because she was found to be in lapse, Jeanne was executed two days later. 

Jeanne's crime of cross-dressing did not alone sentence her to death, but this outward sign of her refusal to conform can be seen as a significant factor in her final demise.

Jeanne's flagrant disregard for gender roles, and her outright refusal to stay in her proper place, is what separates her from all the other examples of female cross-dressers found from the Middle Ages.  While neither the church nor the state officially sanctioned cross-dressing, it was understood that under certain extreme circumstances a woman might need to pass as a man to either ensure her own safety, or to become closer to God. Jeanne didn't "pass" as a man; her gender identity and presentation was more complex.