JOHANNA D'ARC
by Zacharias Topelius · from Lukemisia lapsille 5
Adapted Version
Once, a kind girl named Joan lived. She lived in a quiet, green valley. She cared for her sheep each day. She was very gentle and kind.
One day, bad people came. They made trouble for all. Joan prayed to God for help. She prayed many times each day.
God heard her prayers. He made her brave. He gave her a strong heart. She would help her people now.
Joan became a leader for her land. She wanted to stop the bad people. She wanted to set her people free.
When Joan came, the bad soldiers ran. They were afraid of her. Their strong walls fell down.
All heard about Joan. They talked about her brave deeds. Her name was known in all places.
Joan helped her country be free. She saved the king. Her people were happy and safe.
Joan only wanted to thank God. She wanted to go home to her sheep. She did not want a prize.
After the fight, the bad people caught her. The people did not help her. She was all alone.
The bad people were very mean to her. But Joan stayed brave. She prayed to God. Then she became a bright star.
Some people said bad things about her. It was not true. It was very unfair.
But people kept Joan in their hearts. They told her story to their children. She inspired many people.
The bad people were forgotten. No one kept their names.
Joan shows us true heroes stay in hearts. Being good and brave makes you a hero.
Original Story
JOHANNA D'ARC.
Sä kasvoit hiljaisissa laaksoloissa
Rypälten jaloin kotiseutuvilla;
Saleissa metsän elit korkeoissa,
Kirkasten lähtehitten rantamilla.
Sä olit paimentyttö köyhä, kaino,
Et tiennyt mailman suurten taistelusta. —
Kun maatas kohtas vieraan sorto, vaino,
Lähetit ylös monta rukousta.
Ja Herra, joka syöksee koroitetun,
Voimansa käsin nöyrän nousta antaa,
Sun uskos näki, löys sun unohdetun,
Soi sulle voimaa sotisopaa kantaa.
Näin saavuit Israelin Deboorana
Sä hennoin käsivarsin kaatamahan
Ne, jotka mailmassa on mahtavana,
Siteitä sorrettujen ratkomahan.
Kun saavuit, hajaantui kuin tomupilvet
Jokainen joukko voitollinen, suuri;
Sä särjit vaunut, kypärät ja kilvet,
Eteesi murtui mahtavakin muuri.
Kuin raekuuro lyöpi viljan hiekkaan,
Niin mainees löi, jos saavuit vaikka mihin.
Sua vastaan turhaan turvattihin miekkaan,
Ja turhaan sodan nuolet karaistihin.
Sun kansas vuoti vertä, suitsui maasi,
Vaan jaksoi hädän, kuolon, kahleet voittaa.
Kun olit turva itse kuninkaasi,
Pyhäksi tahdottiin sua kunnioittaa.
Sä tahdoit kunnian vain Herrall' antaa.
Ainoinen halus oli käydä sotiin
Onneksi kurjan maasi, kalpaa kantaa,
Unohtua ja päästä jälleen kotiin.
Niin unohduit, kun hätä poistui maasta,
Työs täyttyi, päästit kädestäsi kalvan,
Vihollisesi sai sun vangiks raastaa
Ja polttaa lavalla kuin noidan halvan.
Ristissä käsin, kelpo lapsen tapaan,
Rukoilit, kun sun päivääs ilta seuras;
Liekeissä taivaasen lens' henkes vapaa,
Hurskaana, aivan syytön uhriteuras.
Ei hautaa sulla, tuhaks haihtui luistos,
Sai nimes, mainees häijyn herjauksen;
Vuos'satain halki säilyy toki muistos,
Vaan pyövelisi vaipuu unhotukseen.
Jos miss' on isänmaista harrastusta,
Jos missä käsi urhotöihin ryhtyy,
Johanna d'Arc, sä lisäät innostusta,
Uroihin kaikkihin sun voimaas yhtyy.
Suo, Herra, meille suuret ajatukset,
Kun käymme taisteluun; suo into pyhä;
Suo nöyrinä myös kestää kamppaukset;
Heikoissa väkevä Sä ollos yhä!
Story DNA
Moral
True heroism, born of faith and humility, will be remembered and inspire, even in the face of injustice and death.
Plot Summary
Johanna d'Arc, a humble shepherdess, prays for her oppressed homeland, and God grants her the strength to become a warrior. She leads her people to victory against powerful invaders, shattering their forces and securing her king's safety. Despite her desire for humility and to return home, she is captured by her enemies and unjustly burned at the stake as a witch. Though her body is destroyed and her name slandered, her memory endures through centuries, inspiring patriotism and courage, while her executioners are forgotten.
Themes
Emotional Arc
innocence to sacrifice to eternal inspiration
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This poem is a lyrical retelling of the historical figure Joan of Arc, emphasizing her divine calling, military success, and tragic martyrdom, filtered through a 19th-century romantic and nationalistic lens common in Finland during its period of Russian rule.
Plot Beats (13)
- Johanna d'Arc is a humble shepherdess from a peaceful valley.
- Her homeland is oppressed by foreign invaders, leading her to pray devoutly.
- God, recognizing her faith, empowers her to become a warrior.
- She emerges as a leader, likened to Deborah, to overthrow the powerful oppressors.
- Her arrival causes enemy armies to scatter and their fortifications to crumble.
- Her fame spreads as she defeats all who oppose her.
- She leads her people to victory, freeing her nation and securing her king.
- She desires only to give glory to God and return home after her mission.
- Once the threat is gone, she is forgotten and captured by her enemies.
- She is condemned and burned at the stake as a witch, praying humbly as she dies.
- Her physical remains are destroyed, and her reputation is initially slandered.
- Despite this, her memory endures for centuries, inspiring future generations.
- Her executioners, however, are forgotten by history.
Characters
Johanna d'Arc ★ protagonist
A slender yet resilient young woman, of average height for her era, with a humble and unassuming build that belies her inner strength. Her frame, though not overtly muscular, suggests a life of physical labor as a shepherdess. She carries herself with a quiet determination.
Attire: Initially, she wears the simple, coarse linen or wool garments of a 15th-century French peasant shepherdess: a long, practical tunic or kirtle, possibly an apron, and sturdy shoes or clogs. When she takes up arms, she dons a full suit of functional, unadorned plate armor, likely steel, over a padded gambeson, without excessive ornamentation, reflecting her humble origins and divine mission.
Wants: To liberate her homeland from foreign oppression, fulfill God's will, and then return to her simple life.
Flaw: Her unwavering faith and humility, while strengths, also make her vulnerable to betrayal and the machinations of worldly powers, as she seeks no personal glory.
Transforms from a humble shepherdess into a divinely appointed military leader who saves her nation, only to be betrayed, captured, and martyred, becoming a timeless symbol of patriotic sacrifice and faith.
Pious, courageous, humble, determined, self-sacrificing. She is driven by an unwavering faith and a deep love for her homeland.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young woman standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a slender but resilient build, with a tanned, earnest face, clear eyes, and natural light brown hair tied back simply. She wears a full suit of unadorned 15th-century French steel plate armor over a padded gambeson, with no excessive ornamentation. She holds a simple, functional longsword in her right hand, pointed downwards. Her posture is confident and determined, with a look of unwavering divine resolve. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Quiet Valleys of Domrémy
Gentle, silent valleys with vineyards, near clear springs and tall forest halls. This is Johanna's humble childhood home.
Mood: Peaceful, innocent, natural, humble
Johanna's childhood, where she lived as a humble shepherdess and prayed for her country.
Image Prompt & Upload
A serene, sun-dappled valley in the Lorraine region of France, with rows of grapevines stretching across gentle slopes. A winding path leads to a dense, ancient forest of oak and beech trees, their tall trunks forming natural 'halls'. A crystal-clear spring bubbles up from moss-covered rocks at the forest's edge, reflecting the soft blue sky. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Battlefield of France
A war-torn landscape where armies clash, mighty walls are broken, and the land bleeds. It is a place of great conflict and destruction.
Mood: Chaotic, violent, desperate, ultimately victorious
Johanna leads armies to victory, breaking enemy forces and fortifications, saving her country from oppression.
Image Prompt & Upload
A desolate, muddy battlefield in medieval France, littered with the debris of war: shattered wooden siege engines, broken lances, and discarded steel helmets. In the background, a section of a once-mighty stone castle wall shows a gaping breach, with rubble scattered at its base. The sky is overcast and heavy, casting a somber, muted light over the scene. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Execution Pyre in Rouen
A public execution platform, likely in a town square, where Johanna is burned as a witch. Flames consume her, and her spirit ascends.
Mood: Tragic, solemn, sacrificial, defiant
Johanna's unjust execution, where she prays with a cross in her hands as her life ends, and her spirit is freed.
Image Prompt & Upload
A towering wooden pyre constructed of rough-hewn timber and faggots, blazing fiercely in the center of a medieval town square in Rouen. Thick, dark smoke billows upwards against a twilight sky, tinged with the orange glow of the flames. The ground around the pyre is packed earth, and the faint outlines of half-timbered houses can be seen in the background, their windows dark. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
