What about Joan? A fierce woman in combat? Medieval gender bender? Sandra Miesel has the inside scoop on Joan of Arc

Women's Quarterly, Wntr, 2002 by Sandra Miesel

Joan's "cross-dressing" has been variously interpreted. Past times saw her embodying the ancient notion of the virile woman who transcends the weakness of her sex, or an allegorical Virtue come to life, or else a valiant Amazon. Women in men's clothing otherwise seemed to violate biblical injunctions. Joan's assumption of male garb has been defended as simple practicality. She couldn't have fought in skirts (although later artists primly added them under the armor).

BUT THIS ISN'T a sufficient explanation. Joan clung to men's clothing in stubborn loyalty to her voices, which she said decreed her dress. She wore masculine attire off-duty, even when ordered to change; the doublet was her uniform. It would also be her doom.

Warner and Gordon offer fashionable feminist theories on gender bending. Warner says that male garments let Joan abrogate the destiny of womankind. She applauds Joan for androgyny, for proclaiming herself "not-female," but regrets that this took the for of "privileging" male attire, "accepting their appearance in order to usurp their function." Warner also sees wearing men's clothes as Joan's refusal to grow up and accept adult sexuality.

To Gordon, Joan was "a boy girl on horseback," one who simply had a strong desire to wear men's clothes--as though her mission was to let secret impulses our of the closer. Her shocking attire was the sign of her self hood.

Warner rejects the rumor that Joan was a lesbian, but Gordon intimates that because Joan preferred to have young women rather than old in her chamber, this might have been the case. Although Joan never concealed her sex, Warner and Gordon offer irrelevant digressions on legendary female saints who did, passing for male to escape female weakness and becoming monks. Hasn't anyone besides me noticed the flavor of masquerade and carnivalesque fantasy in Joan's behavior? Analogies are to be sought among costumers and historical reenacrors, not bisexuals in tuxes. Joan relished the costumes her role required, but role-playing it was, with battle comrades for playmates.

As might be expected, Joan has not escaped the attentions of the anorexia lobby. Indeed, Joan's light eating and possible absence of menstruation suggests anorexia to Warner. But Joan wasn't really an ascetic. She avoided the extremes of rigorous fasting or peasant guzzling, following instead the correct knightly behavior. Manuals of chivalry exhorted the ideal man of arms to be temperate to preserve the fighting edge.

JOAN OF ARC was one of history's early women in combat. But was she a great warrior? In the theater of war, Joan's part was more standard-bearer than general. Military historians of the Hundred Years' War tend to discount her abilities as a commander. But she did see that morale, discipline, and seizing the initiative were vital elements in warfare. She banned swearing and camp followers and enjoined piety

Joan herself was only violent in the abstract: She testified that she'd never killed anyone. Pitying casualties, she'd have preferred her enemies to surrender and withdraw. But her emergence in the public arena and early victories did change the psychological balance of the conflict. For the first time in decades, the French believed that they could win.