Jeanne de Sarmaize (fl. 1456)

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Jeanne de Sarmaize (fl. 1456)

Impersonator of Joan of Arc. Name variations: Jeanne of Sarmaize; Joan, the Maid of Sarmaize. Flourished in 1456 in France; real name unknown.

Jeanne de Sarmaize was one of several French women who claimed to be Joan of Arc following the real Joan's death in 1431. Jeanne, whose real name is unknown, was a young peasant woman from the small town of Sarmaize, who must have seen Joan of Arc's continuing popularity as an opportunity to gain a better life. Like the real Joan, Jeanne wore men's clothing; many French people, including a few who had actually known Joan, believed she was truly the reincarnation of their heroine, and some believers even accompanied Jeanne as she traveled across France. Jeanne disappears from the records after 1456.

Laura York , Riverside, California

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Jeanne de Sarmaize (fl. 1456)

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