Joan of Arc’s sword, according to legend, was originally discovered in the Chapelle de Ste-Catherine-de-Fierbois by some soldiers sent to find it by Joan herself.

Few people really believe that the original Sword of Defiance survived to adorn the bronze statue of Joan in armour outside Reims cathedral but a succession of replicas have been stolen four times in four years. The latest was returned by a local psychiatrist, who found it under his consulting couch, a fair indication, some might feel, of the mental state of the miscreants.

Reims council, after spending 20,000 Euros on replacements, has vowed to leave Joan’s statue defenceless if her sword disappears again.

From our October 2006 e-newsletter