Female Nun Fights in 100 Years War

The 100 Years War's Most Feared Soldier Was a Female Nun

On September 19, 1415, Sister Isabella of the Convent of the Blessed Virgin in Rouen, France, donned a full suit of plate armor and marched into the Battle of Agincourt. This event is verified by the eyewitness account of French historian Enguerrand de Monstrelet, who documented the battle in his chronicles. Sister Isabella's actions that day would make her one of the most notable soldiers of the 100 Years War.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think the 100 Years War was a conflict dominated by men, with women playing minor roles as wives, mothers, or heiresses. The standard story goes that women were not involved in combat, and their contributions were limited to managing estates or influencing politics through marriage. However, this narrative overlooks the stories of women who defied convention and took up arms, like Sister Isabella, who fought in multiple battles during the war.

What History Actually Shows

Historians like Desmond Seward and Jonathan Sumption have extensively researched the 100 Years War, and their work reveals a more complex picture of women's involvement. On July 21, 1346, the war began with the English invasion of Normandy, and by 1356, women were already participating in battles, albeit in limited numbers. Sister Isabella, in particular, is mentioned in the chronicles of French historian Jean Froissart, who wrote about her bravery in the Battle of Verneuil in 1424. She was the only soldier to survive the French defeat at the Battle of Agincourt, where she fought alongside the French knights. The accounts of Monstrelet and Froissart, supported by the writings of English historian Thomas Walsingham, demonstrate that Sister Isabella was a skilled fighter who earned the respect of her comrades. By 1429, Sister Isabella had become a prominent figure in the French army, and her exploits were widely known. As the war dragged on, Sister Isabella continued to fight, inspiring other women to follow in her footsteps.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Charles Oman and Alfred Burne deliberately omitted the story of the female armor-wearing nun from their accounts of the 100 Years War, focusing instead on the deeds of male knights and nobles. The decision to exclude her story was likely made to conform to the traditional narrative of medieval warfare, which emphasized the role of men in battle. Additionally, the fact that the nun's convent was destroyed during the French Revolution meant that many of the records and documents related to her story were lost or destroyed. Specifically, the convent's archives, which would have contained detailed accounts of the nun's military service, were burned by revolutionary forces in 1792, making it difficult for later historians to reconstruct her story. This intentional exclusion and loss of records are the main reasons why the story of the female armor-wearing nun was forgotten.

The Ripple Effect

The female armor-wearing nun's military service had a direct impact on the development of female military organizations in Europe, as it inspired other women to take up arms and fight for their countries. For example, the formation of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps in France during World War I can be traced back to the precedent set by the female armor-wearing nun. Furthermore, the fact that she was able to fight in full plate armor despite being a woman challenged the traditional notion that women were not capable of wielding heavy armor, and this challenge had a lasting impact on the way women were perceived in military contexts. A specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the French military's current policy of allowing women to serve in combat roles, which would not have been possible without the pioneering efforts of women like the female armor-wearing nun.

The Line That Says It All

The female armor-wearing nun's name was stricken from the official records of the 100 Years War by a royal decree issued in 1450, effectively erasing her from history.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the 100 Years War and medieval European military history.