Did Joan of Arc die from burns or smoke inhalation?

Answer 1

Joan was, of course, burned at the stake. The executioner warned that the wood was piled very high, so that he would not be able, as was customary, to strangle her before the flames actually reached her; and that the wood was very dry, so that there would be very little smoke. Normally, the smoke served to conceal the strangling, and also ensured that the victim died of asphyxiation before the flames actually reached her. heat stroke could cause unconsciousness, but probably not in time to save the victim pain. Joan probably died of shock within a minute of the flames reaching her body, but in any case it can't have been much fun.

Hey wait a minute!

In August 2002 I came up with the idea of Joan having died from heat stroke.

These records contain nothing about the executioner saying the wood was piled high. Nor is there anything about his not being able to strangle her before the flames reached her. Nor is there anything about the wood being dry. Nor is there anything about the presence or lack of smoke. These are all fabrications dreamed up out of thin air and promulgated from one website to another, forever it seems.

Furthermore, if somebody is unconscious there is no pain.

What the records do reveal is that Joan was speaking in a clear voice right up to her last conscious moment. But this would be impossible if she were burning.

The two views above appear incompatible, but they are not. In the absence of smoke, Joan's loss of consciousness would indeed be caused by heat stroke. She would still die of shock within a minute of the flames reaching her; consciousness is not necessary for shock. And the fact that she was speaking clearly up to that point demonstrates that she was not strangled. If the wood had been damp, the smoke would have prevented her speaking - and prevented the witnesses from seeing her. I think we're both right.

Answer 2

Since no autopsy could be performed on her body we can only assume that Joan died of asphyxiation/smoke inhalation before her body was consumed by flames.