''Papyrus'' is a Belgian comic book series, written and illustrated by

Lucien De Gieter Lucien is a male given name. It is the French form of Luciano or Latin ''Lucianus'', patronymic of Lucius. Lucien, Saint Lucien, or Saint-Lucien may also refer to: People Given name * Lucien of Beauvais, Christian saint *Lucien, a band member ...

. The story takes place in Ancient Egypt. It was first published in 1974 in '' Spirou'' magazine in the form of episodes. An animated series was created in 1998 that was two seasons long (52 episodes) and shown on

TFOU TV Foot School TV (formerly TFOU TV) was a French television channel. It was originally launched as TFOU TV by TF1 on 23 April 2003, and was available on multichannel television platforms like TPS, Orange TV OTV ( ar, أو تي في, launch ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and in

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

Radio-Canada The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...

. It is airing in 2016 on

Unis UNIS or Unis may refer to: *Union of Nigerien Independents and Sympathisers, a defunct political party in Niger *Unis, a new religious movement founded in the 1960s, based on the teachings of George Gurdjieff *UniS, the corporate logo of the Univer ...

. In 2000 a video game was made for

Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same ...

developed by

Dupuis Éditions Dupuis S.A. () is a Belgium, Belgian publisher of comic albums and magazines. Based in Marcinelle near Charleroi, Dupuis was founded in 1922 by Jean Dupuis, and is mostly famous for its comic comics album, albums and magazines. It is ...

and published by

Ubisoft Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Assassin's Creed'', ''Far Cry'', '' ...

Plot

In the beginning,

Horus Horus or Heru, Hor, Har in Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as god of kingship and the sky. He was worshipped from at least the late prehistoric Egypt until the P ...

the falcon god of light and

Set Set, The Set, SET or SETS may refer to: Science, technology, and mathematics Mathematics *Set (mathematics), a collection of elements *Category of sets, the category whose objects and morphisms are sets and total functions, respectively Electro ...

the god of evil fought to control Egypt. The council of the Gods decided, Set was sent to exile and Horus became the first pharaoh of Egypt. For two thousand years, pharaoh succeeded pharaoh. But Set had plotted his revenge, and deep inside his sinister black

Pyramid of Ombos The pyramid of Naqada, also called the pyramid of Ombos, is part of a group of seven very similar small step pyramids, which were all erected far from the major centres of Egypt and about which very little is known. It is located about 300 metres n ...

, Set imprisoned Horus in a magic sarcophagus. From then on, and no longer protected by the god Horus, Egypt was at the mercy of Set and his servant Aker. So the gods chose Papyrus, a young fisherman who must find the secret entrance to Ombos, free the god Horus and restore peace to Egypt.

Characters

Main characters

*Papyrus: originally a young fisherman, Papyrus is the hero of the comic, friend of the daughter of the

Pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: ''pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the an ...

, and possessor of a magic

sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...

which was given to him by the daughter of the god

Sobek Sobek (also called Sebek or Sobki, cop, Ⲥⲟⲩⲕ, Souk) was an ancient Egyptian deity with a complex and elastic history and nature. He is associated with the Nile crocodile or the West African crocodile and is represented either in its f ...

; in exchange, he must protect the princess Théti-Chéri from all danger. *Théti-Chéri: daughter of the pharaoh

Merenptah Merneptah or Merenptah (reigned July or August 1213 BC – May 2, 1203 BC) was the fourth pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. He ruled Egypt for almost ten years, from late July or early August 1213 BC until his death on May 2, 1 ...

, grand priestess of

Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...

, sacred dancer, and heiress to the throne of the Double Kingdom. While she can be haughty and stubborn, she cares very much for Papyrus.

Regular side characters

*The Goddess with the Resplendent Hair (''La Déesse au Cheveux Resplendissant''): Papyrus' patron deity, a lesser goddess and daughter of

. *Imhotep: a one-legged boy and apprentice to the architect Amenope who becomes a friend of Papyrus. *Pouin: a short, timid Bedouine dwarf. *Khamelot: Pouin's donkey, who is much smarter and more determined than his master. *Shepti: A young maidservant to Théti-Chéri who becomes a pawn of Sekhmet's mad High Priest in issue 22 (''La Prisonnière de Sekhmet''). Upon her rescue by Papyrus and Pouin, she and Pouin fall in love and get married. *Phoetus: a small mummy.

Albums

Thirty-three albums have been published so far: #''La Momie engloutie'' (, et ). Papyrus is appointed by Sobek's daughter to rescue Théti-Chéri and her father from a power-hungry traitor at the Pharaoh's side. #''Le Maître des trois portes''. While trying to discover why the Nile's waters have suddenly gone low, Papyrus and Théti-Chéri discover and become prisoners in a golden underground city rules by the living mummy of

Menes Menes (fl. c. 3200–3000 BC; ; egy, mnj, probably pronounced *; grc, Μήνης) was a pharaoh of the Early Dynastic Period of ancient Egypt credited by classical tradition with having united Upper and Lower Egypt and as the founder of the ...

, who wishes to seize power over Egypt again. In order to escape, Papyrus must discover the secret of the three gates which separate the city from the upper world. #''Le Colosse sans visage''. Papyrus aids the inhabitants of a city cursed by the gods for the unholy atrocities their past ruler (the titular colossus) has committed. For this well-meant deed, he is cursed by the gods and transformed into a hideous creature, and it is up to Théti-Chéri to appease the gods - even if it means paying the ultimate price. #''Le Tombeau de Pharaon'' #''L'Égyptien blanc'' #''Les Quatre Doigts du Dieu Lune'' #''La Vengeance des Ramsès'' (); English translation: ''The Rameses Revenge'' (). The four colossi of the Temple of Rameses rise against a band of plunderers. #''La Métamorphose d'Imhotep'' (); English translation: ''Imhotep's Transformation'' (): Papyrus must find an antidote for the poisoned Pharaoh while a friend plays the role of the ruler. #''Les Larmes du géant'' (): A Hittite princess arrives at court as a second wife for the Pharaoh, bringing with her the secret of iron. In the temple of Amonhotep III, plotters want to seize power for themselves and build invincible weapons, so they capture the Hittite princess as well as Théti. #''La Pyramide noire'' (): Papyrus takes an enchanted Théti to a mage who may be able to heal her. #''Le Pharaon maudit''(): Théti and Papyrus fight against plunderers, six girls who call themselves Daughters of Akhenaton. #''L'Obélisque'': Amenope, the royal architect, and his assistant Imhotep, despite obstacles but with the help of Papyrus and Théti cut, transport, and erect an

obelisk An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by Anc ...

at Thebes. #''Le Labyrinthe'': Papyrus is named ambassador of Egypt by the King of

Minos In Greek mythology, Minos (; grc-gre, Μίνως, ) was a King of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. Every nine years, he made King Aegeus pick seven young boys and seven young girls to be sent to Daedalus's creation, the labyrinth, to be eaten ...

. #''L'Île Cyclope'' (): Théti goes to rejoin Papyrus in

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...

with the mummy of the son of Minos. Papyrus sets off again, finally finding and rescuing the princess on a fantastic island. #''L'Enfant hiéroglyphe'': Imhotep, the successor of Amenope, is saved from a fire by Papyrus. The parchment that established the plans of Amenope for the new temple were saved. But the workers strike, and Imhotep is accused of sacrilege. Théti and Papyrus discover those responsible for the strike. #''Le Seigneur des crocodiles'' (): Captured by Libyan nomads, Papyrus and Théti escape into the desert where they meet a blind mage who asks Papyrus to give him his eyes. #''Toutânkhamon, le Pharaon assassiné'' (); English translation ''Tutankhamun''(): While beset and framed by graverobbers plundering the

Valley of the Kings The Valley of the Kings ( ar, وادي الملوك ; Late Coptic: ), also known as the Valley of the Gates of the Kings ( ar, وادي أبوا الملوك ), is a valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th ...

, Papyrus meets the spirit of Ankhesenpaaton, the wife of

Tutankhamen Tutankhamun (, egy, wikt:twt-ꜥnḫ-jmn, twt-ꜥnḫ-jmn), Egyptological pronunciation Tutankhamen () (), sometimes referred to as King Tut, was an ancient Egypt, Egyptian pharaoh who was the last of his royal family to rule during the end ...

, who seeks his help in reuniting her with her beloved husband, just as Papyrus' ancestor has done so many years ago. #''L'Œil de Rê'' (): During the feast of Opet, Amenmes, one of the sons of Rameses II disputes the throne of the Pharaoh Merenptah. #''Les Momies maléfiques'' (); English translation ''The Evil Mummies'' (): In the chambers of the temple of Montouhotep, ten bodies of archers of Seqenenre Taa II, dead in combat, are mummified in haste. Meanwhile, Théti's expedition enters the desert but forgets to render homage to

Seth Seth,; el, Σήθ ''Sḗth''; ; "placed", "appointed") in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mandaeism, and Sethianism, was the third son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, their only other child mentioned by name in the Hebrew Bible. A ...

. #''La Colère du grand sphinx'' ( et ); English translation (): While searching for Théti, Papyrus angers the Great Sphinx. #''Le Talisman de la grande pyramide'' (): Wanting to discover the origin of the screams heard at the foot of the Great Pyramid each night, Papyrus angers the god

Anubis Anubis (; grc, Ἄνουβις), also known as Inpu, Inpw, Jnpw, or Anpu in Ancient Egyptian () is the god of death, mummification, embalming, the afterlife, cemeteries, tombs, and the Underworld, in ancient Egyptian religion, usually depict ...

. #''La Prisonnière de Sekhmet'' (); English translation ''Sekhmet's Captive'' (ISBN, 978-1800440395)): The goddess

Sekhmet In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet ( or Sachmis (), also spelled Sakhmet, Sekhet, Sakhet among other spellings, cop, Ⲥⲁⲭⲙⲓ, Sakhmi), is a warrior goddess as well as goddess of healing. She is depicted as a lioness. Sekhmet is a solar de ...

is upset: the ancient Great Priest of her temple has conceived a diabolical plan in which Princess Théti, the only one capable of calming this divinity, plays a central role. #''Le Cheval de Troie'' (): Papyrus and Théti arrive in

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite language, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in prese ...

, ruined and occupied by thieves searching in vain for the treasure of King Priam. #''La main pourpre'' (): Papyrus and Théti find the "purple hand" in Tyre, along with victims of the leaders of the city. #''Le Pharaon fou'' (): After having escaped from the soldiers of Tyre, Papyrus and Théti find that Pouin has become the king of Dor. After having convinced him to return to Egypt, Papyrus meets a curious character named

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...

who is leaving Egypt with his tribe. #''Le Masque d'Horus'' (): The queen sends Papyrus on a secret mission: to find Théti's younger brother, who was taken by the priests of the temple of Kom Ombo. #''La Fureur des Dieux'' (): Rameses II the younger hunts a bull in the company of his father, Sethi I. #''Les Enfants d'Isis'': For his services to Egypt, Papyrus is granted land and an estate, but the Pharao has a darker, ulterior motive for his generosity. He means to separate Papyrus and Théti, who have come to love each other, so that he can arrange a more prestigious marriage of his daughter with a prince of

Mitanni Mitanni (; Hittite cuneiform ; ''Mittani'' '), c. 1550–1260 BC, earlier called Ḫabigalbat in old Babylonian texts, c. 1600 BC; Hanigalbat or Hani-Rabbat (''Hanikalbat'', ''Khanigalbat'', cuneiform ') in Assyrian records, or ''Naharin'' in ...

. #''L'Île de la reine morte'' #''L'Oracle'' #''L'Or de Pharaon'' #''Le taureau de Montou'' #''Papyrus Pharaon''

Translations

English

Since November 2007,

Cinebook Ltd Cinebook Ltd is a British publishing company that publishes comic albums and graphic novels. It describes itself as "the 9th art publisher," the 9th art being comics in continental Europe, especially France, Belgium and Italy. They typically tr ...

has been publishing Papyrus in English. Seven albums have so far been released: #''The Rameses Revenge'', November 2007, . (translation of the 7th volume) #''Imhotep's Transformation'', April 2008, (translation of the 8th volume) #''Tutankhamun'', April 2009, (translation of the 17th volume) #''The Evil Mummies'', April 2010, (translation of the 19th volume) #''The Anger of the Great Sphinx'', June 2012, (translation of the 20th volume) #''The Amulet of the Great Pyramid'', June 2015, (translation of the 21st volume) #''Sekhmet's Captive'', March 2022, (translation of the 22nd volume)

Spanish

Dolmen Editorial published a Spanish volume July 2021 called "Papyrus 1984-1986."

Animated series

Season 1

#The Black Mummy #Anger of the Moon God #Lord of the Crocodiles #Revenge of Ramses #The Faceless Giant #The Cursed Pharaoh #The Black Sun of Seth #The Metamorphosis of Imhotep #The Maze #The Triumph of Bastet #City of Scribes #The Demon of the Red Mountains #The Golden Feather of the Great Falcon #The Return of the Red Sphinx #The White Egyptian #The Harp of Hathor #The Forgotten Sarcophagus #The House of Life #The Revenge of Amon #The Rebirth of the Child Pharaoh #Tears of Giants #The Hieroglyph Child #The Master of the Three Doors #The Black Pyramid #The Mirror of Nebou #The Second Flood of the Sacred River

Season 2

#The Sacrilege of Papyrus #Mika the Sorceress #The Thirtieth Case of Senet Cursed #Justice Thoueris #The Awakening of Osiris #White Baboon #Stolen Country #Four Chapels of Tutankhamun #The Divine Potter #Return Senkhet #The Talisman of the Great Pyramid #Yam #Time of Discord #Seven Knots of Horus #Renunciation of Papyrus #Nile Red #The Sacred Crown of Wadjet #Neferure #Emissaries #Princess Tiya #Princess Star #The Sacred Child of Ebla #The Ished Tree #The Djed Pillar #The Trial of Papyrus #The Nightmare Canadian animator and cartoonist

Guy Delisle Guy Delisle (born January 19, 1966) is a Canadian cartoonist and animator, best known for his graphic novels about his travels, such as ''Shenzhen'' (2000), '' Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea'' (2003), ''Burma Chronicles'' (2007), and ''Jerusa ...

documented his experiences while working on this animated series in 1997 in '' Shenzhen: A Travelogue from China''.

References

External links