Asterix and the Normans
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''Asterix and the Normans'' is the ninth book in the
Asterix ''Asterix'' or ''The Adventures of Asterix'' (french: Astérix or , "Asterix the Gaul") is a ''bande dessinée'' comic book series about a village of indomitable Gaulish warriors who adventure around the world and fight the Roman Republic, wi ...
comic book series a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
, written by
René Goscinny René Goscinny (, ; 14 August 1926 – 5 November 1977) was a French comic editor and writer, who created the ''Astérix'' comic book series with illustrator Albert Uderzo. Raised largely in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he attended French schoo ...
and drawn by
Albert Uderzo Alberto Aleandro Uderzo (; ; 25 April 1927 – 24 March 2020), better known as Albert Uderzo, was a French comic book artist and scriptwriter. He is best known as the co-creator and illustrator of the ''Astérix'' series in collaboration with Re ...
. It was first published in serial form in ''
Pilote Cover of the first ''Pilote'' issue #0 ''Pilote'' () was a French comic magazine published from 1959 to 1989. Showcasing most of the major French or Belgian comics talents of its day the magazine introduced major series such as ''Astérix'', '' ...
'' magazine, issues 340–361, in 1966. It depicts a meeting between Asterix's
Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
ish village and a shipfull of
Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...
(
Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
).


Plot summary

The story begins with Vitalstatistix receiving a missive from his brother Doublehelix in
Lutetia The Gallo-Roman town of ''Lutetia'' (''Lutetia Parisiorum'' in Latin, in French ''Lutèce'') was the predecessor of the modern-day city of Paris. It was founded in about the middle of the 3rd century BCE by the Parisii, a Gallic tribe. Tra ...
(
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
), to ask for the education of Doublehelix's teenage son, Justforkix. Justforkix then arrives in a
sports car A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
-like
chariot A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nbs ...
. The village holds a dance in honour of his arrival; but he is unimpressed by the traditional way of dancing, snatches
Cacofonix This is a list of characters in the ''Asterix'' comics. Main characters Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix are the first characters with short descriptions usually listed at the beginning of each of the ''Asterix'' books (after the map of Gaul). They ...
's
lyre The lyre () is a stringed musical instrument that is classified by Hornbostel–Sachs as a member of the lute-family of instruments. In organology, a lyre is considered a yoke lute, since it is a lute in which the strings are attached to a yoke ...
, and sings and plays in the manner of Elvix Preslix ( the Rolling Menhirs in the English version). Some of the younger villagers dance to this new form; but Cacofonix tries to show off his own skills, and is struck down by
Fulliautomatix This is a list of characters in the ''Asterix'' comics. Main characters Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix are the first characters with short descriptions usually listed at the beginning of each of the ''Asterix'' books (after the map of Gaul). They ...
. Justforkix thereupon suggests that Cacofonix's talents would be better appreciated in Lutetia. Meanwhile, a
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...
crew arrive in
Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
to discover "the meaning of fear", on grounds that they are fearless to the point of not understanding the concept, but have heard of people "flying in fear", and believe that being afraid will grant them the ability to fly. Most of the Gauls welcome the chance of a fight; but Justforkix is horrified and decides to return home. Viewing Justforkix as an expert in fear, the Normans kidnap him to teach them; but this fails, and he remains their prisoner until Asterix and
Obelix Obelix (; french: Obélix) is a cartoon character in the French comic book series ''Asterix''. He works as a menhir sculptor and deliveryman, and is Asterix's best friend. Obelix is noted for his obesity, the menhirs he carries around on his bac ...
come to the rescue. A small Roman patrol is also involved in the resulting fight. At length, Norman chief Timandahaf orders an end to the battle and explains his mission to the Gauls. To teach the Normans fear, Asterix sends Obelix to fetch Cacofonix, while himself remaining as a hostage. When Obelix reaches the village, he finds Cacofonix gone to perform in Lutetia, and pursues him through a series of tell-tale clues. Meanwhile, Timandahaf becomes impatient and tries to force Justforkix to teach the secret of flight by tossing him off a cliff. Just before this can be carried out, Asterix challenges the Norman warriors; and seeing him surrounded, Justforkix gains the courage to fight as well — albeit to no visible effect. Obelix and Cacofonix stop the fight, and Cacofonix's discordant songs are exhibited to the Normans, which provokes their first real fear, and an immediate retreat to their homeland. When Asterix questions the Normans' interest in fear, Getafix replies that
courage Courage (also called bravery or valor) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle. Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, h ...
is achieved only by having first been afraid, and superseding the fear to the desired effect. Thereafter Justforkix is claimed to have gained courage himself, and the story ends with the customary banquet, but with Cacofonix as guest of honour and Fulliautomatix tied up, with his ears filled with
parsley Parsley, or garden parsley (''Petroselinum crispum'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to the central and eastern Mediterranean region (Sardinia, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, southern Italy, Greece, Por ...
.


Historical background

In France,
Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...
are the descendants of
Norsemen The Norsemen (or Norse people) were a North Germanic ethnolinguistic group of the Early Middle Ages, during which they spoke the Old Norse language. The language belongs to the North Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages and is the pre ...
(Vikings) who invaded northern France in the late 9th century and gave their name to
Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
; wherefore the name of 'Norman' is given the Vikings in this volume. Indeed, the Norman chief tells the Gauls that they do not want to invade their country, but their descendants will do so, centuries later (they even briefly reference
1066 1066 (Roman numerals, MLXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events Worldwide * March 20 – Halley's Comet reaches perihelion. Its appearance is subsequently recorded in the Bayeux Tapestry. Asia * ''un ...
). In the book, the Normans' heavy use of
cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
in recipes is a reference to stereotypes of the
cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to ...
in Normandy.


Puns

In the original French version, Justforkix is called "Goudurix" ("a taste for risks"), a name he lives up to only towards the end. In Finnish, the story is called ''Asterix ja normannien maihinnousu'' ("Asterix and the Landing of the Normans"). This is a reference to the ''Normandian maihinnousu'', the standard Finnish history-book term for the
Normandy Landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
of 1944.


Other themes

In this story, we see
Dogmatix Dogmatix () is a fictional white terrier dog who is a companion to Obelix in the ''Asterix'' comics. Dogmatix is a pun on the words dog and dogmatic. In the original French, his name is ''Idéfix'', itself a pun on the French expression '' idée ...
's distress over the uprooting of trees for the first time. This is the first album in the series since ''
Asterix the Gaul ''Asterix the Gaul'' is the first volume of the Asterix comic strip series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). In ''Le Monde'' 100 Books of the Century, a 1999 poll conducted by the French retailer Fnac and the Paris n ...
'' where Cacofonix is not tied up for the story-ending banquet.
Fulliautomatix This is a list of characters in the ''Asterix'' comics. Main characters Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix are the first characters with short descriptions usually listed at the beginning of each of the ''Asterix'' books (after the map of Gaul). They ...
the blacksmith had previously appeared in both ''
Asterix the Gaul ''Asterix the Gaul'' is the first volume of the Asterix comic strip series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). In ''Le Monde'' 100 Books of the Century, a 1999 poll conducted by the French retailer Fnac and the Paris n ...
'' and ''
Asterix and the Banquet ''Asterix and the Banquet'' (, "Asterix's Tour of Gaul") is the fifth volume of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was first serialized in ''Pilote'' magazine, issues 172–213, in 196 ...
'', but he differed somewhat from the appearance he now took in ''Asterix and the Normans'', and he would remain essentially unchanged for the rest of the series. Whereas Justforkix learns courage, the Roman soldier Oleaginus learns to fear the Gauls and Normans and also the means of evading confrontation, such as wasting time on making three copies of the same report (i.e.
red tape Red tape is an idiom referring to regulations or conformity to formal rules or standards which are claimed to be excessive, rigid or redundant, or to bureaucracy claimed to hinder or prevent action or decision-making. It is usually applied to g ...
). When Justforkix explains his
Chariot A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nbs ...
is from Mediolanum (now
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, Italy) it is a reference to modern sports cars made there.


Adaptations

Justforkix was the star of a series of Asterix gamebooks, popular in the 1980s. The basic storyline of the book was adapted into the animated full-length feature ''
Asterix and the Vikings ''Asterix and the Vikings'' (released in French as ''Astérix et les Vikings'' and Danish as ''Asterix og Vikingerne'') is a 2006 Danish animated adventure film based on the French comic book series ''Asterix'', written by Stefan Fjeldmark and ...
''. Rolling Menhirs is a reference to the famous rock group
the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
. In the original French it is 'Les Monkiix,' referring to
The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conc ...
. The book has been translated into Afrikaans, Bengali, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Greek, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Serbian, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish.


In other languages

*French – Astérix et les Normands *German – Asterix und die Normannen *Serbian - Asteriks i Normani *Croatian - Asterix i Normani *Spanish – Asterix y los normandos *Catalan – Astèrix i els Normands *Portuguese – Astérix e os Normandos *Dutch – Asterix en de Noormannen *Finnish – Asterix ja normannien maihinnousu * Greek - Ο Αστερίξ και οι Νορμανδοί *Italian – Asterix ei normanni *Korean – 아스테릭스, 바이킹을물리치다 *Danish – Asterix og vikingerne *Swedish – Asterix och vikingarna *Turkish – Asteriks ve Normanlar *Brazilian Portuguese – Asterix e os Normandos *Polish – Asteriks i Normanowie *Bengali – Asterix O Norman Dol ( অ্যাসটেরিক্স ও নর্ম্যান দল )


Reception

On
Goodreads Goodreads is an American social cataloging website and a subsidiary of Amazon that allows individuals to search its database of books, annotations, quotes, and reviews. Users can sign up and register books to generate library catalogs and read ...
, it has a score of 4.12 out of 5.


References


External links


Official English Website
{{Asterix, Normans, Asterix and the, type=book Normans, Asterix and the Works originally published in Pilote Literature first published in serial form 1966 graphic novels Works by René Goscinny Comics by Albert Uderzo Comics set in the Viking Age Norway in fiction