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{{Infobox Asterix|Title=Asterix in Switzerland|image=|Frenchtitle=Astérix chez les Helvètes|Story=Rene Goscinny|FrenchDate=[1970|Preceded=
[Asterix and the Roman Agent]|-->
Asterix in Switzerland is the sixteenth volume of the Asterix List of Asterix volumes, by René Goscinny (stories) and
Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was originally serialized in Pilote issues 557-578 in
1970 and translated into
English language in
1973.
Plot summary
Roman governor Varius Flavus of
Condatum has been putting aside for himself (i.e.
embezzling) the greatest share of the taxes he has collected. The money he sends to
Ancient Rome consists of just a few coins. When
Quaestor Vexatius Sinusitus is sent to investigate, Flavus poisons him to avoid being discovered. Dissatisfied with Flavus' doctors, Sinusitus calls for the druid
Recurring characters in Asterix#Getafix. Getafix can brew an antidote for him, but an essential ingredient of the potion is a flower called the silver star (edelweiss), which only grows on the highest mountains.
Getafix sends Asterix and Obelix to Helvetia (
Switzerland) to retrieve the flower. He also insists that Sinusitus remain in their Gaulish village as a hostage in order to guarantee Asterix and Obelix's return. This is in fact a bluff to get Sinusitus away from Flavus, whom Getafix suspects is the would-be killer.
Asterix and Obelix reach Helvetia but soon run into difficulties set by the Romans, as Varius Flavus has warned his colleague in Helvetia, Curious Odus, of their arrival. Himself a corrupt so-and-so, Odus is only too pleased to help get rid of an honest Quaestor like Sinusitus.
The Gauls find themselves continually chased by the Romans, but they manage to get help from some courageous Helvetians, including the hotel manager Petitsuix, Zurix the manager of a bank (Asterix and Obelix spend a night in one of its safes) and some Helvetian veterans who hold a celebration at
Lake Geneva.
After some difficulties — including Obelix passing out from draining a whole cask of plume wine (he has a very low tolerance for alcohol) — the two Gauls manage to secure an edelweiss and return to the village. A few days later, Varius Flavus comes to the village and asks how Sinusitus is doing. Sinusitus comes out, cured and having consumed some magic potion (being the first, and so far, only Roman who has taken the potion with actual permission), and punches Flavus into the sky. The story ends with the usual banquet, with Sinusitus being the first Roman ever to participate.
Commentary
Following
May 68, Goscinny started introducing more "adult" themes such as the opening "orgy" scene which parodies Federico Fellini's debauched Roman film,
Satyricon (film). The painted faces, feeling of ennui, mechanical gorging of elaborate food and sado-masochistic punishments are nicely counterbalanced by the annoying (to the Romans) fastidiousness of the Swiss servants who keep cleaning up messes, washing whips, etc.
Notes
- Michelin#Bibendum (the Michelin man) makes a brief guest appearance as the chariot wheel dealer in certain translations, including the original English translation. The original French version used the Gaulish warrior mascot of the (then current) French service station company Antar. The 2004 English re-edition from Orion Books uses the French illustrations, making the later localized jokes referring to Bibendum's weight nonsensical. Background document from the Official Asterix Website - Page from Asterix NZ
- The Recurring_characters_in_Asterix#The_Pirates do not appear in this story although Sinusitus mentions them as arguing and sinking their own ship (an apparent reference to the previous story Asterix and the Roman Agent).
- Throughout the album the Swiss reputation for cleanliness is satirized.
- The precision of Swiss watches and cuckoo clocks are spoofed with Petitsuix shouting "Cuckoo!" when the hotel guests have to reset their Hourglass.
- When Asterix and Obelix hide themselves a bank vault, Asterix tries to tell the owner what he wants to put in the safe. The owner says it doesn't matter to him and that discretion is assured. This is a reference to the famous Swiss bank secrecy.
- On page 33, the neutrality of the country and their special military service system are referenced.
- The palace of international conferences where Asterix, Obelix and Petitsuix hide is an allusion to Geneva where many international conferences are held, most famously the European Headquarters of the United Nations.
- Yodeling, alpine horns, cheese fondue are referenced.
- When Obelix eats a whole pot of cheese fondue and then drinks alcohol to make sure they can leave the fondue feast early, he falls asleep. One of the Swiss people remarks that he did this so fast and that it would take them hours to do it at the same speed. Goscinny and Uderzo satirize the stereotypical slowness of Swiss people (which has to do with their way of speaking).
- The scene with the bow and the boy with the apple is a direct reference to William Tell.
- A reference to mountaineering is made when Obelix is tied and dragged by Asterix up a mountain. When Asterix and Obelix slide downwards thrrough the snow they resemble a sled. These jokes about typical Swiss sports are referenced once more when a Roman complains: "Swimming, climbing mountains,...," whereupon their centurion exclaims that they "aren't taking a holiday."
- When one of the Swiss people hits a Roman, he starts putting some bandage on his head. The baffled Roman doesn't understand this, but the Swiss explains that they have the duty to nurse everyone, even if they're enemies. This is a reference to The Red Cross, which was founded by the Swiss Henri Dunant.
- Geriatrix still has the club that he obtained from the legionary Magnumopus in Asterix and the Roman Agent.
Mistakes
- The sign on pages 21 and 22 says "GAUL ROMAN EMPIRE" in one direction and "HELVETIA ROMAN EMPIRE TOO" on the other. But on the next page, the sign just says "GAUL" in one directions and "HELVETIA" in the other. One possible explanation is that on page 23, we are shown the other side of the signs and it's possible that they say different things on the two sides The short versions are visible from the road and the longer versions are painted on the side, only visible from the grassy area and could be construed to be graffiti or vandalism.
- There is a barrel marked DETRITUS beside the sign on pages 21 and 22. On the next page, the barrel has disappeared!
References
External links
- http://www.mage.fst.uha.fr/asterix/helvetes/etude.html (in French)
In other languages
- Catalan language: Astèrix al país dels helvecis
- Dutch language: Asterix en de Helvetiërs
- Finnish language: Asterix ja alppikukka (Asterix and the Edelweiss)
- German language: Asterix bei den Schweizern
- Greek language: Ο Αστερίξ στους Ελβετούς
- Italian language: Asterix e gli Elvezi
- Polish language: Asteriks u Helwetów
- Portuguese language: Astérix entre os Helvécios'
- Spanish language: Astérix en Helvecia
- Swedish language: Asterix i Alperna
- Turkish language: Asteriks İsviçre'de
es:Astérix el Galo - Astérix en Helveciafr:Astérix chez les Helvètes
nl:Asterix en de Helvetiërspt:Astérix entre os Helvéciossv:Asterix i Alperna
{{Infobox Asterix|Title=Asterix in Switzerland|image=|Frenchtitle=Astérix chez les Helvètes|Story=Rene Goscinny|FrenchDate=[1970|Preceded=
[Asterix and the Roman Agent]|-->
Asterix in Switzerland is the sixteenth volume of the
Asterix List of Asterix volumes, by
René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). It was originally serialized in Pilote issues 557-578 in
1970 and translated into English language in 1973.
Plot summary
Roman governor Varius Flavus of Condatum has been putting aside for himself (i.e. embezzling) the greatest share of the taxes he has collected. The money he sends to Ancient Rome consists of just a few coins. When
Quaestor Vexatius Sinusitus is sent to investigate, Flavus poisons him to avoid being discovered. Dissatisfied with Flavus' doctors, Sinusitus calls for the druid Recurring characters in Asterix#Getafix. Getafix can brew an antidote for him, but an essential ingredient of the potion is a flower called the silver star (edelweiss), which only grows on the highest mountains.
Getafix sends Asterix and
Obelix to Helvetia (
Switzerland) to retrieve the flower. He also insists that Sinusitus remain in their Gaulish village as a hostage in order to guarantee Asterix and Obelix's return. This is in fact a bluff to get Sinusitus away from Flavus, whom Getafix suspects is the would-be killer.
Asterix and Obelix reach Helvetia but soon run into difficulties set by the Romans, as Varius Flavus has warned his colleague in Helvetia, Curious Odus, of their arrival. Himself a corrupt so-and-so, Odus is only too pleased to help get rid of an honest
Quaestor like Sinusitus.
The Gauls find themselves continually chased by the Romans, but they manage to get help from some courageous Helvetians, including the hotel manager Petitsuix, Zurix the manager of a bank (Asterix and Obelix spend a night in one of its safes) and some Helvetian veterans who hold a celebration at Lake Geneva.
After some difficulties — including Obelix passing out from draining a whole cask of plume wine (he has a very low tolerance for alcohol) — the two Gauls manage to secure an edelweiss and return to the village. A few days later, Varius Flavus comes to the village and asks how Sinusitus is doing. Sinusitus comes out, cured and having consumed some magic potion (being the first, and so far, only Roman who has taken the potion with actual permission), and punches Flavus into the sky. The story ends with the usual banquet, with Sinusitus being the first Roman ever to participate.
Commentary
Following
May 68, Goscinny started introducing more "adult" themes such as the opening "orgy" scene which parodies Federico Fellini's debauched Roman film,
Satyricon (film). The painted faces, feeling of ennui, mechanical gorging of elaborate food and sado-masochistic punishments are nicely counterbalanced by the annoying (to the Romans) fastidiousness of the Swiss servants who keep cleaning up messes, washing whips, etc.
Notes
- Michelin#Bibendum (the Michelin man) makes a brief guest appearance as the chariot wheel dealer in certain translations, including the original English translation. The original French version used the Gaulish warrior mascot of the (then current) French service station company Antar. The 2004 English re-edition from Orion Books uses the French illustrations, making the later localized jokes referring to Bibendum's weight nonsensical. Background document from the Official Asterix Website - Page from Asterix NZ
- The Recurring_characters_in_Asterix#The_Pirates do not appear in this story although Sinusitus mentions them as arguing and sinking their own ship (an apparent reference to the previous story Asterix and the Roman Agent).
- Throughout the album the Swiss reputation for cleanliness is satirized.
- The precision of Swiss watches and cuckoo clocks are spoofed with Petitsuix shouting "Cuckoo!" when the hotel guests have to reset their Hourglass.
- When Asterix and Obelix hide themselves a bank vault, Asterix tries to tell the owner what he wants to put in the safe. The owner says it doesn't matter to him and that discretion is assured. This is a reference to the famous Swiss bank secrecy.
- On page 33, the neutrality of the country and their special military service system are referenced.
- The palace of international conferences where Asterix, Obelix and Petitsuix hide is an allusion to Geneva where many international conferences are held, most famously the European Headquarters of the United Nations.
- Yodeling, alpine horns, cheese fondue are referenced.
- When Obelix eats a whole pot of cheese fondue and then drinks alcohol to make sure they can leave the fondue feast early, he falls asleep. One of the Swiss people remarks that he did this so fast and that it would take them hours to do it at the same speed. Goscinny and Uderzo satirize the stereotypical slowness of Swiss people (which has to do with their way of speaking).
- The scene with the bow and the boy with the apple is a direct reference to William Tell.
- A reference to mountaineering is made when Obelix is tied and dragged by Asterix up a mountain. When Asterix and Obelix slide downwards thrrough the snow they resemble a sled. These jokes about typical Swiss sports are referenced once more when a Roman complains: "Swimming, climbing mountains,...," whereupon their centurion exclaims that they "aren't taking a holiday."
- When one of the Swiss people hits a Roman, he starts putting some bandage on his head. The baffled Roman doesn't understand this, but the Swiss explains that they have the duty to nurse everyone, even if they're enemies. This is a reference to The Red Cross, which was founded by the Swiss Henri Dunant.
- Geriatrix still has the club that he obtained from the legionary Magnumopus in Asterix and the Roman Agent.
Mistakes
- The sign on pages 21 and 22 says "GAUL ROMAN EMPIRE" in one direction and "HELVETIA ROMAN EMPIRE TOO" on the other. But on the next page, the sign just says "GAUL" in one directions and "HELVETIA" in the other. One possible explanation is that on page 23, we are shown the other side of the signs and it's possible that they say different things on the two sides The short versions are visible from the road and the longer versions are painted on the side, only visible from the grassy area and could be construed to be graffiti or vandalism.
- There is a barrel marked DETRITUS beside the sign on pages 21 and 22. On the next page, the barrel has disappeared!
References
External links
- http://www.mage.fst.uha.fr/asterix/helvetes/etude.html (in French)
In other languages
- Catalan language: Astèrix al país dels helvecis
- Dutch language: Asterix en de Helvetiërs
- Finnish language: Asterix ja alppikukka (Asterix and the Edelweiss)
- German language: Asterix bei den Schweizern
- Greek language: Ο Αστερίξ στους Ελβετούς
- Italian language: Asterix e gli Elvezi
- Polish language: Asteriks u Helwetów
- Portuguese language: Astérix entre os Helvécios'
- Spanish language: Astérix en Helvecia
- Swedish language: Asterix i Alperna
- Turkish language: Asteriks İsviçre'de
es:Astérix el Galo - Astérix en Helveciafr:Astérix chez les Helvètes
nl:Asterix en de Helvetiërspt:Astérix entre os Helvéciossv:Asterix i Alperna
