Written by: Goscinny – Drawings by: Uderzo Original title: Asterix chez les Bretons Published by: Hachette Livre First published by: Pilote no. 307 ( ) First album edition: 1966 Cartoon film adaptation: Asterix in Britain in 1986 One little ancient Briiths village still holds out against the Roman invaders.
Asterix and Obelix are invited to help. They must face fog, rain, warm beer and boiled boar with mint sauce, but they soon have Governor Encyclopaedicus Britannicus’s Romans declining and falling. Until a wild race for a barrel of magic potion lands them in the drink. It’s not quite cricket – how about a nice cup of hot water, though? Or even the first ever tea-party? What the druids have to say about the album The visit to the Tower of Londinium is a brilliant example of the authors’ humour and the complicity between text and image in their work. This album is one of the greats.
ასტერიქსი და ობელიქსი: მისია კლეოპატრა / Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra.
The authors run wild between the barrels of warm beer mixed up with the one containing the magic potion and the reference to hip Briton bards shown with screaming fans. There’s no point looking for the pun in the name of chief Cassivellaunos, on page 6, because there isn’t one. Cassivellaunos did indeed exist: he was the supreme chief of the Britons. On the other hand, we’re not so sure that Mykingdomforanos did actually thwart Caesar’s plans.
Table 8.1. Asterix in Britain - Annotations Page, Panel Comment Page 1, Panel 7 O fortunatos. = O farmers excessively fortunate if only they recognized their blessings!
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(Virgil, Georgics ii.458) (alt.) 'O Fortuna' from 'Fortuna imperatrix mundi' the well known orchestral work by Carl Orff's 'Carmina Burana'. Page 3, Panel 10 Oxbridge - Oxford and Cambridge, the two universities famous for their boat race. Page 5, Panel 5 'A Garden is a lovesome thing, god wot!' - The first line of a famous 19th century poem by Thomas Edward Brown called 'My Garden'.
Page 5, Panel 6 Note the souvenirs on Asterix's shelf Page 7, Panel 5-6 'Smaller than the garden of my uncle, but larger than the pen of my aunt' - From the high-school English as taught in a popular English method of instruction in France. The French edition uses 'the helmet of my nephew' for 'the pen of my aunt'. The book in French is full of odd-sounding literal translations of English phrases like 'I say', 'that's a bit of luck', 'all that sort of thing', 'goodness gracious', 'I beg your pardon'; the English edition conveys the effect by overdoing the Bertie Wooster-ish talk. Page 10, Panel 6 Alea jacta est = the die is cast (Julius Caesar) Page 10, Panel 9 The Channel Tunnel or Chunnel. Page 11, Panel 9 'In Rome do as Romans do' = St Augustine of Hippo was used to eating on Saturdays, but in Rome was obliged to fast on this day. When he mentioned this, St Ambrose replied 'When I am in Milan I eat on Saturday; when I am in Rome I fast on Saturday.' Robert Burton, c.
1600 restated this phrase in 'Democritus to the reader' (Pt. 1), and it was also mentioned more famously by Miguel Cervates in 'Don Quixote' (Ch. 71) Page 14, Panel 1 Does this refer to to the St. Andrews (even though it is further north) golf course???
Page 15, Panel 10 The Beatles. It must be said that George Harrison looks strange.
Page 20, Panel 6 Uderzo momentarily forgets that the English drive on the left side of the road. He got it right in Page 13, Panel 4. Page 20, Panel 8 'London Bridge is falling down' - traditional children's song.
Page 21, Panel 4 The statue that Asterix and Obelix walk by is a take off of a famous statue called 'Diana on the Hunt'. Except, in this version, Diana is big and crushing the stag. This might explain Obelix's affectionate gaze at her. 'Diana on the Hunt' Page 22, Panel 7 'Little Brown Jug' — a well known drinking song written by Joseph A. Winner (1837-1918). Page 25, Panel 8 The present-day Tower of London, a popular tourist attraction, was built on the site of an old Roman fort.
Page 28, Panel 6 Park Lane is a famous high-class residential area. Page 28, Panel 9 The UK has many housing areas featuring identical dwellings (mind you, so do many countries). Page 32, Panel 1 'Drink to me only with thine eyes' - Ben Jonson, 'The Forest.
To Celia', c. Page 32, Panel 3 Rugby Page 32, Panel 8 Mufti: plain clothes Page 33, Panel 1-2 A Caricature of a 'British Bobby' (policeman), complete with swinging truncheon. Page 33, Panel 5 Scottish bagpipes Page 33, Panel 6-7 Sacred goose and hen???
Page 40, Panel 3 'that's not cricket' = not fair play; a common expression (also an anachronism, given that cricket wasn't developed until the 16th century) Page 44, Panel 6 Fluctuat nec mergitur = It is swayed by the waves but does not sink. Motto of city of Paris.
Table 8.2. Asterix in Britain - Names Name (in order of appearance) Comment Cassivellaunos Cassivellaunus: historical, fought Julius Caesar in 54 BC Mykingdomforanos Bang-on Cockney for 'My Kingdom for an 'Os' ie., My Kingdom for a Horse, the cockney dutifully leaving off the 'H' sound and consequently having to use 'an' before a vowel instead of 'a' before an 'h'. 'A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a HORSE!' - Richard III (Shakespeare). (alt.) 'my kingdom for a nose'. Interestingly, the British chief is the only character in the entire book with a small nose.
In fact, compared to the nose sizes of every other character (Gauls, Brits, and Romans) his nose is so small that it almost looks like he doesn't have a nose at all.' Anticlimax Anticlimax: a drop after a peak (climax). Note that Anticlimax, a member of the tribe of Oxbridgienses, has extraordinary rowing skills. O'veroptomistix Over optimistic: too favorable in prediction McAnix Mechanics Tullius Stratocumulus Tullius is a Roman name, Stratocumulus: a type of storm cloud. Encyclopaedicus Britannicus Encyclopedia Britannica: extremely comprehensive reference encyclopedia Dipsomaniax Dipsomaniac: Drinks too much Haystax Hay stack Anthrax Anthrax: virulent livestock disease Tintax Tin tacks Surtax Surtax: additional tax Boadicea Boadicea was a queen of the Iceni in Britain who led a futile revolt against the Romans in 61 AD. Camulodonum Modern city of Colchester, England Cantium Kent Durovernum Canterbury Hiphiphurrax Hip hip hurray.