The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Meet Asterix the Gael
The latest Asterix book, published worldwide today, is set in Scotland and has even been translated into Scots. Caroline Lindsay finds out more
ASTERIX FANS in Courier Country have good reason to celebrate. The Gallic hero and all his chums make their debut in Scotland today with the publication of Asterix and the Picts in both English and, for the first time for an Asterix book, Scots.
The Asterix series is one of the most popular comic books in the world, and has been translated into more than 100 languages since its first appearance in 1959.
The series follows the exploits of a village of indomitable Gauls as they resist Roman occupation by means of a magic potion, brewed by their druid, which gives the recipient superhuman strength. Asterix is usually entrusted with the most important affairs of the village and is aided in his adventures by his friend, Obelix, who, because he fell into the druid’s cauldron of the potion as a baby, has permanent superhuman strength.
Asterix and the Picts is the 35th book to be published — our hero is in Pictland to solve some affairs of the heart and affairs of state and to skelp plenty of Romans along the way. With the referendum round the corner, the Gaulish warrior’s first visit to Scotland is a timely one and it seems even Asterix has an opinion on Scottish independence.
Written and illustrated by an all-new team — Jean-Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad taking over from Goscinny and Uderzo — the book has been translated into a Scots version (Asterix and the Pechts) by Dundonian novelist and poet Matthew Fitt. An expert in Scots language education, he’s written numerous children’s books and translated a number of titles into Scots including Roald Dahl’s The Eejits and Geordie’s Mingin Medicine. And with the 2011 Census recording a whopping 1.9 million Scots speakers, there couldn’t be a better time to bring out the first ever translation of an Asterix adventure.
“I’ve been wanting to translate Asterix into Scots for a very long time,” said Matthew. “The opportunity arose because this new Asterix adventure is set in Scotland and the French publishers were keen to include a translation. And the style of the Asterix stories suits the Scots language. There are always lots of daft jokes and fun and games with language.
“I read Asterix when I was wee, along with everything I could get my hands on in the Wellgate Library. The original Asterix the Gaul is still my favourite,” he says.
What is the reason for the enduring appeal of the books? “They are cheeky and subversive. Like all great books for kids, authority gets a good kick in the bumbaleerie. In the case of Asterix, it’s the seemingly allpowerful Romans who are brought down to size usually after being doofed on the heid.
“A Pecht called MacHoolet (the Scots word for ‘Pict’) is washed up on the beach in
“The style of the Asterix stories suits the Scots language. There are always lots of daft jokes and fun and games with language”
Gaul near Asterix’s village. MacHoolet tells them about a sleekit Pechtish warrior back home, MacRammie, who is up to all sort of jookery-packery. Asterix and his trusty boarchawin friend, Obelix, travel to Pechtland (or Scotland) to see what they can do to help.”
Matthew explains how he came up with the names for Asterix and the Pechts: “Getting the names right in an Asterix translation is very important. The original French names are all puns or a play on words. The famous druid ‘Getafix’ is ‘Kensawthetrix’ in Scots and the chief ‘Vitalstatistix’ comes out as ‘Heidbummerix.’ Because the book’s set in Scotland, the French writer, JeanYves-Ferri, had a lot of fun with the prefix Mac and I had to find a way to keep the fun going in Scots. So the Pechts have names like MacItup, MacMeboak and MacOckaleekie.”
The characters speak in a variety of Scots dialects as he explains: “In my translation, I wanted to distinguish the different tribes and armies using different dialects of Scots. I have the Gauls speaking Glaswegian, the Picts speak Doric and when it came to the Romans, I needed a distinct urban dialect. I’m proud to be from Dundee. I could think of no better dialect to choose for the Roman sodgers than Dundonian. That’s why the Roman centurion in this adventure had to be called Ingananeanaus.”
Matthew thinks it’s important for the Scots language to be preserved and encouraged.
“I was belted in a Dundee school for speaking Scots and then days later won a prize for reciting a poem in Scots by Robert Burns. That didn’t seem right to me. It was a cruel and unusual way to teach pupils about their own culture.
“When I was older and had the chance to do something about it, I founded the children’s imprint Itchy Coo with writer James Robertson and B&W Publishing. There are now more than 40 titles in Scots for bairns to read in school and at home. Hopefully a lot fewer kids are being told off for speaking the Scots language.”
He has loved writing since he was a youngster: “My mum worked for DC Thomson and there was aye a typewriter going in our house so writing stories was a firm part of my childhood. I read Doctor Who books like there was no tomorrow and also the Agaton Sax series of tales about a diminutive Swedish detective.”
Nowadays he enjoys reading the 19th century writers, Victor Hugo and Walter Scott in particular. And of course Asterix is still a firm favourite. “Asterix is world famous. He’s a global brand. He has travelled everywhere and his adventures have been translated into just about every language under the sun. And for the very first time we have an Asterix tale in Scots.”
And with “Thae Romans is glaikit” as Asterix’s battle cry and Obelix — “Dinnae ca’ me fat” — as his back-up, who’s going to argue?