''Asterix in Britain'' (also known as ''"Asterix in the land of the

Britons British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs modern British citizenship and nationality, w ...

"'' - translated from ') is a French comic story, written by Rene Goscinny and illustrated 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 wit ...

. It is the eighth story in the ''

Asterix ''Asterix'' ( or , "Asterix the Gauls, Gaul"; also known as ''Asterix and Obelix'' in some adaptations or ''The Adventures of Asterix'') is a Franco-Belgian comics, French comic album book series, series about a Gaulish village which, thanks ...

comic book series a Media (communication), medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of Panel (comics), panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, Glo ...

, and was originally published by

Dargaud Société Dargaud (), doing business as Les Éditions Dargaud, is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1936 by Georges Dargaud, publishing its first comics in 1943. ...

as a serial for ''

Pilote ''Pilote'' (), for a while subtitled ''the magazine of Asterix and Obelix'' (French: ''Le Journal D’Astérix et D’Obélix'' ) was a French comics magazine published from 1959 to 1989. Showcasing most of the major Franco-Belgian comics, French ...

'' magazine in 1965, before being released as a comic album in 1966. The story focuses on Asterix and Obelix travelling to Roman-occupied Britain to help deliver a barrel of magic potion to a rebel Briton village, only to encounter obstacles that hinder their journey. The story featured several references and parodies surrounding British culture and society. ''Asterix in Britain'' received an audiobook adaptation, as well as two film adaptations: an animated film of the same name in 1986; and a live-action film, '' Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia'', in 2012.

Plot summary

Following a successful military campaign, the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

s conquer most of Britain. However, one village (situated in present-day

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

) manages to resist the invaders. Mykingdomforanos, the village's chief, knowing they will need help, assigns his best warrior, Anticlimax, to seek help from his cousin in

Gaul Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...

, after he mentions how they rely on a potion of superhuman strength to resist the Romans. Travelling by night, he reaches

Armorica In ancient times, Armorica or Aremorica (Gaulish: ; ; ) was a region of Gaul between the Seine and the Loire that includes the Brittany Peninsula, and much of historical Normandy. Name The name ''Armorica'' is a Latinized form of the Gauli ...

, where he reunites with his cousin Asterix and explains the situation to him. Druid Getafix, being informed of his request, agrees to supply a barrel of potion, with Asterix and

Obelix Obelix ( ; ) is a cartoon character in the French comic book series ''Asterix''. He works as a menhir sculptor and deliveryman as well as one of the primary defenders of the Gaulish village, and is Asterix's best friend. Obelix is noted for his ...

offering to help transport it to Britain. Before they leave, Asterix notices Getafix in possession of strange herbs he got from the Far East, and takes some with him. Travelling across the

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

, the group encounter a Roman galley, which Obelix delights in boarding having been bored with the Roman's absence around their village. Unknown to them, a Roman officer returning to Gaul overhears Obelix unintentionally reveal their mission, and returns to Britain to give warning to newly appointed governor Encyclopaedicus Britannicus. After Asterix and his friends narrowly avoid being captured by a Roman patrol searching for them, they make for the city of

Londinium Londinium, also known as Roman London, was the capital of Roman Britain during most of the period of Roman rule. Most twenty-first century historians think that it was originally a settlement established shortly after the Roman conquest of Brit ...

and hide out at a tavern run by Dipsomaniax. Britannicus, learning they were heading for the city, guesses their likely actions and has all barrels of

beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

and wine confiscated from every tavern and inn, leading to the magic potion being seized amongst them. The following day, Asterix, Obelix and Anticlimax head to the governor's palace to get the potion back. Finding the Romans have gotten drunk after being up all night taste testing the barrels, with one having had the potion by accident, they discover they can't find their barrel amongst those taken from Dipsomaniax's tavern. Although they take these barrels back, Obelix accidentally gets drunk from one of them and distracts the group into fighting a Roman patrol, allowing a thief to steal them. Asterix and Anticlimax attempt to search for the thief with little luck, before finding the Romans had razed Dipsomaniax's tavern to the ground in their absence, arresting him and Obelix, per Britannicus' orders. Learning they were imprisoned in the Tower of Londinium, they attempt to rescue them, though fortunately Obelix, recovering from a hangover, breaks himself and Dipsomaniax from prison, reuniting with Asterix and Anticlimax. Resuming their search, they eventually track down the thief to a suburb of the city. Learning he sold all the barrels, they find that the barrel of magic potion was eventually sold on to a rugby team, and seize it from them during a rugby match. However, in their escape along the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after th ...

, the Romans ambushes the trio, destroying the barrel and spilling its contents into the river. Although disheartened, Asterix recalls the herbs he took and decides to feign making the potion with them. The resulting brew gives a psychological boost to the rebel Britons, who promptly defeat another Roman assault with ease. Mykingdomforanos, made aware of the truth, asks for more of the herbs after declaring the brew will be their national drink. After bidding farewell to Anticlimax, the Gauls return home. During a banquet held by their village in honor of their latest victory, Asterix inquires about the herbs, to which Getafix reveals them to be called

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and nor ...

Characters

– Gaulish warrior, and the main protagonist of the story. *

– Gaulish

menhir A menhir (; from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large upright stone, emplaced in the ground by humans, typically dating from the European middle Br ...

delivery man and warrior, and a close friend of Asterix. *

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 a pun on the expression '' idée fixe'' ...

– Obelix's pet dog, who is loyal to him and Asterix. * Getafix – Gaulish druid of the village, responsible for the superhuman magic potion they use. * Vitalstatistix – Chief of the Gaulish village. * Anticlimax – A Briton warrior, and cousin of Asterix. * Mykingdomforanos – Anticlimax's Briton chief. The character's appearance is a caricature parody of British Prime Minister

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

. In the French original, the character is known as Zebigbos, a parody of the phrase "The big boss". * Dipsomaniax – A tavern owner in Londinium. * Encyclopaedicus Britannicus – The newly elected governor of Britain following the Roman's conquest of the island. * Tullis Stratocumulus – A Roman officer being sent back to Gaul from Britain, and to his camp near Asterix's village. * The Pirates – A group of pirates led by Captain Redbeard, who often suffer bad luck with the Gauls.

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

makes a brief cameo in one panel during the opening background of the story.

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

make a cameo appearance in one panel as a group of famous Briton bards.

Cultural references

As with stories involving encounters with various foreign people, ''Asterix in Britain'' makes fun of common English stereotypes, though in the original publication both Rene Goscinny and

included a foreword stating that this was done with no intention of insulting France's "famous rivals". The story features several notable references, the most notable being: * In the story, Asterix and Obelix head for a rugby match, in which one of the teams comes from

Camulodunum Camulodunum ( ; ), the Roman Empire, Ancient Roman name for what is now Colchester in Essex, was an important Castra, castrum and city in Roman Britain, and the first capital of the province. A temporary "wikt:strapline, strapline" in the 1960s ...

and wear blue and white uniforms. Camulodunum is the ancient name of Colchester, while the uniforms are based on those wore by the footballers of Colchester United FC. The opposing team they face come from "Durovernum". The name references a Roman town and hilltop fort called

Durovernum Cantiacorum Durovernum Cantiacorum was a town and British hillforts, hillfort () in Roman Britain at the site of present-day Canterbury in Kent. It occupied a strategic location on Watling Street at the best local crossing of the River Stour, Kent, Stour, wh ...

that became the site for present-day

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

. * The name Mykingdomforanos is a pun on the Shakespearean line "my kingdom for a horse" from the play ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

''. The name Encyclopaedicus Britannicus is a play on the real-life name of the general knowledge encyclopaedia, the ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...

''. * In the French version of the comic, Goscinny and Uderzo used literal French translations of English expressions - for example "Je dis!", which is the translation of "I say!" In some of their work with English expressions, they stuck with French grammar rather than English, meaning some adjectives were placed before nouns, rather than after them. For the English translation, translators

Anthea Bell Anthea Bell (10 May 1936 – 18 October 2018) was an English translator of literary works, including children's literature, from French, German and Danish language, Danish. These include ''The Castle (novel), The Castle'' by Franz Kafka, ''Aus ...

and

Derek Hockridge Derek Hockridge (1934 – 8 August 2013) was a British translator, teacher, lecturer, and occasional actor, who was perhaps best known for his translations of the '' Asterix'' comic book series. Born in Wales and brought up in Birmingham, he com ...

had several Briton characters speak with a stereotypical "upper class" English, such as for example "This is a jolly rum thing, eh, what?" * The city of

is based on the real-life Roman city that was founded in 47 AD. The comic's creators took some historical liberty in using it for some of the settings used in the comic.

Adaptations

''Asterix in Britain'' received two film adaptations of its story: * An animated film of the same name was released in 1986 by both

and Gaumont. The French cast included Roger Carel and Pierre Tornade, whilst the English cast featured Jack Beaber and Bill Kearns; with Graham Bushnell voicing Anticlimax in both the French and English versions. The film followed the plot of the comic, but with some changes: ** Dogmatix accompanies the group on their adventure. ** Julius Caesar's role in the story was fleshed out by Goscinny and Uderzo, who also redesigned the character of Stratocumulus and gave him a more prominent role in the film. ** The character Britannicus was replaced by a Roman general named Motus, while the character of Dipsomaniax was replaced with a Gaulish ex-pat called Gaullix. ** A new character called Totalapsus was added to the story as a comic foil, who pursues the group but with little luck. ** The tea herbs Asterix uses are acquired from a

Phoenicia Phoenicians were an Ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, ancient Semitic group of people who lived in the Phoenician city-states along a coastal strip in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily modern Lebanon and the Syria, Syrian ...

n merchant that Obelix saves from the Pirates. * A live-action film, '' Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia'', was released in 2012 by Fidélité Films, and starred

Édouard Baer Édouard Baer (born 1 December 1966) is a French actor, director, screenwriter, film producer and radio personality. In 2001, Edouard Baer played the Egyptian scribe Otis in Alain Chabat's hit comedy Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra. Baer ...

and

Gérard Depardieu Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu (, , ; born 27 December 1948) is a French actor. An icon of French cinema, considered a world star in the same way as Alain Delon or Brigitte Bardot, he has completed over 250 films since 1967, most of which as ...

. The adaptation changed several aspects - including replacing Mykingdomforanos with the historical figure

Queen Cordelia Cordelia (or Cordeilla) was a legendary Queen of the Britons, as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. She came to power in 855BC. She was the youngest daughter of Leir and the second ruling queen of pre-Roman Britain. There is no independent his ...

(portrayed as a parody of

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

), and Anticlimax's tribe being Scottish in appearance with

tartan Tartan or plaid ( ) is a patterned cloth consisting of crossing horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours, forming repeating symmetrical patterns known as ''setts''. Originating in woven wool, tartan is most strongly associated wi ...

kilt A kilt ( ) is a garment resembling a wrap-around knee-length skirt, made of twill-woven worsted wool with heavy pleats at the sides and back and traditionally a tartan pattern. Originating in the Scottish Highland dress for men, it is first r ...

s - whilst also including a number of elements from '' Asterix and the Normans'', including the character of Justforkix. Alongside the film adaptations, an audiobook of the comic was released by

EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a British multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company EMI in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succes ...

in 1987, under its ''Listen for Pleasure'' label. The adaptations was handled by

, and narrated by

Willie Rushton William George Rushton (18 August 1937 – 11 December 1996) was an English cartoonist, comedian actor and satirist who co-founded the satirical magazine ''Private Eye''. Early life Rushton was born 18 August 1937 at 3 Wilbraham Place, Chelsea, ...

In other languages

Alongside the French and English version, ''Asterix in Britain'' has been translated into the following languages:

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Asterix In Britain Britain, Asterix in Works set in Roman Britain 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 United Kingdom Depictions of Julius Caesar in comics Cultural depictions of the Beatles Cultural depictions of British people Comics set in London Ethnic humour