Asterix and the Golden Sickle
Encyclopedia
Asterix and the Golden Sickle is the second volume of the Asterix
comic book series, by René Goscinny
(stories) and Albert Uderzo
(illustrations). It was first serialized in Pilote
issues 42-74 in 1960.
breaks his golden sickle
. Without one he cannot attend the annual conference of druids, or cut mistletoe
for the magic potion which keeps the Roman armies
at bay. Asterix and his friend Obelix
set out for Lutetia
(present-day Paris
) to buy a new one from Obelix's cousin, the skilled sicklesmith Metallurgix. On the way they enocunter bandits, but easily defeat them. A man in an Inn they stay at says sickles are in short supply in Lutetia. They finally get to the city.
However, Metallurgix has mysteriously gone missing, and before long our heroes are exploring the underworld of the big city. They go to an Inn opposite, but when they ask about Metallurgix the man close up, and after they are gone gives a description of them to another man. This man finds them, and introduces himself as Clovogarlix, claiming to be a friend of Metallurgix. He takes them to a place where they meet a man called Navishtrix who tries to sell them a sickle for a vast price, though they refuse and wreck the place. They are arrested, but released by the Prefect, and find out from a Centurion
that Metallurgix may have been kidnapped. They uncover a sickle-trafficking gang with sponsors high up the Roman bureaucracy, whose shadowy business is run from below a portal dolmen in the Boulogne forest. The two enter the forest and get directions from a bandit they save from wolves. They get into the lair and find a horde of Golden Sickles, but are attacked by a gang that includes Clovogarlix and Navishtrix, but they defeat them. Navishtrix gets away, but they find him with the local Roman Prefect, revealed to be the leader. When all is revealed and the Gauls have rescued Metallurgix, and the Prefect has been arrested for sickle-trafficking, while the sickles beneath the Dolmen have been returned to Metallurgix, they can go home with a new sickle for the druid which Metallurgix gives them for free and the magic potions will continue to flow.
Asterix
Asterix or The Adventures of Asterix is a series of French comic books written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo . The series first appeared in French in the magazine Pilote on October 29, 1959...
comic book series, by René Goscinny
René Goscinny
René Goscinny was a French comics editor and writer, who is best known for the comic book Astérix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and for his work on the comic series Lucky Luke with Morris and Iznogoud with Jean Tabary.-Early life:Goscinny was born in Paris in 1926, to a family...
(stories) and Albert Uderzo
Albert Uderzo
Albert Uderzo is a French comic book artist, and scriptwriter. He is best known for his work on the Astérix series, but also drew other comics such as Oumpah-pah, also in collaboration with René Goscinny.-Early life:...
(illustrations). It was first serialized in Pilote
Pilote
thumb|Cover of the first Pilote teaser issue, #0.Pilote was a French comics periodical 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 le Gaulois, Blueberry, Achille Talon, and Valérian et...
issues 42-74 in 1960.
Plot summary
Disaster strikes in the Gaulish village when Getafix the druidDruid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
breaks his golden sickle
Sickle
A sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a variously curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock . Sickles have also been used as weapons, either in their original form or in various derivations.The diversity of sickles that...
. Without one he cannot attend the annual conference of druids, or cut mistletoe
Mistletoe
Mistletoe is the common name for obligate hemi-parasitic plants in several families in the order Santalales. The plants in question grow attached to and within the branches of a tree or shrub.-Mistletoe in the genus Viscum:...
for the magic potion which keeps the Roman armies
Roman army
The Roman army is the generic term for the terrestrial armed forces deployed by the kingdom of Rome , the Roman Republic , the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine empire...
at bay. Asterix and his friend Obelix
Obelix
Obelix is a fictional character from 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 fatness, the menhirs he carries around on his back and his superhuman strength...
set out for Lutetia
Lutetia
Lutetia was a town in pre-Roman and Roman Gaul. The Gallo-Roman city was a forerunner of the re-established Merovingian town that is the ancestor of present-day Paris...
(present-day Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) to buy a new one from Obelix's cousin, the skilled sicklesmith Metallurgix. On the way they enocunter bandits, but easily defeat them. A man in an Inn they stay at says sickles are in short supply in Lutetia. They finally get to the city.
However, Metallurgix has mysteriously gone missing, and before long our heroes are exploring the underworld of the big city. They go to an Inn opposite, but when they ask about Metallurgix the man close up, and after they are gone gives a description of them to another man. This man finds them, and introduces himself as Clovogarlix, claiming to be a friend of Metallurgix. He takes them to a place where they meet a man called Navishtrix who tries to sell them a sickle for a vast price, though they refuse and wreck the place. They are arrested, but released by the Prefect, and find out from a Centurion
Centurion
A centurion was a professional officer of the Roman army .Centurion may also refer to:-Military:* Centurion tank, British battle tank* HMS Centurion, name of several ships and a shore base of the British Royal Navy...
that Metallurgix may have been kidnapped. They uncover a sickle-trafficking gang with sponsors high up the Roman bureaucracy, whose shadowy business is run from below a portal dolmen in the Boulogne forest. The two enter the forest and get directions from a bandit they save from wolves. They get into the lair and find a horde of Golden Sickles, but are attacked by a gang that includes Clovogarlix and Navishtrix, but they defeat them. Navishtrix gets away, but they find him with the local Roman Prefect, revealed to be the leader. When all is revealed and the Gauls have rescued Metallurgix, and the Prefect has been arrested for sickle-trafficking, while the sickles beneath the Dolmen have been returned to Metallurgix, they can go home with a new sickle for the druid which Metallurgix gives them for free and the magic potions will continue to flow.
Trivia
- The prefect (and chief villain) is a caricature of the actor Charles LaughtonCharles LaughtonCharles Laughton was an English-American stage and film actor, screenwriter, producer and director.-Early life and career:...
. - Due to a mistake by Uderzo, the final pages were drawn in comic stripComic stripA comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
panels, which resulted in a printing error (the panels are smaller and the margins are larger than normal) in all versions. - Lutetia (future Paris) satirizes the big city, in contrast with the countryside (Asterix's village)
- "The great ox-cart race, the Suindinum 24 hours" is a reference to the 24 Hours of Le Mans24 Hours of Le MansThe 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
, France. Suindinum is the old name of Le Mans.
In other languages
- Arabic: أستريكس والمنجل الذهبي
- Bengali: Asterix o Sonaar Kaaste
- Bulgarian: Златният сърп
- Catalan: La falç d'or
- Croatian: Asteriks i Zlatni srp
- Czech: Asterix a Zlatý srp
- Danish: Asterix og trylledrikken
- Dutch: Asterix en het gouden snoeimes
- Estonian: Asterix ja Kuldsirp
- Finnish: Kultainen sirppi
- West Frisian: De gouden sichte
- German: Die goldene Sichel
- Greek: Το χρυσό δρεπάνι
- Hungarian: Az aranysarló
- Indonesian: Asterix dan Sabit Emas
- Italian: Asterix e il falcetto d'oro
- Latvian: Asteriks un zelta sirpis
- Norwegian: Asterix og styrkedråpene
- Polish: Złoty sierp
- Portuguese: Asterix e a Foice de Ouro
- Romanian: Asterix si Cosorul de Aur
- Serbian: Астерикс и златни срп
- Spanish: La hoz de oro
- Swedish: Asterix och guldskäran
- Turkish: Asteriks Altın orak