Teaching Belgian Cultural Connections With Astérix

Teaching Belgian Cultural Connections with "Astérix"
Author(s): Lois Davis Vines

Source: The French Review , May, 2008, Vol. 81, No. 6, La Belgique et la Suisse (May,
2008), pp. 1224-1238
Published by: American Association of Teachers of French
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25481404
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The French Review, Vol. 81, No. 6, May 2008 Printed in U.S.A.
Teaching Belgian Cultural

Connections with Asterix
by Lois Davis Vines
JYIuch of the humor in the Asterix series is based on cultural details

and stereotypes. In some albums the comic references are easy to catch,
as in Asterix chez les Helvetes. In my third-year university-level conversa
tion and composition course, I use this album along with Asterix chez les
Beiges to study cultural humor, word play, and anachronisms. Cultural
humor has numerous elements, including language, history, literature,
music, art, and cuisine. Asterix chez les Beiges is a challenge because the
cultural connections are not familiar to most American students, who can
usually name only three things: Brussels, Brussels sprouts, and beer.
Because of their limited familiarity with Belgium, a study of this album
offers a context in which to learn more about the country and its complex
history.1 A preliminary discussion dealing with the problem of Belgian
identity and the creation of cultural stereotypes prepares the students for
their reading of Asterix chez les Beiges.
In one of the earliest scholarly studies of cultural stereotypes in the
Asterix series, Christopher Pinet analyzes the humor based on popular
images of the French as well as on other groups, such as the Swiss and
the Corsicans. The same year that Pinet's study came out (1977), Rene
Goscinny died suddenly, leaving the scenario for Asterix chez les Beiges,
which Albert Uderzo illustrated and published in 1979. Creating verbal
and visual humor based on a culture whose identity is problematic, even
for the Belgians, was a challenge for the author and illustrator. As
Mireille Rosello points out, "A stereotype calls upon a knowledge of cer
tain recognizable social structures and identities" (15). Belgian identity is
complicated by the fact that since 1830 the country has been composed of
three cultural regions where the inhabitants speak Flemish, German, and
French respectively.
In their humorous portrayal of Belgians, Goscinny and Uderzo bring
together elements of Flemish and francophone cultures. One of their
main characters, Vanendfaillevesix, resembles Ambiorix, a Belgic leader
who stood up against Caesar in 54 B.C. A statue of Ambiorix was erected
in 1855 in Tongeren, located in the Flemish region just north of Liege and
considered to be the oldest town in Belgium. Like Vercingetorix for the
1224

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TEACHING BELGIAN CULTURAL CONNECTIONS WITH ASTERIX 1225
French, Ambiorix symbolizes unity among diverse tribes who came

together to resist an outside force. The myth of sharing a common ances
tor offers the possibility of finding unity in diversity. In her discussion of
historical myths and stereotypes, Ruth Amossy remarks that "te mythe
se differencie du stereotype en ce qu'il exhibe un sheme collectif fige
pour en faire le receptacle d'une essence rare, qui eclaire en profondeur
le sens du reel" (101). Rosello creates the term "stereotypical historiciza
tion" in her discussion of the phrase "Nos ancetres les Gaulois," used as
a means to inspire cultural identity (154). The myth of the stereotypical
Belgic warrior goes back to Caesar, who declared that "the Belgae are
the bravest, for they are furthest away from the civilization and culture
of the Province" (3). But as Caesar goes on to recount, the Belgae were
made up of tribes constantly at war with each other, not an inspiring
image for present-day Belgium. Ambiorix was nearly forgotten until the
second half of the nineteenth century, when his statue was created to
symbolize Belgian unity. The Ambiorix myth is a good example of what
Michael Dieter calls "the manipulation of Celtic identity to create ethnic
nationalism" (597). This imagined community called Belgium is the
theme of Patrick Roegiers's La Belgique: le Roman d'un pays, the subtitle
suggesting that the country's identity is based on fiction rather than fact.
The problem of Belgian identity is expressed by the Liegeois author Rene
Henoument, who speaks directly to the French as he attempts to define
how he is different from Francophones across the border. Pierre Tami
niaux views the identity question from America, where, in his opinion,
most people have the misconception that Brussels, now an international
center, is a typical Belgian city.
After an introduction to Belgian history and culture, my approach to
teaching Asterix chez les Beiges is to organize the activities so that the stu
dents discover and present to each other the cultural connections that are
not obvious to them during their initial reading of the album. After meet
ing in small groups to discuss Belgian stereotypes, the next assignment is
for the students to read the forty-eight-page album and take notes on cul
tural elements they observe, which for college students is usually the
comment that "everyone is drinking beer." As a writing activity, they
prepare a synopsis of the story, which we then discuss. The third activity
goes to the core of learning about Belgian cultural connections. Each stu
dent along with a partner is assigned a topic which they present orally to
their classmates. Students are very adept at doing research on the web
and creating PowerPoint presentations that include appropriate visual
material. They also prepare a one-page handout that includes the main
points of their presentation, which will be used in the next activity. After
the presentations have been completed, the students reread the album
and note the connections between the oral presentations and the text and
images in Asterix chez les Beiges.2 The oral presentations are based on top
ics outlined in the following sections.

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1226 FRENCH REVIEW 81.6
Brussels: Creative Center of Post-War European Bandes dessinees
Belgian writers and artists have played a major role in the development
of cartoon literature, especially after World War II. In Masters of the Ninth
Art Matthew Screech gives an overview of the history of bandes dessinees,
which during most of the twentieth century were dominated by Walt
Disney creations. Although Mickey Mouse captured a large part of the
market, the American cartoon inspired European creators to find their
own originality. In Belgium, two publications offered an outlet for comic
strip talent: Le Journal de Spirou, created in 1938, and Le Journal de Tintin in
1946. Bart Beaty notes the importance of these Belgian magazines: "At
the end of the Second World War the most advanced comics-producing
countries in the world were the United States, which continued to export
material across Europe with the assistance of the Marshall Plan, and
Belgium, which launched two magazines that defined a trans-European
comic-book style for generations" (21-22). The Belgian model also cre
ated a marketing strategy that later contributed to the worldwide success
of the Asterix series: cartoons first appeared serialized in magazines, then
were sold again as complete episodes in hardcover albums with a distri
bution network that went far beyond the magazine circulation.
Herge (Georges Remi, 1907-83), the creator of Jjes Aventures de Tintin, is
so well known throughout the world for his French-language cartoons that
readers are sometimes unaware that he is Belgian. Andre Franquin
(1924-97), a Belgian contemporary of Herge, became very popular in
France and in other countries with his series Gaston Jjagaffe. Franquin
entered the cartoon business in Brussels when Jije (Joseph Gillain) hired
him to work at Jje Journal de Spirou in 1944 and had him continue the Spirou
series, which had been created by Robert Velter in 1938. Another Belgian
cartoonist, Peyo (Pierre Culliford, 1928-92), creator of the Schtroumpfs, has
been very successful in America, where his Smurfs became a hit as a televi
sion series. Post-war Brussels was the European mecca for cartoon artists,
whose work was mostly free-lance unless they were hired for steady
employment by a magazine or newspaper. La Maison de la bande dessinee,
located in Brussels, pays homage to these artists.
It was thanks to a Belgian connection that Goscinny and Uderzo first
met in Paris in 1951. While living in New York in 1950 Goscinny met the
Belgian illustrator Maurice de Bevere, who signed his work Morris and
became well known for his cartoon Lucky Luke, based on an American
cowboy theme. Goscinny teamed up with Morris to write the scenarios
for this very successful comic series. Through Morris, Goscinny met
another Belgian, Georges Troisfontaines, owner of a press agency, who
casually invited Goscinny to stop by his office in Brussels. Two weeks later
Goscinny showed up and was offered the job as director of a Belgian
agency with a prestigious English name, World Press, which Troisfon
taines had just opened in a small office on the Champs-Elysees. Uderzo

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happened to be hired by the same agency, where the two future creators
of Asterix first met and discovered a compatibility in their sense of humor
and creative drive.3 Goscinny enjoyed writing comic scenarios more than
illustrating, and Uderzo preferred to draw rather than write. Before cre
ating the first Asterix cartoon in 1959, the two worked together and inde
pendently on several successful projects.4
The Asterix series was born in a moment of desperation when Goscinny
and Uderzo were wracking their brains to come up with a new cartoon
for Pilote, a magazine for adolescents they co-founded with two col
leagues. While searching for a theme based on French culture and history
they hit upon the idea of creating a scenario that takes place during the
Gallo-Roman period. The serialized cartoons soon became a favorite and
the magazine carried the subtitle Journal d'Asterix et Obelix. In 1961 the
publisher, Georges Dargaud, released the first episode as a hardback
album, Asterix le Gaulois, which sold over 6000 copies, enough to deter
mine the lucrative potential of the series. Goscinny and Uderzo produced
two albums a year from 1965-70, followed by one a year until 1976, when
they were engaged in difficult negotiations with their publisher. After
Goscinny's unexpected death in 1977, Uderzo made the difficult decision
to continue alone, writing the scenarios and illustrating the adventures.
He created his own firm, Les Editions Albert Rene, which has published
nine albums produced solely by Uderzo, with one exception, Asterix et la
rentree gauloise (2003), a collection of short cartoons that includes earlier
work with Goscinny.
Asterix chez les Beiges is not only Goscinny's last album, it is considered
one of his best because of the rich cultural allusions in an entertaining
context. Goscinny and Uderzo often visited Brussels and had many
Belgian friends endowed with a great sense of humor. It is fitting that
Goscinny's last album pays tribute to a country that played an important
role in his success as a cartoon artist.
History and Literature
Goscinny's inspiration for the plot in Asterix chez les Beiges came from
his reading of Caesar's The Gallic War in which the Roman leader remarks
that the Belgae are the most courageous and fiercest fighters in all of Gaul
(3). In Goscinny's scenario, the Gauls learn about Caesar's praise when
they notice that the Romans in the camps near their village are happy and
light-hearted because they are grateful to return alive from their cam
paigns against the Belgae. Asterix and Obelix beat up a Roman legion
naire on patrol who informs them of Caesar's opinion: "Jules Cesar a raison
de dire que de tous les peuples de la Gaule ce sont les Beiges les plus braves"
(8.10). When they report this news back to village chief Abraracourcix, he
immediately decides to set off toward the north with Asterix and Obelix
to challenge the Belgae and defend the honor of their village.

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Shortly after crossing into Belgian territory, the three Gauls meet the
co-leaders, Gueuselambix and Vanendfaillevesix (appear 14.1; names
mentioned 19.5). This scene is an anachronism in the sense that modern Bel
gium, created in 1830, is composed of two major language groups, Flemish
speakers and Francophones. These languages are suggested in the names
of the two characters. Gueuselambix is based on the names of two types of
Belgian beer, which in French are Gueuze and Imnbic. Jjambic beer goes
back to a recipe dated 1516 and is produced in towns within ten miles of
Brussels. Gueuze is made of 100% Lambic beer, which undergoes addi
tional fermentation in the bottle and is known as the "champagne" of
beers.5 In the other co-leader's name, the prefix Van- suggests that he is
Flemish; Van is commonly found in last names in the Flemish-speaking
part of Belgium. The meaning of the name Vanendfaillevesix has never
been made clear. Since Goscinny died before production of the album
began, Uderzo did not know exactly what his partner had in mind. His
guess was that Goscinny was pronouncing the English "one and five is
six" with a Belgian accent.6 It is interesting to note that Vanendfaillevesix
is larger than his co-leader, a subtle reference to the fact that Flanders has
almost twice the population of Wallonia, although the former is smaller in
size geographically.7 In contrast to Abraracourcix, the Belgian leaders are
depicted as rustic, hairy and bare-chested. Vanendfaillevesix does not
look very bright. Gueuselambix introduces him as "le menapien" (19.5), a
Belgicism that is sometimes used in a pejorative sense to refer to Flemish
speaking Belgians. Throughout the album, he rarely speaks and uses awk
ward syntax.8 The tension between the Flemish- and French-speaking
chiefs is illustrated when the two warriors fight over a choice piece of
meat, boar's tongue. With a play on words, the wife of Gueuselambix,
Nicotine,9 remarks: "il y a toujours un probleme de langue entre ces deux cas
tars la!" (21.9).
A friendly rivalry emerges as the Gauls and Belgians try to outdo each
other. When the competition turns less friendly, Abraracourcix and the
Belgian chiefs agree that there should be an official contest to decide who
is the bravest, and Caesar himself will be the judge. Although the site of
the conflict is not specifically mentioned, Waterloo is obviously the loca
tion, as we see in the description of the battle that is narrated in the cor
ner of the frames (40-45). The narration is a paraphrase of Victor Hugo's
poem L'Expiation in which the poet describes the Battle of Waterloo.
Waterloo, located about eight miles southeast of Brussels, is famous
as the site of Napoleon's final defeat in a battle against the English and
the Prussians on 18 June 1815. Napoleon's goal was to drive a wedge
between the British and the Prussian armies, but the Prussian army
under Bliicher arrived in time with reinforcements to help the British
General, the Duke of Wellington. The French military leader, Grouchy,
was not able to stop the Prussians and the English from joining forces,
thus leading to the defeat of Napoleon. The names Bliicher and Grouchy

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are mentioned in Hugo's poem and are parodied in the narration in

Asterix chez les Beiges. Goscinny changed lines from Hugo's poem to fit
the battle between the Gauls, Belgians and Romans. The opening line
directs the reader to Hugo's poem:
Goscinny: D'un cote c'est Rome.. .et de l'autre Vexuberance. (40.3-4)

Hugo: D'un cote c'est l'Europe et de l'autre la France. (138)
The end finds the invincible Roman legions in rout with an exasperated
and irate Caesar declaring that although he doesn't know who is the
bravest, Abraracourcix and Gueuselambix are equally crazy (46.5). The
Belgae and the Gauls, now declared equals, part friends, agreeing not to
attack each other.
This reenactment of the Battle of Waterloo in Asterix chez les Beiges
brings together history and literature along with comic elements that
make a stronger impression on students than simply reading about the
battle in a history book.
Language Differences and Belgicisms10
Goscinny and Uderzo made frequent trips to Brussels to meet with

their Belgian colleagues. Goscinny had an extraordinary talent for imi
tating accents and picking up on linguistic differences in the spoken
language. While writing the scenario for Asterix chez les Beiges he incorpo
rated numerous language elements that he perceived to be typical among
Belgians. For pedagogical purposes, I give the students examples of these
linguistic details and then have them find further examples in the context
of the dialogue presented in the album. All of the linguistic elements out
lined below are spoken by the Belgian characters, except in a couple of
cases when Asterix and Obelix mock an expression for humorous effect.
Qa est/c'est
The most frequent expression used by the Belgians in this album is ga est
instead of c'est, for example, "Qa est pas Lutece ici!" (20.2) and "Qa est
servi!" (23.3). Qa est or ga etait is used sixteen times in the album. When
Asterix sees the huge amount of food served at lunch he exclaims "Qa est
frugal?!?" (21.3), imitating Nicotine, who, using the same expression, has
just apologized for the modest meal.
Tu/vous
Using tu and vous in the same sentence occurs five times. Gueuselambix
advises Abraracourcix: "Restez derriere avec tes hommes" (14.9) and later
remarks: "Vous nous avez bien fait rigoler avec tes hommes" (19.4).

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Savoir/pouvoir
On four occasions, a Belgian character uses savoir instead of pouvoir, for

example, "tu ne sais pas savoir pourquoi" (32.1) for tu ne peux pas savoir
pourquoi. The double use of the verb savoir makes the reply sound even
more unusual. Goscinny exaggerates the use of savoir in the familiar
expression "Sauve qui peut!" (45.7), shouted by the Romans while fleeing,
which is repeated in the next frame by the Belgian leader exclaiming
"C'est le sauve qui sait general!" (45.8).
Unefois
Inserting unefois in a sentence is found in Gueuselambix's first utterance

when he greets the visiting Gauls: "Dites voir unefois qui vous etes a rigoler
comme ga?" (14.2). During a battle he uses the expression again: "Allons
unefois nous mettre un peu a I'abri" (43.1). The expression serves to inten
sify the idea and is difficult to translate.
Fieu
When the Belgae meet the Gauls for the first time, one of the Belgians
says "J'avais reconnu l'accent, fieu" (14.3). By adding fieu at the end of the
sentence, he identifies himself as a Belgian. Fieu or mon fieu, meaning
roughly "lad" or "son," is used four times in the album, on one occasion
expressed in an abbreviated form as "m'fi" (38.8).
-eke
Adding -eke to the end of a name is based on Flemish and is used as a

diminutive or as an expression of endearment. A Belgian woman serving
lunch admires Obelix's enthusiasm for food and affectionately calls him
"Obelixeke" (21.4). Asterix and Obelix pick up the linguistic novelty and
use it jokingly as they say good night to each other: "Bonne nuit As
terixeke!" Asterix continues the linguistic fun by replying: "Bonne nuit
imbecileke!" (23.2). Gueuselambix refers to his wife as "Nicotineke" (25.8;
39.7) and "Cherieke" (28.4). The ending is used in a condescending man
ner to diminish the importance of Caesar when Gueuselambix refers to
him as "Cesareke" (31.4).
Vocabulary
Certain words used in Asterix chez les Beiges are considered Belgicisms,
although they are not necessarily limited to French spoken in Belgium.

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Castor
Gueuselambix shouts at Abraracourcix: "Parce que vous et tes castors, tu

peux faire mieux peut-etre??" (16.4). Castors means "strong men," roughly
the equivalent of costauds.
Carabistouille
This word, meaning "nonsense," is used five times in the album.

Gueuselambix remarks to Abraracourcix: "ga est pas la peine de raconter des
carabistouilles" (11 A). Later, the Gallic chief uses the same word, adding
"une carabistouille, comme vous dites" (22.1).
Drache
Referring to a downpour, drache is often identified with French spoken in

Belgium. In Asterix chez les Beiges it is used in the sense of a downpour of
stones thrown by the Roman catapults. As the battle with the Romans
rages, Gueuselambix shouts: "On va attendre que cesse de tomber cette
drache" (43.1).
Une baise
In the context of the Belgian speakers, une baise means une bise or un bisou.
Gueuselambix says affectionately to his wife, pointing to his cheek: "Allez
Nicotineke, donne une baise et tire ton plan" (21.2). Tire ton plan is a Bel
gicism meaning debrouille-toi. Une baise is also used to express reconcilia
tion and farewell, as in the scene at the end of the album when the
Belgian chef says goodbye to his Gallic friends: "Allez! On se fait une
baise!" (48.1).
Septante
In Belgium, as well as in Switzerland, septante is used instead of soixante

dix to mean seventy. Gueuselambix has learned that Caesar has set up
camp "a septante milles d'ici" (32.3).11
I provide a list of these linguistic elements without the definitions and
have the students prepare a double assignment: 1) find the meanings of
as many of the expressions as possible on the web; and 2) find the context
of the expressions in the dialogue of Asterix chez les Beiges and explain the
meaning or give a synonym in French.12

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Painting and Sculpture
The illustration on the cover of Asterix chez les Beiges shows a Belgian
sitting on top of a large keg guzzling a mug of beer surrounded by a feast
with most of the guests gripping a mug of the same frothy drink. The
scene is a parody of the painting The Fight Between Carnival and Lent by
Pieter Bruegel the Elder, a sixteenth-century Flemish painter. American
readers might be surprised to see so much beer flowing in comic litera
ture that has a very young audience as well as adult readers. The beer
theme is continued when we meet a curly-headed little boy named
Manneken who has to run out his Belgian parents' house to relieve him
self. There is even the suggestion that the kid sneaks a drink of beer (cer
voise); his father remarks: "Je me demande parfois si notre Manneken ne boit
pas de la cervoise en cachette!" (34.10). The reference is to Manneken Pis, a
famous statue of a little boy relieving himself into a fountain, located in
downtown Brussels. The original statue probably dates from the Middle
Ages, but the official date of its origin is 1619, when the city commis
sioned Jerome Duquesnoy to make a new bronze statue to replace an old
one.13 The small figure is a major tourist attraction in the Belgian capital.
Manneken is an old Dutch word meaning "little fellow."
In a rare full-page illustration, Uderzo produced a parody of another
Bruegel painting, Peasant Wedding (47). Bruegel is known for his depic
tion of peasant folk, the subject of this painting. In Uderzo's version,
Asterix and Obelix are seated at a table laden with huge amounts of food
and beer flowing in the foreground. Idefix, the dog, is happily lapping
up a bowl of Belgian stew.
Food and Drink
In Belgium, meals are named differently than in France (19.7-8). In the

morning, the French have le petit dejeuner, which the Belgians call le deje
uner. For the Belgians, the noon meal is le diner and the evening meal is le
souper (22.9). In Uderzo's illustrations, the meals are heavy with lots of
different dishes. Roegiers, in his description of Belgian customs, remarks:
"Jovial, bon enfant, et 'bonne fourchette,' le Beige a le gout des kermesses et
agapes publiques" (121). In Asterix chez les Beiges there are allusions to four
dishes that are typical of Belgian cuisine. A reference to Brussels sprouts,
les choux de Bruxelles, comes through Latin. When Obelix asks what he is
eating, the Belgian farmer's wife replies: "Qa est des brassica d'ici" (34.4),
using the Latin word brassica for cabbage. Officially named brassica oler
acea gemmifera, this green plant was developed from a primitive cabbage
in the fourteenth century near Brussels.
Another dish Obelix is introduced to for the first time is waterzooie,
which sounds like a joke or a made-up name. Sometimes called "Flemish
chicken soup," this traditional Belgian stew is made with chicken or fish,

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celery, carrots, onions, various spices, white wine, lemon juice, egg yokes
and heavy cream.14 There is a play on the sounds of waterzooie and
Waterloo when Gueuselambix exclaims "Waterzooie! Morne plat!" (39.8), a
take-off on the opening line of the second part of Hugo's poem
UExpiation: Waterloo! Waterloo! Waterloo! morne plaine (137). Gueuselambix
finds Flemish cuisine dull when he refers to the dish as "morne plat" (39.8)
and looks rather disgusted at the sight of the meal in a bowl.
In France and other European countries, the Belgians are credited with
having invented what Americans call French fries. When the restaurants
and snack bars run by the United States House of Representatives
renamed them "freedom fries" in March 2003 after France opted not to
join the invasion of Iraq, this reaction caused some consternation at the
French Embassy and among the French in general, who have never
referred to them as French fries or made any claim to their invention.
Allusions to pommesfrites originating in Belgium are found in Goscinny's
scenario on three occasions, with one reference playing on the meaning
of the expression tomber dans les pommes (to faint). In a scene where a
Roman is lying unconscious beside a pot of boiling oil, Gueuselambix
remarks: "Je voulais demander au Romain ce qu'il voulait frire dedans, mais il
est tombe dans les pommes" (25.7). The next frame shows Gueuselambix
connecting two ideas: "Les pommes...les pommes...des pommesfrites...ilfau
dra que j'en parle a Nicotineke" (25.8). Later, as his wife is placing large
amounts of food on the table, he makes a suggestion to her: "A propos,
Cherieke, tu n'as jamais pense a faire frire des pommes?" (28.4). She gives him
a look that expresses "you must be crazy." He makes the suggestion
again just before the Belgians and the Gauls go to battle against Caesar's
legions: "Tu as essaye de me faire frire des pommes?" (39.7). Nicotine replies
that the Menapiens insisted on preparing the last meal, waterzooie, to
which Gueuselambix replies "morne plat" (39.8).
Another favorite Belgian dish, moules-frites, mussels and fries, becomes
part of the scenario when Obelix discovers on the battlefield a large piece
of the pirates' ship that has small round creatures clinging to it. When he
shows the plank to Gueuselambix, the Belgian has another bright idea:
"Des monies...je me demande si ga n'irait pas bien avec des pommes frites"
(46.11), and thus moules-frites are born.
The favorite drink that goes with the pommes frites, choux de Bruxelles,
moules-frites, and waterzooie is beer, which flows freely from large kegs in
the Asterix album. Belgians are proud of their high-quality brews, with
brands numbering over three hundred. Certain beers are served in spe
cial glasses on specific coasters to identify them for refills.
Sports, Entertainment, Music, and a Cartoon Cameo Appearance
As the Belgae prepare for battle against Caesar they send a speedy mes
senger to alert the neighboring tribes. The messenger is drawn in fast

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motion wearing a gold jersey and bearing a striking resemblance to Eddy

Merckx (39.6), the Belgian cyclist who won the Tour de France five times
between 1969 and 1974 and many other titles. Born in 1945, in the
Flemish-speaking part of Belgium, Merckx is considered to be one of the
greatest cyclists in the world. Some of my sports-minded students recog
nized the name but assumed he was French because Merckx was men
tioned many times during the news coverage of Lance Armstrong's race
to win the Tour de France seven times. Photos of Merckx included in the
students' oral presentation make the connection with Uderzo's carica
ture, which exaggerates the cyclist's square jaw and dark hair. In
Roegiers's analysis of Belgian identity, Merckx plays a stronger role than
the king in uniting the Flemish and francophone communities: "Mais le
vrai monarque est le roi Eddy, icone populaire, sportif beige le plus
fameux du vingtieme siecle, seul comme Tintin a faire l'unanimite dans
une contree de discorde" (105).
Nicotine, the energetic, charming wife of Gueuselambix, has short
blond hair, bangs, and a winning smile. She is a perfect caricature of the
Belgian actress and singer Annie Cordy, born in Brussels in 1928. Cordy
began her career in music halls and then went on to popular perfor
mances in operettas and musical comedies in Paris. She has recorded
over 500 songs and has acted in over 30 films and television series. In a
recent interview in Paris Match (2007) she talks about her latest film (Le
Dernier desfous), her continuing stage career, and musical recordings. At
the age of 79 she shows no signs of slowing down. She commented to the
interviewer: "Hier j'etais a Waterloo, je suis arrivee a Paris cette nuit. Ce
matin, j'ai repete avec mes musiciens. En ce moment j'alterne le theatre et
les galas, et j'enregistre un nouveau disque" (13). Although most of her
performances have taken place in France, she reminds the interviewer of
her Belgian roots: "La Belgique est ma patrie, mais la France, c'est mon
pays" (13).15
As Gueuselambix leads the Gauls through the countryside toward his
village Abraracourcix remarks that the land of the Belgae is very flat.
Gueuselambix replies: "Oue, dans ce plat pays qui est le mien, nous n'avons
que des oppidums pour uniques montagnes" (20.3). His description is from
the song Le Plat pays by the Belgian singer and songwriter Jacques Brel
(1929-78). The last line of the first verse is "Le Plat pays qui est le mien."
The second verse begins: "Avec des cathedrales pour uniques montagnes."16
For cathedrales Goscinny substituted oppidums, which were fortified
towns, usually built on a hill, that were typical in Gallo-Roman times.
Another reference to a song is a line from an old version of the Belgian
national anthem. When Abraracourcix observes that the Belgae are often
at war, Gueuselambix replies: "Apres des semaines et des semaines
d'esclavage, on a decide qu'on ne savait plus supporter" (14.6). The remark
suggests the Brabangonne, the Belgian national anthem, which begins:

46.103.14.178 on Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:30:16 UTC
Apres des siecles d'esclavage/Le Beige sortant du tombeau/ A reconquis par son
courage/Son nom, ses droits et son drapeau.17
While Gueuselambix and Abraracourcix are in a violent argument
about who is the bravest, a speech-balloon appears containing words
from a speaker outside the frame. The balloon, drawn in the rectangular
style of Herge's Tintin, announces: "Jules Cesar est arrive en Belgique"
(31.7). In the next frame two Tintin characters, Dupont and Dupond,
show up dressed in capes and Gallic helmets with swords attached to
their belts. In the Tintin series, they are clumsy detectives dressed in
identical suits and wearing bowler hats. The second character typically
repeats what the first one has said, adding Je dirais meme plus and often
transposing sounds or otherwise muddling the language of the other. In
Goscinny's version, the second character says: "Je dirai meme plus: Cules
Jesar est arrive en Gelbique" (31.8). Since many readers of Asterix are also
fans of Tintin, the appearance of these characters created by the Belgian
cartoonist is amusing because they are totally out of context.
Two more cultural allusions appear in Asterix chez les Beiges. When
Asterix needs a truce flag, he asks a Belgian farmer's wife for some white
cloth. Out of her sewing basket she pulls a large square of lace (34.7),
which Asterix attaches to a pole and carries with him. Belgium is known
for its beautiful lace, which is featured in many gift shops throughout the
country.
The other allusion is to Belgian jokes. Between battles, the Romans sol
diers tell exaggerated stories making fun of the Belgians. One of the
Romans gets fed up, saying "Ras le bol des histoires beiges!" (7.5). The
French tell Belgian jokes in the same way that the English recount Irish
jokes and Americans tell Polish jokes. In these anecdotes, the other
nationality is made to appear naive or stupid.
Conclusion
Goscinny's scenario and Uderzo's illustrations make many Belgian cul

tural connections that include Culture with a big C, art and literature,
and culture with a small c, food, popular music, and cartoons. By assign
ing selected topics for oral presentations, the teacher guides the students
to the connections they present to their classmates, thus making the
learning student-oriented.
After the oral presentations and a second reading of Asterix chez les
Beiges, the students are prepared for the cultural aspects of Alain Ber
liner's 1998 film Le Mur, a romantic comedy that deals with conflicts be
tween the francophone and Flemish-speaking communities in Belgium.
In the opening scene, a Belgian joke causes a rift between the two main
characters, both bilingual in French and Flemish. The main character
sells French fries from a trailer located near the border between the two

46.103.14.178 on Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:30:16 UTC
linguistic regions. Language details include the use of fieu, septante,

nonante, castors, and fransquillon. Berliner blends realistic scenes with the
surreal to dramatize the break-up of Belgium into two regions divided by
a grotesque wall. Although the film ends with a contrived love-conquers
all theme, it incorporates historical moments and shows the hostility
between young people in both linguistic groups and the different atti
tudes between generations.
Le Mur and Asterix chez les Beiges offer memorable images of Belgium, a
small country whose complex identity is based on the richness of its
multi-lingual and multi-cultural communities.18
Ohio University
Notes
Belgian identity is the subject of a 30-minute BBC program on DVD, which presents the
history of Belgium and the present-day issues it faces. I highly recommend the video as
part of the study of Asterix chez les Beiges. Entitled Belgium, it can be ordered from Films for
the Humanities and Sciences at www.films.com.
2The twenty-four Asterix albums by Goscinny and Uderzo published between 1961 and
1979 by Dargaud Editeur were acquired by Hachette in 1999. The pagination in the
Dargaud and Hachette editions is the same. In this article the page and frame numbers are
indicated after each quote from Asterix chez les Beiges. For example, 14.5 indicates page 14,
frame 5.
3In an interview with Numa Sadoul, Uderzo recounts how he first met Goscinny (Sadoul
99-100). In Goscinny's biography, Guillaume and Bocquet give a similar description of their
first meeting (60-61). Screech's account is incorrect on two details when he states:
"[GoscinnyJ met Uderzo [...] while they were both employed by Harvey Kurtzman in New
York. By the 1950s Goscinny and Uderzo were back in Paris, working with the American
publisher World Press" (75). Uderzo never worked in New York and World Press was
owned by a Belgian.
4For illustrated examples of their work, see Philippsen, 45-136, and Vidal et al, 22-57.
5L>ifferent types of Belgian beers are explained on this site: <http://ourworld.compuserve.com/
homepages/pvosta/pcrbierl.htm>
6This explanation is given in two sources, Andrieu, LXXVIII (the whole book is paginated
in Roman numerals) and in Du Chatenet, 326. Goscinny used a similar name, Quatredeusix,
in Le Tour de Gaule d'Asterix (19.9).
7 Recent statistics comparing Flanders and Wallonia are found in "Belgique: La Flandre
ne veut plus payer," L'Express 20 septembre 2007, p. 46.
Tor example, Vanendfaillevesix says "je vais causer dans le centurion son oreille." (25.9)
The name Nicotine is also related to a play on words. A female Gaulois is a Gauloise, sug
gesting Gauloises, the name of a well-known brand of cigarettes in France. Nicotine also fits
nicely into the pattern of Gallic female names in the Asterix series, most of which end in
-ine based on three female heroines who lived during Gallo-Roman times, Pauline,
Blandine, and Eponine. For the story of these Gallic heroines, see Pelletier.
10There are several websites for Belgicisms. I find the following one the most useful:
<http: / / membres.lycos.fr/belgicismes>
"Goscinny uses septante to create the name of a Belgian druid, Septantesix, in Asterix et les
Goths (7.5).
12There are additional Belgicisms in the album that are used less frequently: blinquer (to
shine): "Faites blinquer les cuivres" (20.5); loques (cleaning rags): "Passer les loques a reloquer"

46.103.14.178 on:ffff:ffff on Thu, 01 Jan 1976 12:34:56 UTC
(20.5). Gueuselambix refers to the Gauls as "Celtillons" (14.3), a play on "fransquillon," a
term used by French-speaking Belgians to refer to their compatriots who try to imitate a
Parisian accent. For the Flemish-speaking Belgians, the term is slightly pejorative, referring
to Belgians who speak French in the northern part of Belgium, where Flemish is the main
language.
13A Google search in French or English gives many interesting sites for Manneken Pis.
14My favorite recipe for waterzooie is found at: <http://www.soupsong.com/waterzo.html>
15Another Belgian actor, Benoit Poelvoodre, has an Asterix connection. He plays the role
of Brutus in the recent film Asterix aux Jeux olympiques.
16 A video of Brel singing Le Plat pays can be found on <http://www.youtube.com>
17Written in 1830 by Louis-Alexandre Dechet, better known as Jenneval, the Belgian
national anthem has gone through several revisions over the years. The official version
today begins O Belgique, 6 mere cherie/A toi nos cceurs, a toi nos bras/A toi notre sang, 6 Patrie!
18I would like to thank Franchise Poyet for her help on an early version of this article.
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"Annie Cordy, Dyna...mythique!" Paris Match 11-17 Janvier 2007:13.
Beaty, Bart. Unpopular Culture: Transforming the European Comic Book in the 1990s. Toronto: U
of Toronto P, 2007.
"Belgique: La Flandre ne veut plus payer/' L'Express 20 septembre 2007: 47-48.
Berliner, Alain, dir. Le Mur. La Sept ARTE, 1998.
Bucquoy, Jan. La Vie est beige: le paradis, la, maintenant, tout de suite. Paris: Editions Michalon,
2007.
Caesar, Julius. The Gallic War. Trans. Carolyn Hammond. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1996.
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Dietler, Michael. "'Our Ancestors the Gauls: Archaeology, Ethnic Nationalism, and the
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Du Chatenet, Aymar et al. Le Dictionnaire Goscinny. Paris: Lattes, 2003.
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Teaching Belgian Cultural Connections With Astérix

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Teaching Belgian Cultural Connections with "Astérix"

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