Asterix and the Golden Sickle

Asterix and the Golden Sickle
Date	1962
Main Characters	Asterix and Obelix
Writer	René Goscinny
Artist	Albert Uderzo
Original Publication
Published by	Pilote magazine
Issue number	42–74
Date of Publication	11 August 1960–1961
Language	French
Translation
Publisher	Brockhampton Press
Date	1962
Translator	Anthea Bell, Derek Hockridge
Chronology
Preceded by	Asterix the Gaul
Followed by	Asterix and the Goths

Asterix and the Golden Sickle (French: La serpe d'or) is the second book in the Asterix series. It first appeared serialized in Pilote starting with Issue 42 and ending in Issue 74 in 1960.

Priginal French cover

Synopsis

Getafix has broken his golden sickle, so Asterix and Obelix visit Lutetia to buy a new one for him. But the sicklesmith—a cousin of Obelix—has vanished without a trace. Where could he have gone? And can Asterix solve the mystery and bring Getafix what he needs?

Plot

Disaster strikes in the Gaulish village when Getafix the druid breaks his golden sickle, on grounds that 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 Obelix therefore set out for Lutetia (present-day Paris) to buy a new one from Obelix's cousin, the sicklesmith Metallurgix. On the way there (and later, in returning to their village), they encounter bandits, but easily defeat them, and learn from a fellow-traveller that "sickles are in short supply in Lutetia". In Lutetia itself, they find that Metallurgix is missing; and when they inquire of his neighbors, one of these gives a description of them to the spy Clovogarlix, who in turn directs them to his superior Navishtrix (Metallurgix's chief competitor) to buy a new sickle at a high price. They refuse, and defeat Navishtrix and his followers; but are pardoned by Roman Prefect Surplus Dairyprodus, and learn from a Centurion that Metallurgix may have been kidnapped by his competitors. From a drunkard imprisoned by Dairyprodus, they learn that these are based at a portal dolmen in the Boulogne forest. In the competitors' underground store-room, Asterix and Obelix find a hoard of Golden Sickles, but are attacked by Clovogarlix, Navishtrix, and their minions. Upon defeat, Navishtrix escapes, and Asterix and Obelix follow him to Surplus Dairyprodus, who confesses having sponsored the illegal monopoly for his own amusement. The Centurion thereupon releases Metallurgix and imprisons Dairyprodus and Navishtrix; whereafter Metallurgix, in gratitude at having been freed, gives Asterix and Obelix the best of his sickles, free of charge. With this, they return to their village and celebrate their achievement.

Getafix is uneasy about letting Asterix travel to Lutetia.

Trivia

• This is the first time Obelix has a major role in the story and highlights his keenness to fight at every opportunity. It is also the first journey away from the village for Asterix and Obelix. There was a planned film adaptation of this book, but it was never released.
• This is the first time Obelix demonstrates his ability of opening doors.
• This also is the first book Asterix and Obelix have a mystery to solve.
• This is one of the few times Asterix uses his sword.
• When Asterix and Obelix were eating at an inn, a stranger tells them that Lutetia is a very beautiful but dangerous city and it is probably talking about what Paris is today
• The prefect (and chief villain) is a caricature of the actor Charles Laughton.
• Due to a mistake by Uderzo, the final pages were drawn in comic strip 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 Mans, France. Suindinum is the old name of Le Mans.
• The book contains much more satirical commentary on modern Paris society than its predecessor, Asterix the Gaul, (In an inspired moment, a fisherman has only been able to catch amphoras and has assembled quite a pile of them). Goscinny and Uderzo are starting to find their feet and this book shows it.
• Asterix is a great polyglot. For the Spanish translation alone, Asterix and the Golden Sickle appears in several languages. There's La Falç d'or in Catalan and Valencian, La Hoz de Oro in Castilian, O fouciño de ouro in Galician, and Urrezko Igitaia in Basque!

  

• Albert Uderzo's famous caricatures appear for the first time in this album. And so the long list begins, delighting physiognomists and others alike, from Raimu (French actor with a strong Marseilles accent) to Jacques Chirac via Kirk Douglas and the Beatles.
• A cartoon feature film of Asterix and the Golden Sickle was produced on the quiet by Dargaud at the same time as the first one, Asterix the Gaul. While the authors had accepted the first film, they flatly refused the second and went on to take part in the production of Asterix and Cleopatra.

In other languages

• Arabic: أستريكس والمنجل الذهبي
• Bengali: এসটেরিক্স ও সোনার কাস্তে
• 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
• French: La Serpe d'or
• 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
• Korean : 아스테릭스, 황금낫을 찾아랏!
• 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
• Scots: Asterix and the Gowden Heuk
• Serbian: Астерикс и златни срп
• Slovak: Asterix a zlatý kosák
• Spanish: La hoz de oro
• Swedish: Asterix och guldskäran
• Turkish: Asteriks Altın orak