Asterix and the Golden Sickle
historyAsterix 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.
Plot summary
Disaster strikes in the Gaulish village when Getafix the druid 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 sicklesmith Metallurgix.
However, Metallurgix has mysteriously gone missing, and before long our heroes are exploring the underworld of the big city. 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. When all is revealed and the Gauls have rescued Metallurgix, they can go home with a new sickle for the druid and the magic potions will continue to flow.
Notes
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.
- When Asterix & 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.
- Bengali: Asterix o sonaar kaaste
- Bulgarian: Златният сърп
- Catalan: La falç d'or
- Dutch: Asterix en het gouden snoeimes
- Estonian: Asterix ja Kuldsirp
- Finnish: Kultainen sirppi
- Frisian: De gouden sichte
- German: Die goldene Sichel
- Greek: Το χρυσό δρεπάνι
- Hungarian: Az aranysarló
- 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
- Serbian: Астерикс и златни срп
- Spanish: La hoz de oro
- Swedish: Asterix och guldskäran
- Turkish: Asteriks Altın orak
- The complete guide to Asterix by Peter Kessler ISBN 0-340-65346-9