Asterix and the Soothsayer
| Company type | Comic book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Comics, Graphic novels |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Founder | René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo |
| Products | Asterix comic series |
Asterix and the Soothsayer (, "The Diviner") represents the nineteenth edition in the Asterix comic series, crafted by writer René Goscinny and illustrator Albert Uderzo. Its initial release occurred through serialization in Pilote issues 652 to 673 during 1972.
This volume introduces Prolix, a soothsayer who foretells a divine curse upon the Gaulish village. While the villagers grow increasingly uneasy about potential sacrilege, Asterix remains skeptical of Prolix’s authenticity.
Plot summary
Amidst a thunderstorm, all Gauls except Getafix—who is attending a druidic assembly—assemble inside the chief’s hut when Prolix arrives, predicting better weather and an impending dispute over Unhygienix’s fish. Asterix alone discerns that Prolix is deceiving them.
Impedimenta conceals Prolix within the village for interrogation, strictly forbidding Asterix and Obelix from approaching him. Obelix encounters Prolix, who captivates him with illusions of romance; Obelix swiftly develops feelings for Mrs. Geriatrix. Meanwhile, Roman soldiers led by Centurion Voluptuous Arteriosclerosus apprehend Prolix with intentions to exploit him against the Gauls.
After Impedimenta discovers Asterix near Prolix’s hideout, fears of sacrilege intensify. Under Roman manipulation, Prolix returns proclaiming a divine curse that will taint the village air. Most inhabitants evacuate to a nearby island, leaving only Asterix, Obelix, and Dogmatix behind.
The Romans advance to capture the village. Getafix returns and counters Prolix’s plot by producing a noxious gas that repels Romans, Prolix, and Cacofonix—the latter of whom confirms the prophecy to those on the island. The Centurion falsely reports victory to Caesar and seeks autocratic power through flattery from Prolix.
Getafix reveals his intervention in driving off the Romans while villagers debate Prolix’s reliability due to his flattering forecasts. To unmask Prolix’s deception, men and women unite to assault the Roman camp. When confronted by Centurion Arteriosclerosus about his failure to warn them, Prolix admits ignorance. Impedimenta punishes both parties.
Back in the village, Julius Caesar’s envoy Bulbus Crocus arrives to verify conquest claims but is swiftly expelled. Arteriosclerosus is demoted and assigned solitary camp-cleaning duties. Prolix abandons his soothsaying career and departs amid a storm. The village returns to tranquility except for Cacofonix’s continued fantasies of stardom.
Commentary
- Starting with Asterix and the Roman Agent, the series shifted toward more mature themes; here it satirizes ancient Gaulish and Roman superstitions, highlighting humanity’s widespread susceptibility to credulity.
- An illustration on page 9 portrays both the Roman and Gaulish pantheons, featuring a sketch of Uderzo's countryside residence alongside a soothsayer’s futuristic vision represented by a photograph of La Défense, Paris’s modern skyscraper district.
- The lower section of page 10 reproduces Rembrandt’s Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp during a scene involving fish disembowelment.
- Though typically barefoot, Unhygienix is shown wearing brown shoes on the cover and early in the storm sequence (page 5).
- On page 9, an Augur informs Caesar that "as long as Brutus is near you...you will have nothing to fear," alluding to Caesar's assassination.
Film adaptation
The 1989 movie Asterix and the Big Fight draws loosely from this volume but mistakenly adopts its title. Moreover, aspects of its storyline are incorporated into the initial live-action feature, Asterix and Obelix vs Caesar.
In other languages
- Arabic: أستريكس والعراف
- Basque: Aztia
- Catalan: L'endeví
- Croatian: Žrec (pagan priest)
- Czech: Věštec
- Dutch: De ziener
- Finnish: Asterix ja ennustaja
- German: Der Seher
- Greek: Ο μάντης
- Icelandic: Ástríkur og falsspámaðurinn
- Irish: Asterix agus an Fear Feasa
- Italian: Asterix e l'Indovino
- Norwegian: Spåmannen
- Portuguese: O Adivinho
- Polish: Wróżbita
- Serbian: Vrač pogađač (The Guessing Wizard)
- Spanish: El Adivino