The upcoming book titled ‘Asterix na Lusitânia’ will join other volumes of the adventures of the two Gauls already translated into Mirandese, such as ‘La Spadanha Branca’ (2024), ‘Asterix an Eitália (2017), and ‘Asterix l Goulés’ (2005).
The first proposal to translate the adventures of the small Gaul into Mirandese dates back to 2001, the year marking 40 years since the publication of the hero created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo.
Mirandese is an official language of Portugal that has been passed down orally over the centuries. The exact number of speakers is unknown, as it is considered endangered and originates from the region called Terra de Miranda.
When ‘La Spadanha Branca’ (‘The White Lily’) was released, translator Carlos Ferreira explained that translations into Mirandese are “done with great care”: “We have a very precise translation of the texts within the very Gallic universe of Asterix, both from a historical perspective and modern French society. It takes a lot of imagination and knowledge to convey all emotions to the Mirandese language and society.”
Carlos Ferreira, advocating for Mirandese to be recognized for the quality of its writing as a minority language, stated that “these translations are not free”: “There has to be a lot of rigor,” he said. “Every regionalism we introduce in the tale, we must explain [to the authors].”
The first translation proposal of the small Gaul’s adventures into Mirandese dates back to 2001, marking the 40th anniversary of the hero’s publication created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo.
‘Astérix na Lusitânia,’ released globally on the 23rd, is the 41st album in one of the most well-known and sold comic series originally signed by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, now continued by authors Fabcaro, the pen name of Fabrice Caro (writer), and Didier Conrad (artist).
In an interview in Paris, the writer said the book is “an homage to Lusitanian culture, to nostalgia.”
“We went to Portugal, saw fado concerts, and it was wonderful. When we make an album about a real country, we want the country to like it,” said Fabcaro.
During one of the three visits to the country, Fabcaro had the idea to take the two Gauls to Portugal for the first time to introduce readers to “a bit of Lusitanian culture” and the history of Portugal, after visiting over 15 countries accompanied by their faithful dog, Ideiafix.
“I wanted an album by the sea, in a southern country, with water, sun, beautiful light, colorful facades. An album that would make me want to go on vacation, so Portugal was perfect,” he added.
Despite having limited knowledge of Portugal during the Roman era, through research—including learning “the history of Viriato” and garum production (a popular sauce in Ancient Rome made from fermented fish and salt)—the story for the new adventure of the Gaulish duo emerged, steeped in a sense of nostalgia, a symbol of Portuguese identity.
The book also addresses various stereotypes, with references to fado, codfish, pavement, tiles, and wine, always with the characteristic humor of the characters, which the author hopes “contains no errors” and will please everyone, especially Portuguese readers.
In this new album, which took a year and a half to produce, Didier Conrad once again tried to respect the “difficult” task of maintaining Uderzo’s style, “which evolved greatly across the albums,” while bringing to life new characters and Portuguese landscapes.
“Uderzo always did what he wanted, he could vary quite a bit from one album to another. So I have to choose what seems best and that can be complicated,” said Didier Conrad.
‘Astérix na Lusitânia,’ with a worldwide print run of five million copies, was published in Portugal by Asa in a first print run of 80,000 copies, officially presented by the authors last Monday in Lisbon.
