Asterix Marathon #22 - Asterix and the Great Crossing

At this point in the series, this was the furthest distance our heroes travelled on an adventure abroad.

Another fish fight breaks out in The Indomitable Village after Vitalstatistix complains about his shield-bearers getting food poisoning, while Unhygienix protests that his latest delivery hasn't arrived from Lutetia due to an ox-cart drivers' strike (despite the fact they live by sea). However, Getafix needs fresh fish in order to make the magic potion, so in order to preserve the security of the village, Asterix and Obelix volunteer to go fishing. Unfortunately, neither of them are competent fishermen, and they're both caught in a storm and are soon out in the open sea. Time goes by, and they're eventually washed ashore. They initially think they're home, but realise they're somewhere completely different when they encounter gobbling birds, bears, and "Colonial Romans". After earning their respect our heroes choose to stay with these new people until Obelix is arranged to marry the "Centurion's" daughter. They attempt to escape, and soon encounter a group of Norsemen led by Herendethelessen, who believe them to be natives of a "New World".

A lot of the humour in this one revolves around references to America, and later to Denmark. It's not explicitly stated by anybody that our heroes are in America, but it's the First Century BC, so why would they? The primary implication is that they ended up on Manhattan Island, which is reinforced when they hide on a smaller island nearby and Asterix signals the longboat by standing on a pile of rocks with a torch, posing in a similar manner to the Statue of Liberty. I also like the return of the language barrier jokes, similar to those in Asterix the Legionary, but this time without an interpreter. In which Dogmatix learns to bark in Danish after befriending Herendethelessen's Great Dane, Huntingseassen.

The story does take a dark turn during the crossing, as our heroes find themselves lost without a wind or supplies. Obelix eventually goes mad from hunger, and jumps overboard when he hallucinates seeing boars. Asterix tries to retrieve him, but they lose their boat. Fortunately, Obelix sights a floating branch, so they're close to land, but they were incredibly lucky to survive that one.

My favourite joke has to be at the beginning, with how Unhygienix is loathe to get his fish from the sea, choosing to import them from wholesalers in Lutetia.  In fact, I did some crude number-crunching on Google Maps:

• I've already established that Lutetia is Paris, and I'm using the town of Erquy in Brittany as a stand-in for The Indomitable Village. Depending on the route the ox carts take, the distance travelled is 450 to 500 miles. I'll go with 450 miles.
• And ox carts are slow. Let's say they travel at a speed of two miles per hour. If they travel for eight hours every day, that means they cover sixteen miles every day.
• Time is determined by dividing the distance by the speed, so that's 450/16, which equals 29 (rounded up to the nearest whole number).
• This means that it would take almost a whole month for Unhygienix to replenish his stock. Blimey, no wonder the place stinks.

Anyway, I'd better go before he overhears that. I'll be back tomorrow to finish the "Post-Protest Period" by looking at Obelix & Co. and Asterix in Belgium.