Asterix in the Spessart Forest?

We all know album 24 as the album in which Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix follow chief Vitalstatistix as he goes to Belgium to proof that they are actually the bravest and not the people from Belgium. When you read the Main Franconian translation of this album however, you’d think they are heading to the Spessart Forest.

Translation?

The German publisher of Asterix has released many albums in regional languages and dialects that are spoken in Germany. About 30 mundarts (dialects) have one or more (usually more) albums on their list. I recently came across the album Asterix un di Schbessartrauber which is a reinterpretation of Asterix in Belgium. I am saying reinterpretation, because in this album our heroes don’t visit Belgium at all, they visit the area where Main Franconian is spoken, more specifically Spessart Forest. The Spessart Forest is a low mountain range located in Bavaria and Hesse, Germany. It lies between the Main River to the south and east and the Kinzig River to the north. The area is known for its dense beech and oak forests, historic castles, and traditional timber-framed villages.

To make the story work, it had to be rewritten in several places. There are of course no references to Caesar who states that the Belgians are the bravest Gauls.

Meefränggisch

Meefränggisch is the local name of the dialect. It is a German dialect belonging to the East Franconian branch of the High German language family. Its origins trace back to Old High German and Middle High German. It differs from Standard German in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar; for example, “ich” (I) becomes “i,” and “nicht” (not) becomes “net.” Consonant shifts are common, like the softening of “k” to “ch.” Unique words include “Blaa” (leaf) and “Gell” (right?). Its grammar retains distinct dative forms and local variations in verb conjugation. Main Franconian shares traits with neighboring dialects but retains a distinct identity within the Upper German subgroup.

Spessart robbers

The title of the album refers to the Schbessart-Räuber, or Spessart Robbers. The Spessart robbers refer to the legendary bandits who were said to roam the Spessart forest, a low mountain range in Bavaria, Germany. The Spessart has long been associated with tales of outlaws, highwaymen, and robbers who would ambush travelers passing through the dense woods.

The most famous story about the Spessart robbers is “Das Wirtshaus im Spessart” (The Inn in the Spessart), a novella written by Wilhelm Hauff in 1827. In the story, travelers seek shelter in a remote inn in the Spessart, only to discover that the innkeepers are involved with a band of robbers. The tale became so popular that it inspired several adaptations, including films and plays.

So, in the context of Asterix, calling the Belgians “Schbessart-Räuber” in the Meefränggisch version is a clever cultural reference — it compares the boisterous and bold Belgians in the story to the infamous Spessart robbers, blending local German folklore with the world of Asterix.