Occitan

Occitania refers to a historical and cultural region in southern France encompassing Languedoc, Provence, Gascony, and Auvergne. It also includes the Occitan Valleys in Piedmont, Italy, and the Aran Valley in Catalonia, Spain. Occitania has a rich medieval history, especially during the time of the Troubadours (12th–14th centuries), who composed lyrical poetry in Occitan. The region has a distinctive culture, blending Roman, French, and Mediterranean influences. Occitan identity remains strong despite historical suppression, with efforts to revive the language and cultural heritage ongoing.

The Occitan language

Occitan is a Romance language derived from the Latin spoken in Roman Gaul. It is closely related to Catalan and shares features with French, Italian, and Spanish. Occitan was once a major literary language, used by troubadours for poetry and courtly love. It has several dialects, including Provençal, Languedocien, Gascon, and Auvergnat. While Catalan and Occitan are highly similar, Catalan evolved separately with more influence from Spanish. French influenced Occitan more strongly, leading to lexical borrowing and phonetic changes. Despite its historical prominence, Occitan declined after French was imposed as the national language in the 16th century. Modern efforts have focused on revitalization, including bilingual education and media. Today, Occitan is classified as an endangered language, but cultural institutions and local governments support its preservation.

Asterix speaks Occitan

Three Asterix albums have been published in Occitan. The first, Obelix e companhia (1976, Obelix and Co.), was published by S.T.L. Société Toulousaine du Livre in Toulouse, France, in collaboration with Dargaud. Lo Torn de Gàllia d’Asterix (Asterix and the Banquet) followed in 1978, translated by Joan de Cantalausa (Louis Combes). In 2004, Éditions Albert-René released Astérix a l’escòla gallesa (Asterix and the Class Act)as part of a broader project to publish Asterix in regional languages. Three other albums were announced but never published.