Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The oath sums up the series' mix of ancient history and French schoolroom comedy: a forgotten god's name turned into a cartoon exclamation. Fans use it as a warm, harmless swear, and the same column argues it has done more to make Toutatis known than centuries of scholarship.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Asterix the GaulShow the scene
'By Toutatis!' is a Gaulish oath in Asterix, created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo; the first story, Asterix the Gaul, ran in Pilote from 29 October 1959 and came out as an album in 1961. Toutatis was a genuine Gaulish god, and a Wild Hunt column says the cry turns up in nearly every volume, sometimes swapped for variants such as 'By Belenos'. The sources checked do not say which story first has it, or which character says it first.
Sources (2)
- Asterix the Gaul, WikipediaPublishing historyReference checked
- By Toutatis! Asterix and the Pagan Revival, The Wild HuntcolumnReference checked
Context reviewed