A rare translation of Asterix has just been published in a little-known Swedish dialect in Finland. Spoken by only 7,000 speakers, grondspraatsi thus benefits from a great spotlight thanks to the adventures of our favorite Gauls. Discover how this unique project contributes to preserving this…
This is news that should delight Asterix fans and lovers of rare languages. The album “La Grande Traversée”, published in 1975, has just been published in a very special version: translated into Grondspraatsi, a Swedish dialect spoken by only 7,000 people in western Finland!
If the very first Swedish translation of the adventures of our cunning Gaul dates back to 1970, this grondspraatsi edition constitutes a great first. According to John Hagnas, director of the project, this is indeed “the first official translation into a Swedish dialect in the Nordic countries”.
Grondspraatsi, a unique dialect to be preserved
In Finland, Finnish and Swedish are the two official languages. If the first is the mother tongue of the vast majority of the 5.5 million inhabitants, only a little more than 5% have Swedish as their main language. But Finnish Swedish speakers, concentrated in the southern and western coastal regions, actually speak several ancient local dialects.
Grondspraatsi is one of them. Spoken in the town of Kokkola, it has unique characteristics that make it difficult to understand, even for other Swedish speakers in the country! Hence the importance of this translation project. As John Hagnas explains, the goal is to “strengthen the self-esteem of people who still speak the dialect.”
Expert work to remain faithful to the original
Passionate about comics, John Hagnas has been collecting Asterix albums for many years. It was in 2018 that he came up with the idea of translating “The Great Crossing” into Grondspraatsi, to help preserve this threatened linguistic heritage.
The translation, entitled “Reisa yvi Atlanten”, was entrusted to two local experts, Bror Hagstrom and Ragny Mutka. Their mission: to remain as faithful as possible to the original story while infusing it with the unique flavor of the dialect. Mission accomplished according to John Hagnas:
We added our own colorful words and phrases to the album, but the story remains true to the original.
The Finns, fans of Asterix in all languages
This grondspraatsi translation enriches the collection of Asterix albums available in Finland. The adventures of the famous Gaul, very popular in the country, have in fact already been translated into four other Finnish dialects in addition to Finnish:
- The Karelian
- The mortar
- Le own
- The stadiums
A success that cannot be denied, since throughout the world, Asterix albums have been translated into more than 100 languages and dialects! This new grondspraatsi version proves that beyond simple entertainment, comic book translations can also play a key role in the preservation of threatened linguistic heritage.
A great way to bring the magic of Asterix to life while celebrating the richness and diversity of Nordic languages. There is no doubt that “Reisa yvi Atlanten” will conquer the hearts of the last speakers of grondspraatsi, and why not inspire a few new vocations!
