[Meeting…] Papyrus

Within the Franco-Belgian comic tradition, there are quite a few series inspired by the past. The most famous of all of them is, without a doubt, that of Asterix (Goscinny and Uderzo, 1959), which is named after the intrepid Gaul who, together with his friend Obelix and the rest of his village of "irreducible Gauls, still and as always, resists the Roman invader." It's not too far behind Iznogud, that evil grand vizier who seeks to be “caliph instead of the caliph”, to whom I already dedicated an article last season.

Today I will talk about the protagonist of another series of this style that, although it cannot be said that it is little known in its original market (although, of course, it is less well known than those two colossi), tiptoed through our country. It's time to introduce you to Papyrus, the Egyptian adventurer Lucien de Gieter.

BEARER OF THE MAGIC SWORD AND SAVIOR OF THE PRINCESS

Papyrus is a young man from ancient Egypt. whose adventures are set around the 13th century BC, during the period known as the Egyptian New Kingdom. He is characterized by his dark complexion, his jet black hair in the shape of a half-length mane, the golden bracelets, pectoral and headband in the shape of a cobra (the uraeus, a protective symbol of royalty) that he always carries with him and which, together with his skirt, completed his clothing, and his slender build. But in his first adventure he differs with this last trait, since he appears with a shorter stature and a more boyish appearance in general. His large almond-shaped eyes painted in the Egyptian manner also contrast with the two small oval dots that very soon (definitely, since his third adventure) would end up characterizing him. As for its name, it goes without saying that it alludes both to the plant that is so common in that country and to the paper that the Egyptians made with it.

That Papyrus from the chapter The Buried Mummy is presented as a humble fisherman who was sleeping peacefully in his boat. Suddenly, a crocodile bursts into the waters of the Nile and, with its teeth, cuts the rope that moors the boat. It then transforms into the goddess of shining hair, daughter of Sebek, the crocodile god, who, pointing mysteriously towards the horizon, seems to have entrusted him with a mission. Poor Papyrus, unaware of everything that has happened, wakes up abruptly when the current of the Nile accelerates and, shortly after, is trapped by a tribe of pigmen (an inaccuracy that would be explained in The black pyramid) who lock him in a dungeon with no way out. There he met Theti-Cheri (play on words with the name of the Egyptian queen Thetisheri and the French word Chéri -dear-), daughter of the pharaoh Merneptah, who had been mummified while alive and thrown into the Nile by palace conspirators. After achieving freedom, Papyrus finds himself lost in a sinister cave where he is presented with a series of tests. It was in that place where he got his magic sword, cover by his fear personified as a giant image and monstrous of himself, who gave it to him after being defeated. Finally, he manages to reunite with the princess and the goddess. The latter explains to him the reason why she made him undertake that adventure: bring Theti-Chéri back to Thebes so that one day he may reign in Egypt, something he would achieve after passing another series of dangers.

Although that Egyptian scimitar is not the central element of each and every one of his adventures, it will be of great use to him on more than one occasion. This weapon is capable of increase in sizeWell, as his own fear told him before dying, it represents “the measure of his value.” It is extremely resistant and gives off a kind of electric shock against enemies that try to brandish it, strikes down small creatures that come into contact with it and creates optical illusions in cases of maximum danger, among other supernatural wonders.

PHARAON ADVENTURES

As a result of this feat, Papyrus manages to obtain a high status in the court of the pharaoh, although from time to time someone still contemptuously calls him fellah (Egyptian peasant). He is dressed with the aforementioned attributes of nobility and royalty and even lives in the most privileged palace quarters, close to those of the heiress herself. Paradoxically, that high position, far from making life easier, will be source of endless adventures, whether in the form of intrigues orchestrated by the pharaoh's enemies, events that occurred during missions entrusted by him or other dangers, in many of which the Egyptian gods themselves are involved. Therefore, His main adventure partner is Theti-Chéri herself. (in Spanish it will be translated first as Tethys-Querida and, in the regular collection with the most forced play on words, Sheror-Amor), who in addition to being a princess, is a priestess and sacred dancer. The relationship that these two characters maintain during most of the series is that of a current friendship (although in some cases Theti/Sheror will show the authoritarian streak typical of royalty), but In the most recent issues it takes on a romantic tone.

Son varios los personajes secundarios que aparecen de forma ocasional. De entre todos ellos, cabe destacar a dos. El primero fue Imhutep, el mejor amigo de Papyrus, quien es presentado como un joven que acabó en la mendicidad al perder su pierna derecha y que, tras ayudar a Papyrus en cierto trance relacionado con el faraón, fue ascendiendo hasta llegar a ser arquitecto real. Más adelante, ya en los capítulos inéditos en España (en concreto, en El señor de los cocodrilos), hace acto de aparición Pouin, un individuo de muy baja estatura, pero de sangre real, que va a todas partes con su asno Kamelot, cuya relación de amor-odio entre hombre y animal aporta un elemento cómico más a la serie. Desde que fue derrotada la tribu libia que le obligaba a trabajar para ellos, acompaña a Papyrus y a Theti-Chéri a buena parte de sus aventuras.

En cualquier caso, y le acompañe quien le acompañe, el protagonista muestra en todo momento una lealtad intachable hacia ellos, junto con tantas otras cualidades ya vistas en los cómics juveniles de esta clase, como valor, ingenio, etc., aunque a menudo exclamando el “¡por Orus!” que tanto le caracteriza.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Papyrus era un joven pescador elegido por la hija de Sebek para salvar a la sucesora al trono de Egipto. A ello le debe su espada mágica, su estatus privilegiado de fiel servidor del faraón y, sobre todo, su gran amistad con la princesa Theti-Chéri, que terminaría derivando en algo más. A menudo se las tiene que ver tanto con enemigos terrenales como con furibundos dioses y otras criaturas mitológicas.

Papyrus es una serie que combina magistralmente la fantasía con la verosimilitud histórica que una considerable documentación proporciona. Además, está lleno de notas a pie de viñeta que aportan datos adicionales sobre la mitología y las costumbres de los antiguos egipcios, lo que lo hace bastante divulgativo. Por desgracia, y como ya comenté, su publicación en España fue bastante fugaz. Sólo vieron la luz los diez primeros tomos del total de 33 que hay hasta la fecha (publicados por Dupuis en el original francés). Y de esos diez, los dos primeros aparecieron de forma suelta en coleccionables. El resto fueron publicados por Ediciones Junior entre 1988 y 1991, esta vez en el mismo orden de la colección original (no como el lío que hicieron con Spirou).