Tintin Forums

I don't know when I first read King Ottokar's Sceptre, but it has to be around fifty years ago.

Yet it was only just now I noticed a mention in the most excellent book Tintin, Ketje de Bruxelles, by Daniel Justens and Alain Préaux, which makes me realize that I've been mispronouncing the name of Klow, the Syldavian capital city.

In my mind, "Klow" rhymes with "cow". However, the Justens & Préaux text - which looks at the influence of the Brussels dialects and patois on Hergé and the books - observes that the name is in fact derived from the word "klœf", pronounced "klouf", meaning cracked or mad.

So the "w" is sounded, at least in the original - and perhaps (if I remember) I will do it too...!