Tintin Forums

I don't mean to rain on Jock123's parade (unlike the Jubilee), but going from "Tel Al Oued" to “all-ouette” would be stretching it a bit. It would have been better to leave it at "Al Oued".

Mikael Uhlin

Yes, i have referenced my French reprint of 1950's Land of Black Gold now, and i see these original French names for the town "Tel Al Oued" and the well "Bir El Ambik".

It is interesting that both this town and the well are named the same in the 1950's version and maintained for continuity in the 1970's book, unlike Hasch Abaibabi being only a new 1970's addition.
I was able to compare the French in the 1950's book with the English in the 1970's book.

I find it interesting too that the Swedish translations keep the original French for the town (and well?), and the Dutch have their own names in translation.
This was all knew and unknown to me before, so i'm curious to know if this is the same with other Khemed locations in Swedish and Dutch, in both Land Black Gold and Red Sea Sharks, like with Wadesdah, Hasch Abaibabi, Khemikal, Jebel Kadheh, etc?
I can only refer to the English and earlier French versions.

I do seem to remember reading somewhere (not sure without referencing if it may have been Benoit Peeters, Harry Thompson, Michael Farr, Philippe Goddin, or even Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier?) about the beer brand and beer keg inspirations for "Bir Kegg" and "Bir El Ambik".

Are the similarities of the French and Swedish names and translations, and the translation versions of the French and Dutch, fairly consistent in other Tintin books, or is this particular to Khemed?
Again i am only familiar with all the English language books, and some French versions in the very few French language books i own, and those mentioned in my various Tintinologist reference books, that are indispensable!

Also i agree with you regarding the closeness in names in the French between Khemedite Arabia and Saoudite Arabia.
It really is the ultimate parallel and inspiration clue!

Thank you for your Swedish and Dutch language information and references on Khemed, as all this is so interesting to me, and of course was completely unknown and new information to me.

You’re not, trust me.

To you, not to me - I don’t think it’s far off, and if it isn’t, what is it supposed to be?

It’s patent from the other examples that Hergé was happy to stick on a “Tel” prefix, then add a pun (LSD, or what have you); why wouldn’t he add it to allouette, or why should it be left off?
I’m happy to be given a better explanation, but working from the material available, “aloued”/ “allouette” seems as good as any, Tel or no Tel…

that is the question. When it comes to puns, Herge tends to be very complex. "Wadesdah" is supposed to be based on the English term "What is there?" but is there any documentary evidence?

Here's something: according to Michael Farr, the name "Ben Kalish Ezab" "is splendidly inspired by the Bruxellois 'Kalische zap' or liquorice juice!". However, according to some source, "zab" sounds like "Zeb" which is the Arabic for (ahem)... "penis".

In fact, it seems that some Pakistan diplomat was barred from becoming ambassador to Saudi Arabia because his name, "Akbar Zeb", sounds like "big..."... er... just read the story.

jock123

I follow your idea for this "Tel Al Oued" suggested inspiration, and agree with your reasoning for the inclusion of "Tel" with this (as with "Tel El Esdi" or "Tel Al Manakh"), and also agree that in the absence of any better or other suggested inspiration for the original French name of "Tel Al Oued", that your idea regarding the French translation for "Allouette" of our English "Lark" is a very reasonable and interesting possible inspiration.
I certainly couldn't suggest another, but any other suggestions would be interesting to read?

The "LSD" inspiration for the English version "Tel El Esdi" is brilliant, as are both the French/Belgian and English inspired "Bir El Ambik" and "Bir Kegg".

Also the Dutch version of "Tel Al Manakh" (Almanac) is interesting, if less houmouress, and i hope to learn more variations and their inspirations.

Re: "Tel Al Oued"

It's just a guess, but might Hergé have been referring to an allodium, or an allod? (in French Alleu, Alloux or alôd in old Frankish). An 'allodial title' referred to land that was exempt from feudal duty, or meant land that was owned free from any superior landlord or sovereign.

Hergé might have come across this in Braine-l'Alleud, a district in the Walloon-Brabant province in Belgium. The "l'alleud" denoted the land was exempt in medieval times.

As a side note, it's known that Hergé was fond of the region and spent time there on his holidays. The town Sart-Moulin is in this district, the town which gave the name Moulinsart when reversed.

Harrock n roll

This suggestion and information regarding inspiration for "Tel Al Oued" is very interesting, and i think fits Herge's likely knowledge and use of meanings or humour in his choice of names and locations.

I find your information on the "Allodial title rights" really fascinating, and as i love history too, its great to discover these sort of things.

Herge's knowledge and effection for this region, and the property or land rights of this "Allodial" feudal title rights, would be a typical example of the type of inspirations Herge played with and used in his books.

The relevance of the land rights and "Allodial" meaning has more significance too with the fact that "Tel Al Oued" is a town, and curiously too for me, it is interesting, if maybe only coincidental, that the location of "Tel Al Oued" in Khemed is in the far north (between the oil fields desert and Khemikal), making it quite remote and distant from the other main locations in Khemed (either Khemikal Port in the north or Wadesdah and Hasch Abaibabi in the coastal south west).
This makes the "Allodial" title rights suggested inspiration for this rather remote and isolated desert town of "Tel Al Oued" even more topical, humourous, and interesting to consider.

Once again, Harrock touches his marble! I hereby am happy to retire the Plucked Lark Hypothesis, in favour of the connection to (Braine-l')Alleud! As Mikael was the first person round here to introduce us to the town in question, as well as pushing back frontieres here in this thread, he’s definitely up for the geography prize this term!

As for mct16’s question of the possible confusion of the zab/ zeb words, well it’s interesting to know, but these things happen; we’ve had people comment on the unfortunate confusion between the sound of the name Tintin and the Japanese equivalent of using “willy” for penis in English.

I’m fairly sure that the “overt” pun on liquorice water was what Hergé had in mind, just as the makers of the movie Free Willy were talking about releasing the eponymous whale, and nothing more sleazy…

Returning to the subject of Herge's map of Khemed in Benoit Peeters book Tintin And The World of Herge (page.106), and also found in The Adventures of Tintin At Sea - National Maritime Museum - Yves Horeau & Michael Farr (page.50).

It is interesting that despite this map, and its appearance in Tintin At Sea, on the opposite page (page.51) another and quite different map of Khemed is shown (presumably by the author), not clearly depicting the Emirate of Khemed at all, and shown nowhere near the Sinai Peninsula and Gulfs of Suez or Aqaba (as has been suggested and discussed), but merely shows Wadesdah as a port on the Arabian coast of the Red Sea (in what is Saudi Arabia) up from Jidda.

Curiously there is no reference to Khemkhah or Khemikhal, (nor is there in the other original Khemed map incidentally), or any suggestion of Hasch Abaibabi or any other locations or borders of Khemed Emirate.

If this newer map was to be taken seriously, judging by the suggested location of the town (and port) of Wadesdah, it would be most unlikely for the other Port of Khemikhal to be on the Mediterranean Sea!

Having said this, and as already said by others in this thread too, i've always been of the opinion that Khemikhal is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, and this theory was supported by the original location of Caiffa/Haifa (British Mandate Palestine) in the earlier Land of Black Gold.
But the Herge map of Khemed for Red Sea Sharks does rather question this decision by suggested names for a port below Wadesdah, and showing a pipeline to this port from the oil fields.
Although as Mikael Uhlin has pointed out, this again is not that convincing when considering the Speedol Star ship's arrival in Khemed Emirate, and then the long desert walk via Bab El Ehr's camp, in Land Black Gold.
Other than the maps uncertainty, and it showing a port suggested below Wadesdah, all other clues in the books do still seem to suggest Khemikhal Port in the north of Khemed, and on the Mediterranean Sea.
Especially when considering the fact that Wadesdah is mapped as a port, and referred to as such in Red Sea Sharks by Allan (page.42, panel.3) when threatening to put Haddock and Tintin ashore at Wadesdah instead of Mecca.

This map may barely work for the locations of the Red Sea ships in The Red Sea Sharks (thats accepting that Wadesdah is halfway down the Arabian coastline), but certainly doesn't fit with Herge's map of Khemed, or the locations in The Land of Black Gold's Khemed Emirate?

Generally speaking, to be part of the Tintin "oeuvre", I think we should only accept facts created by Hergé or approved by him (like Lake of Sharks and the live action movies from the 60s) or mentioned in the Tintin magazine (which names the otherwise nameless pilot from Shooting Star as Major Wing).

I've also seen depictions of Khemed as laying on the Arabian coast up from Jidda, or basically being situated where Yemen is or even as laying by the Gulf of Persia, but if the source isn't Hergé & co, I don't believe in it :-)

The reason that there's no reference to Khemkhah/Khemikhal on the map is of course that when it was made during the work on Red Sea Sharks (c1955), Land of Black Gold still hadn't been re-made, which means that Tintin still arrived at Haïfa by the Mediterranean. And when Land of Black Gold WAS remade, Hergé must have had some reason to invent Khemkhah/Khemikhal instead of using Wadesdah.

I think it was because Speedol Star HAD to reach Khemed via the Mediterranean Sea. Remember, the Suez Canal was closed during the Israeli-Arab war in 1967 up until 1975 (and the final version of Land of Black Gold was released in 1971) and the Speedol Star certainly did not travel all the way from Europe around Africa to reach Arabia. Also, it fits with Haïfa from the earlier version, it fits with the "panhandle" on the map and it also fit with da Figuieras travels and whereabouts according to Cigars of the Pharaoh. And, most importantly, these are all bits and pieces created by Hergé...