Where did the Smurfs come from?
"On the other side of the mountain and on the other side of the sea, there is a group of Smurfs, they are lively and intelligent, they are mischievous and clever..."
I believe that this "Smurf Song" is familiar to everyone; but do you know where these cute "Smurfs" came from?
"La la la-la la la, Sing a happy song. La la la-la la la, Smurf the whole day long"
Everyone has heard this song before, but do you know where the smurfs come from?
As a classic character who has grown up with generations in Belgium or around the world, today, after mentioning the Adventures of Tintin by Hergé in the previous issue, we will talk about this comic book character, which belongs to the French comic book classic, and is one of the most widely circulated and influential comic characters, "The Smurfs".
After a presentation on Hergé's reporter Tintin, his Adventures, and their connection to China, we are going to talk about a group of fantasmagorical characters that many in Belgium grew up with, and one of the most popular and influential comics in Belgium: The Smurfs.
Where did the Smurfs come from?
Where do the Smurfs come from?
The first thing we have to talk about is: Where did these magical little people come from?
The Smurfs originated from the famous Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford (pen name Beyo Peyo, hereinafter known as Bayo), born in 1958, with the French name "Les Schtroumpfs". The name is said to have been discovered over dinner with his friend André Franquin, one of the authors of Spyro, who was also
He created the image of Gaston Lagaffe. Beyo wanted Francan to hand him some salt, but for a moment he forgot how to say it, so he said: Get me "Schtroumpf". Since then, the two have often joked, replacing words with "Schtroumpf", and that is, before the Smurfs could even become the Smurfs, a special language was born.
The first question is: where do these magical creatures come from?
The Smurfswere born from the imagination of their authorPierre Culliford, better known as Peyo, in 1958. He called the creatures “Schtroumpfs” in French. The legend says that the name was found one day when eating dinner with his friend, André Franquin (one of the authors of Spirou and the creator of Gaston Lagaffe). Peyo wanted to ask Franquin to pass the salt, but forgot the word for it, so asked him for the “Schtroumpf”. From then on, both continued to joke by randomly replacing words with “Schtroumpf”, which gave birth to the Smurfs' peculiar language, before the idea of the Smurfs even was thought of.
Originally, the Smurfs did not appear in the form of a series of comics, but appeared as supporting characters in another series of Beyot comics, Johan & Pirlouit. (First appeared in La Flûte à six trous (six-hole flute) in the adventure story of Zohar and Piwei in Spiru magazine in 1958)
The Smurfs didn't start out with their own comic. Instead, they appeared as supporting characters in Peyo’s other comic Johan and Peewit(Johan & Pirlouit). Their first appearance dates back to the comic “La flûte à six trous” (The six-hole flute), a Johan and Peewit adventure published in the Spirou magazine in 1958.
Because the Smurf image was so popular, in 1959, Spielum magazine published the first edition of the Smurfs' independent story, and the first Smurf series also began to be sold. At this point, the "Smurfs" also started their own series of stories.
The tiny blue creatures were so popular that in 1959, the Spirou magazine published their first stand-alone story. And so the Smurfs began their own series of stories.
How many Smurfs there are
How many Smurfs are there?
So, how many Smurfs are there?
In the second comic in the Smurf series, Papa Spain leaves the village, and the village Smurfs decide to vote for another leader, while the new Smurf leader gets 96 votes, of which 2 Smurfs abstain, but since the Smurf leaders can't vote for themselves, it can be deduced that there were 98 Smurfs + 1 Smurf, a total of 100.
With the development of the Smurf series of comics, animations and movies, the number of Smurfs has now reached 210.
Next question: how many Smurfs are there?
In the second comic of the series, "King Smurf" (Le Schtroumpfissime), Papa Smurf leaves town and the Smurfs are left to elect a new leader. The new "King Smurf" gets 96 votes, with 2 abstentions. As the King Smurf can't vote for himself, that gives us a total of a 100.
With the writing of dozens upon dozens of new comics, animated series and films, the number of Smurfs has now reached 210!
In addition, each Smurf is named after its own characteristics. Here are a few of the main characters Smurfs, who are common in both comics and movies, such as:
Papa Smurfs: The spiritual leader of the Smurfs, wearing red pants, a red soft hat, and a white beard; in addition to directing the Smurfs to work, he also likes to stay in the laboratory to conduct strange research; resourceful and not in danger is the label of Papa Smurfs.
Blue Sister: Originally created by the Goblin Witch to infiltrate the Smurf Village and create discord between the Smurfs. After the Smurf Village was devastated, Sister Blue began to rethink her nature, and Papa Smurf eventually agreed to turn her into a real Smurf with spells from magic books.
Clumsy: Unlike other Smurfs, Clumsy is a village idiot and doesn't have a specific job. But the great thing is that he is very kind and helpful.
Satoshi: Papa Spain's special assistant, but always likes to be clever and self-defeating. Cong Cong is easy to recognize because he is the only Smurf with glasses.
Lele: Loves pranks and often gives prank gifts to other Smurfs. "Give you a gift" is Lele's mantra, but when the gift is opened, it will explode.
Boredom: Boredom is always frowning, barely laughing, hating everything, and the mantra is: "I hate XXX". Although he may seem grumpy, he also occasionally shows extraordinary courage to save his loved ones in a low-key manner.
As you may know, each Smurf is called according to its characterisitcs: here are a few of the main Smurfs that are common to both comics and films:
Papa Smurf:The spiritual leader of the Smurfs, wears red trousers, a red hat and sports a long white beard; apart from leading the Smurfs, he likes to spend time in the lab doing strange research; he is also known to be resourceful and unfazed by danger.
Smurfette: She was originally created by Gargamel to infiltrate the Smurf Village and create discord among the other Smurfs. After wreaking havoc in the Smurfs village, she started having second thoughts about her nature and Papa Smurf agreed to transform her into a real smurf with a spell from his spellbook.
Clumsy Smurf: Clumsy is the klutz of the village, and as such doesn’t have a specific job, unlike most other smurfs. His redeeming trait is that he’s good-natured and helpful.
Brainy Smurf:Brainy is Papa Smurf’s personal aide and likes reminding it to the other Smurfs, as well as teaching them lessons, which often earns him trouble. He can be recognized because he’s the only Smurf who always wears glasses.
Jokey Smurf: As his name suggests, this Smurf likes to play practical jokes on other Smurfs. He enjoys giving presents to Smurfs which end up exploding in their faces.
Grouchy Smurf:Grouchy almost never smiles, and his favourite catchphrase is to answer “I hate ...” to whatever the last Smurf said. Even though he may seem ill-natured, he occasionally pulls off acts of courage or selflessness to save the ones he (lowkey) loves.
Where can we find them?
Where can we find them?
The Smurfs park in Shanghai
Where can we find comic book characters who have influenced generations of Belgium, China, and the world?
In 2020, after Spain and Dubai, the world's third Smurfs theme park opened in Shanghai, which means that Chinese people do not need to travel abroad to get up close and personal with the adorable Smurfs we knew as children, and also experience the charm of Belgian French comics.
Where can we find these creatures that are known throughout Belgium, China and the world?
In 2020, the world's third Smurf theme park opened in Shanghai, after Spain and Dubai. Adults and children alike in China will no longer have to travel abroad to get to see the adorable Smurfs up close.
United Nations Ambassador for sustainable development goals
The Smurfs,
ambassadors of the SDGs at the United Nations
After 63 years of development since their birth in 1958, the Smurfs, who remain an enduring classic IP, are now ambassadors for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which set 17 goals to be achieved by 2030. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are calls for all countries, both developed and developing, to address many international issues, including poverty, hunger, education, gender equality, climate and more. The Smurfs are now on a publicity tour of China, and in May this year, Guillaume Goessens, the first secretary of the embassy, was also present during his visit to Chengdu. The last stop of the Smurfs promotion will take place in Beijing at the end of the year, so everyone must check it out!
The Smurfs are not only a 63-year old series of comics that is still read by thousands nowadays, they are also ambassadors for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, a set of 17 goals set by the UN to be reached by 2030. The SDGs are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership, that span over many issues, such as poverty, hunger, education, gender equality, climate, and much more. The Smurfs are now touring China to spread awareness. Our First Secretary Guillaume Goessens was present during their stop in Chengdu later this year. Their last stop will be in Beijing at the end of the year, so be sure to go take a look!
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