King Ottokar's Sceptre

Lore & Background

The story introduces the recurring character Bianca Castafiore, and introduced the fictional countries of Syldavia and Borduria, both of which reappear in later stories. Hergé designed Borduria as a satirical depiction of Nazi Germany. Hergé named the pro-Bordurian agitator 'Müsstler' from the surnames of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and Italy's National Fascist leader Benito Mussolini. Müsstler's group was named after the Iron Guard, a Romanian fascist group. The Bordurian officers wore uniforms based on those of the German SS, while the Bordurian planes are German in design; in the original version Tintin escapes in a Heinkel He 112, while in the revised version this is replaced by a Messerschmitt Bf 109. Syldavia's depiction was influenced by the costumes and cultures of Romania and the neighboring Balkan region. The name Syldavia may be a composite of Transylvania and Moldavia, two regions with historical ties to Romania. The Syldavian language used in the book had French syntax but with Marollien vocabulary, a joke understood by the original Brussels-based readership.

In Their Own Story

Having discovered a lost briefcase in a Belgian park, Tintin returns it to its owner, the sigillographer Professor Hector Alembick, who informs the reporter of his plans to travel to the Balkan nation of Syldavia. Tintin discovers agents spying on the professor and follows those responsible to a nearby Syldavian restaurant. An unknown man agrees to meet with Tintin but is found unconscious and appears to have amnesia. Shortly after, the reporter receives a threatening note and is then the target of a bomb attack; Tintin survives the latter when police detectives Thomson and Thompson intercept the bomb. Suspecting that these events are linked to Syldavia, Tintin decides to accompany Professor Alembick on his forthcoming visit to the country. On the plane journey there, Tintin notices Alembick acting out of character, and suspects that an imposter has replaced him. Reading a brochure on Syldavian history, Tintin theorises that the imposter is part of a plot to steal the sceptre of the medieval King Ottokar IV from the current King Muskar XII before St. Vladimir's Day, thus forcing him to abdicate. Forcibly ejected from the plane by the pilot, Tintin survives and informs local police of his fears regarding the plot. However, the police captain is part of the conspiracy, and he organises an ambush in the woods where Tintin will be eliminated. Tintin evades death, and heads to the capital city of Klow in a car carrying the opera singer Bianca Castafiore. Leaving the car to evade Castafiore's singing, Tintin is arrested and survives another assassination attempt before heading to Klow on foot. Arriving in the city, he meets the King's aide-de-camp, Colonel Boris Jorgen, seeking permission to meet the King. However, Jorgen is also a conspirator and organises a further unsuccessful assassination attempt aimed at Tintin. While Bianca Castafiore is singing at a gala opera, Tintin gatecrashes and he is escorted away by a group of security guards. En route to transferring Tintin to prison, the custody van has an accident trying to avoid a careless pedestrian and Tintin suffers a concussion. Meanwhile, the imposter pretending to be Alembick is allowed into Kropow Castle, where the sceptre is kept. Tintin finally succeeds in personally warning the King about the plot and they both rush to Kropow Castle, only to find that the sceptre is missing. With the aid of Thomson and Thompson, who have recently arrived in Syldavia, Tintin discovers how the conspirators smuggled out the sceptre from the Castle and pursues the thieves, first by car and then on foot across the mountains. He is able to prevent the sceptre being carried over the border into neighbouring Borduria, discovering a letter on one of the conspirators. It reveals that the plot has been orchestrated by Müsstler, a political agitator who runs both the Syldavian Iron Guard and the Zyldav Zentral Revolutzionär Komitzät (ZZRK), a subversive organization which intends to have Borduria invade and annex Syldavia. Entering Borduria, Tintin commandeers a fighter plane and heads to Klow, but the Syldavian military shoot him down. Parachuting, he continues to Klow by foot, returning the sceptre to the King on St. Vladimir's Day and securing the monarchy. In return, the king makes Tintin a Knight of the Order of the Golden Pelican, making him the first foreigner to receive the honour. Tintin later learns that the imposter was Alembick's twin brother after police arrest Müsstler and rescue the real Alembick. Afterwards, Tintin and the Thompsons take a flying boat home.

Reader's Guide

The story begins when Tintin returns a lost briefcase to Professor Hector Alembick, a sigillographer, and discovers a plot involving an imposter replacing the professor. Tintin travels to Syldavia, where he uncovers a conspiracy to steal the sceptre of King Ottokar IV from King Muskar XII before St. Vladimir's Day, forcing the king to abdicate. Tintin survives multiple assassination attempts, including a bomb intercepted by Thomson and Thompson, an ambush in the woods, and a plane ejection. He is aided by Bianca Castafiore, the opera singer, and eventually warns the king, but the sceptre is already stolen. With Thomson and Thompson, Tintin pursues the thieves across the mountains, preventing the sceptre from being carried into Borduria. He discovers the plot is orchestrated by Müsstler, who runs the Syldavian Iron Guard and the Zyldav Zentral Revolutzionär Komitzät (ZZRK), intending Borduria to invade Syldavia. Tintin commandeers a fighter plane in Borduria, is shot down by Syldavian military, and returns the sceptre to the king on St. Vladimir's Day. The king makes Tintin a Knight of the Order of the Golden Pelican, the first foreigner to receive the honour. The imposter is revealed to be Alembick's twin brother, and Müsstler is arrested.

Did You Know?

• King Ottokar's Sceptre was not the first volume of The Adventures of Tintin to be translated into English; that honor belongs to Tintin in the Land of the Soviets or The Crab with the Golden Claws.
• Hergé intended the story as a satirical criticism of the expansionist policies of Nazi Germany, in particular the annexation of Austria in March 1938 (the Anschluss).
• The story introduces the recurring character Bianca Castafiore, making this her first appearance in the series, and also introduces the fictional countries of Syldavia and Borduria.
• Hergé named the pro-Bordurian agitator 'Müsstler' from the surnames of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and Italy's National Fascist leader Benito Mussolini.
• In 1947, Hergé coloured and redrew King Ottokar's Sceptre in his distinctive ligne-claire style with the aid of Edgar P. Jacobs for Casterman's republication.