La Grand Cataclysme? Anyone?
The first phrase I learned in French was la Grand Cataclysme. It sounds a bit ominous I know, but there is a logical explanation. It was one of the opening words of the narration of the wonderful cartoon Les Mondes Engloutis or Spartakus and the Sun beneath the Sea as it was called in English. But since Norwegian television never dubs anything, I and all my peers went around talking about la Grand Cataclysme. I suppose there are worse phrases.
The dying Sun
Now I take it you either know something about the show I’m talking about, in which case you are saying (or should be saying) "Ah, that wonderful, really weird cartoon with the rather neat music".
If you on the other hand have never heard Les Mondes Engloutis before, then I can tell you it was a wonderful, really weird cartoon with rather neat music. *g*
The Children of Arcadia
The plot of the story is that the people of Arcadia, deep inside the earth’s core, are facing a terrible disaster. Their sun - called Shagma in French (I understand the name was changed in the English version, due to language connotations) - is dying. With the death of the sun Arcadia will die. The children of Arcadia try to save their world, and so they break into the forbidden museum and create a young girl out of light - and they call her Arkana. Basically she is pretty cool and has super powers.
They send Arkana on a quest to save their sun, and to aid her she gets the spaceship Shag-Shag (antoher namechange in the English version, to Therig I think) and the two, um, creatures Bic and Bac. (see top image)
Bob, Rebecca and Spartakus as well as either Bic or Bac
On her way she encounters Bob and his sister Rebecca who come from earth above, and the mysterious Spartakus - who is also incredibly cool and has a crossbow thingy attached to his wrist.
Together they travel through space andtime, and the plot is at times rather weird and complicated. Every now and then a group of punk pirates show up, and I loved that as a kid because I felt the pirates had the best music.That said all the music was great - and I feel the opening song can be called a classic. here it is in French - complete with "la Grand Cataclysme".
Click to viewAnd here is the English version :
But sorry all you native English speakers - it just isn't the same.
And here (last video I promise) are the pirates:
I loved this show for many reason - I loved the music, I adored the characters - but most of all I LOVED how everything looked! It really was a weird, wonderful and utterly fascinating.
And if any of you are like me and love the music then take a look here. Just scroll down to where it says Lyd (that would be sound) and most of the songs should be there.