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The literary universe of Tintin it is an excellent attraction to call the attention of the potential visitors of museums, especially after the reopening after the closure widespread as a result of the pandemic coronavirus . In this context, a museum and a zoo of Belgium have grabbed headlines in recent days, as both claim to possess the inca mummy in which Hergé (1907-1983) was inspired to create the character of Scratch Capac , the frightening hero of the book, “The seven crystal balls” (1948).

The Museum of Art and History (MAH) of Brussels argues that he received “regularly” the visit of the creator of Tintin, and, in fact, exhibits many objects reproduced in the albums of the artist in belgium. This art gallery is considered that, since a decade ago, there was no doubt about the importance, provenance and authenticity of “his” now-famous peruvian mummy , with the skeleton curled up and that would have been the source of inspiration for the character of Capac.

The mummy amerindian that can be seen in the zoo Pairi Dance – AFP

But, last week, the zoo Pairi Daiza is located in Brugelette, a municipality in the province of Hainaut, region of Wallonia, south of Belgium, and one of the pillars of the tourism industry belgian , questioned it, until now, held by the museum as to the character of Hergé, to ensure that is home to the “authentic mummy nicknamed “Scratch ” Capac”, reports AFP.

The controversy enrarezió even more when the administration of the royal museums of belgium, under whose guardianship is the MAH, accused the zoo of false advertising in the back of the above-mentioned mummy, that, in reality, it is one of the treasures of their collections . “We don’t attract visitors by promising them pandas,” he said, forcefully, Alexandra De Poorter , director-general acting, by referring to the claims of the zoo Pairi Daiza.

The zoo regretted “the controversy started by the royal museums”, and then he wanted to calm the situation. is “No one knows with certainty what mummy inspired Hergé to create Scratch Capac” , said in a statement. The only point of consensus in this whole crazy matter is that the mummy of two thousand years of Pairi Daiza was a part of, in 1979, an exhibition in Brussels entitled “The imaginary museum of Tintin”.