Who's your mummy? Dispute in Belgium centres on the origins of Tintin villain Rascar Capac

A visitor looks at an Inca mummy at the Pairi Daiza safari park in Brugelette, Belgium, which the zoo claims inspired cartoonist Hergé for his character Rascar Capac. Photo: AFP

The mummified corpse of Rascar Capac thrilled and terrified generations of young fans of the Tintin comic book story The Seven Crystal Balls. Now, Herge's fictional Inca has sparked a row between rival Belgian tourist attractions, each of which displays a mummy they say inspired Tintin's creator.

The very serious Art and History Museum is in Brussels' Jubilee Park, near where Herge used to live, and he was known to frequent its collections.