| Mogwai | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Other Names |
Mogwai, Mogui |
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First Appearance |
Chinese Mythology |
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Created by |
Unknown |
Origin[]
Mogwai are creatures from Chinese folklore. Translated variously as "ghost," "devil," "evil spirit," or "demon," Mogwai were originally described as malevolent demons who enjoy inflicting pain and misery on the living.
These beings were said to sexually reproduce during rainy seasons, as these periods signified the coming of more prosperous times. It is common for the living to redress their sins by sacrificing money to gui by burning (usually fake) paper banknotes so that gui can have funds to use in their afterlife.
The term "mo" derives from the Sanskrit "Mara", meaning 'evil beings'. In Hinduism and Buddhism, Mara determines fates of death and desire that tether people to an unending cycle of reincarnation and suffering. Meanwhile, "gui" does not necessarily mean 'evil' or demonic spirits. Classically, it simply means deceased spirits or souls of the dead. Nevertheless, in modern Chinese, it has evolved to refer usually to the dead spirits or ghosts of non-family members that may take vengeance on living humans who caused them pain when they were still living.
While 魔 (mo), 妖 (yao), 鬼 (gui), 怪 (guai) are used loosely and interchangebly to refer to malevolent supernatural beings in literature, it is also clear that the characters have different specific connotations, as follows:
- Mogui 魔鬼 (demons) can be distinguished from yaoguai 妖怪 (goblins, sprites), which refer to folkoric supernatural beings associated with abnormal phenomena (妖怪: 怪异 - 反常的事物与现象), and who are more akin in their nature and quality to the unseelie fae of European folklore.
- Mogui 魔鬼 (demons) can be distinguished from gui 鬼 (ghosts), which in the usual sense refers primarily to souls of departed beings (鬼: 人死后的灵魂).
- Guai 怪 refers to any strange phenomenon (怪 : 奇异，不平常) and can encompass both mo (魔) and yao (妖), in addition to other aberrant beings, including mutants.
The Gui wear clothes which have no hems, and their bodies cast no shadows. People can only perceive them as a breath of air. To these ghosts, humans are only perceived as a dim red light.
Chinese tradition has evolved, however, so that now Mogwai are believed to be the spirits of the dead who have returned to exact vengeance on those who caused them suffering in life. One way to be rid of a Mogwai is said to be to sacrifice money (usually in the form of fake banknotes) by burning it; this provides the deceased with funds to use in the afterlife, and hopefully encourages the spirit to move on.
Notably, the modern popular use of mogui as 'demonic' and gui as 'devils' is somewhat a consequence of Western influences as Chinese-language biblical texts translate the Satan in the Book of Job and the Greek term 'diabolos' as mogui.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Mogwai from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Notes[]
- In modern popular culture, they are best known as the first stage of the titular species from the Gremlins franchise.