Talk:Mogwai (Chinese culture)

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Last I checked, Scotland was part of Britain, but it's always better to be as specific as possible. --Lexor|Talk 22:27, 21 Apr 2004 (UTC)

I added a quote about the band's name, and a link to its source afterwards, although I'm not sure if that's the correct form or whatever, so if anybody takes objection, please go right ahead and modify it.

Also, said source mentions that mogwai means "ghost" in Chinese. I made a quick attempt to validate this, and although I saw some uses of it which seemed fairly consistent with this, I couldn't actually find something which explicitly stated the fact. So if anybody has good knowledge of Chinese, or knows a reliable source for such matters, clarification would be appreciated.

TheJames

In Chinese, "gwai" is sufficient to mean ghost, devil, demon, etc. I'm not sure what significance "mo" adds to it. Ham Pastrami 12:19, 15 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Does anyone know at what time a Mogwai could be fed breakfast? --Morbid-o 20:13, 13 Apr 2005 (UTC)

• Not even Zach Galligan knows that; the only person who might possibly know is Chris Columbus (filmmaker). CanadianCaesar Et tu, Brute? 23:13, 6 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Does anyone know how Daylight Savings Time affects the feeding of the Mogwai? I can't stress how important the answer to this question is...thanks. Noloafing 18:57, 14 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

HOW DOES ANY OF THIS MATTER??!! It's not like you guys are helping this article. And don't say "o i gots a mogweye," no one will ever believe you. Ever. The Matyr ^{(converse with the Matyr)} 17:43, 22 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There's no evidence in the film that, within the context of the films, the 'Gremlin' form of Mogwai is not also properly still called Mogwai, they are the same species after all in both forms. The name 'Gremlins' being applied to the more aggressive form by one of Characters to differentiate the two forms was in the nature of a personal neologism based on the modern folkloric creatures of popular culture rather than an accurate and correct denomination within the context of the film.Number36 (talk) 00:10, 16 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, you are wrong, Number36. Here are some examples of the monstrous form of mogway being referred as "gremlins" by someone other than Billy and/or Mr.Futterman:

1-Brain is referred in the closing credits of the second movie as "The Brain Gremlin". The novelization has the character referring to himself as "The Brain Gremlin". In the DVD behind-the-scenes footage, every single crew member (including Joe Dante himself) refers to the character as "The Brain Gremlin".

NOBODY calls him "The Brain Mogwai".

2-Likewise, the one who drinks the vegetable DNA is always referred to as "The Vegetable Gremlin", the one who drinks the bat DNA (and the genetic sunblock) as "The Bat Gremlin", the one who drinks the bio-electric serum as "The Electric Gremlin" and the deleted character is called "The Elephant Gremlin".

Show me one source, be it in the script or in interviews by the filmmakers, when any of these characters is called "The Vegetable Mogwai" or "The Bat Mogwai".

3-The use of the Looney Tunes short "Falling Hare".

Bugs Bunny turns to the camera, and says to the viewer: "Do you think...that might have been a...GREMLIN?"

In this context, he is referring to the gremlins who escaped the videotape and are invading the audience's television.

Thus, if what you say is true, why didn't Bugs call them "mogwai"?

4-Likewise, in the theatrical version:

"But momma, I wanna see the gremlins!"

"Let's see if the gremlins can deal with this Hulkster!"

Neither Hulk Hogan nor the little girl call the creatures "mogwai".

Also, who's to say "mogwai" doesn't mean "gremlin" in Chinese to begin with? .—Preceding unsigned comment added by Agustinaldo (talk • contribs) 13:36, 28 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, I am right, Agustinaldo. Within the context of the films, all the uses of Gremlin you outline stem from Billy unofficially co-opting the word from a story told to him about the creatures of popular folklore, that's in the first movie and is unambiguous. All subsequent use of the term stems from this. I haven't said they are not called Gremlins by characters within the films, but that as the film presents it, this is not their correct name but one merely used to describe them. The only name presented within the movie as being a correct name for the species is Mogwai, given by the only person to have previous knowledge of them, and his being an older character who's background is traditional Chinese culture, means that there is no reason to suppose that they aren't the Mogwai of Chinese tradition (at least in this story). The Mogwai, you should know from this page is a creature of Chinese mythology and is described as being evil (making the appellation more suitable for the aggressive form it would seem). It couldn't mean Gremlin in Chinese, at least in any strict sense, as the word 'Gremlin' is a modern creation referring to the modern-folkloric creatures popularised during WWII. Also, could you type four tildes ~ at the end of comments to sign and date them.Number36 (talk) 01:12, 6 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]

See Talk:Mogwai#Moves. Black Kite 02:16, 2 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

In this article Eliade, M. (1968). Australian Religions. Part V: Death, Eschatology, and Some Conclusions. History of Religions, "mogwoi is a trickster spirit...". It`s one of the three parts of soul. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.239.161.78 (talk) 05:53, 17 September 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Absolutely nothing in the first sentence of this article is represented in the linked source "Chinese Mythology in the Context of Hydraulic Society" by Qiguang Zhao, the primary source of the claim made by this article. The following is reproduced exactly as it is on Wikipedia's live site:

"According to Chinese tradition, mogwai are certain demons, which often inflict harm on humans. They are said to reproduce sexually during mating seasons triggered by the coming of rain. Supposedly, they take care to breed at these times because rain signifies rich and full times ahead".

None of this is corroborated in the linked source. Mogwai do not appear, they are not mentioned as inflicting harm upon humans, their mating habits are not referenced. Rain "[signifying] rich and full times ahead" is not even mentioned.

Even if the source WERE accurately cited and contained any mention at all of mogwai (or "Mo Guai"), the paper was written five years after Gremlins the film was released. If the only source that mogwai exist in Chinese mythology is something written 5 years after mogwai have been introduced into the public consciousness, it's not a real source.

Are you all just getting a movie confused for Yaoguai? 146.115.242.10 (talk) 19:32, 26 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]