A Nü Gui Deal 2013-06-14

[Boxilar]

Nü gui (Chinese: 女鬼; pinyin: nǚ guǐ; literally "female ghost") is a vengeful female ghost with long hair in a white dress. In folklore, this ghost is the spirit of a woman who committed suicide while wearing a red dress. Usually, she met with some injustice when she was alive, such as being wronged or sexually abused. She returns to take her revenge. A tabloid story tells of a funeral ceremony where family members of a murder victim dress her in red, hoping that her spirit will return to take revenge on her murderer. In traditional folklore, the colour red symbolises anger and vengeance in the context of ghosts. On the other hand, some ancient folk tales tell of beautiful female ghosts who seduce men and suck their yang essence or sometimes kill them. This type of female ghost is likened to the Succubus. Paradoxically, the male counterpart of a nü gui, a nan gui (Chinese: 男鬼; pinyin: nán guǐ; literally "male ghost"), is rarely depicted.

The problem I have with this is that Bud is European and Brandi is African. Isn’t there an equivalent in either of those 2 cultures?

Geneticly, Bud is European and Brandi is African, but both of them predate the "historical" cultures that arose much later in both of those places. Both are "Lanthian" by culture and raising, the same way citizens of the modern United States are considered "American", regardless of ancestral origin. Bud and Brandi also lived throught the rise (and fall) of several empires of man. It's quite possible Nu gui is a Lanthian word introduced into Chinese culture by Lanthians that stuck. Bud uses it for that reason. She's not using a Chinese word. She's using a Lanthian word the Chinese adopted.

[NOTDilbert]

I remember a while back Tina saying about one of the GG's "There's a hole there. We may be dealing with a haunted golem."

But I thought she was talking about Jin.....

WAIT! The baby's death happened before the girls were made into golems - so the ghost haunting - or whatever - Brandi would have been incorporated into the Chimera - and may have been part of the vengeful force driving the destruction of Lanthis. And later, when Tepoz separated them, he may have unwittingly put the ghost in with Jin. But she apparently has found her way back to her original host....

Speculation all, but still....

[MerchManDan]

It's quite possible Nu gui is a Lanthian word introduced into Chinese culture by Lanthians that stuck. Bud uses it for that reason. She's not using a Chinese word. She's using a Lanthian word the Chinese adopted.

AHA! Now that makes sense!

[shadowinthelight]

I chalk it up to Paul's propensity to putting a new spin on old myth.

[Timotheus]

On a mostly unrelated vein but still of a somewhat similar area of interest...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/1 ... ostpopular

[txmystic]

So I'm guessing that Brandi's demonic look from the other day is this Nü Gui? And every time she *urk*s she's switching between herself and this ghost, or something? If so, what is the Nü Gui up to?

Also, the name reminds me of something...

Do you choose to Nü gui too sir?
If sir, you sir, choose Nü gui sir,
with the new Nü gui sir, do sir...

gluey gluey!

[Ohnhai]

anyone have any idea what a nu gui is i never heard of it

I would simply like clarification if its

A "nü gui" or "A Nü Gui"

[Timotheus]

Please make room for me in confusion corner.

Certainly. Do you want a recliner, massager, or roll around ergonomic office style? Card table is there, darts are there, refreshment bar back there, and that sound proofed door leads out to the balcony where you can scream in frustration. I understand there is quite a nice echo.

[Sidhekin]

When and how has Bud "spoke" with demons regarding Brandi's deal?

Bud did spend some time in the demon world, but that was before Brandi told Monica about the deal.

She could have "spoke" with Tina or even Connie, but they are amnesiacs, and would have no idea about the deal.

Bud's initial reaction to Tina suggests she does not have the same kind of rapport with her own demons as do Monica and Jin. (Does Bud even have demons of her own? Not everyone had, at least at first. Timeline question?)

So, what access does Bud have to demons? Did she interview those of the "gateways", Jin and Monica? Does the "gateway" Shelly have a handle on demons other than Connie?

Also: Is the baby still of this galaxy, or did it persist through the time loops, like the Librarians and the Demon world? As if it wasn't already the oldest baby ever ...

[Yamara]

...





Goo.





.

[Boxilar]

When and how has Bud "spoke" with demons regarding Brandi's deal?

Bud did spend some time in the demon world, but that was before Brandi told Monica about the deal.

She could have "spoke" with Tina or even Connie, but they are amnesiacs, and would have no idea about the deal.

Bud's initial reaction to Tina suggests she does not have the same kind of rapport with her own demons as do Monica and Jin. (Does Bud even have demons of her own? Not everyone had, at least at first. Timeline question?)

So, what access does Bud have to demons? Did she interview those of the "gateways", Jin and Monica? Does the "gateway" Shelly have a handle on demons other than Connie?

Also: Is the baby still of this galaxy, or did it persist through the time loops, like the Librarians and the Demon world? As if it wasn't already the oldest baby ever ...

Presumably, Bud could have talked to Monica's demons. She is a Demon Wrangler, in addition to being the Keeper of the Chimera, Glyph Reader and Jaguar Girl. Monica, Bud and Doubt could have had a little sit down off camera. Oddly enough, Now that Monica is effectively immortal, Doubt seems to have mellowed a bit twards M. She's still not "nice", but she's less overtly... proactively destructive? Maybe it's because M has taken pretty much everything Doubt has thrown at her and is still standing. It must give a demon a certain sense of acompishment knowing your host has bounced back from things that would have broken others and in the process has achived a state of ...dare I say it... godhood. Makes a Doubt proud. Of course, I still do my job. Why, just the other day I made her feel like shit for letting one of her houseplants die.

What?

NO! No I"M NOT! It's, it's just really dusty in here. And the sun hurts my eyes.

shut up.

[Yamara]

It's quite possible Nu gui is a Lanthian word introduced into Chinese culture by Lanthians that stuck. Bud uses it for that reason. She's not using a Chinese word. She's using a Lanthian word the Chinese adopted.

AHA! Now that makes sense!

I have no expertise outside of Proto-Indo-European, but it looks like the Cantonese "nü gui" (女鬼) means "female ghost", which is a relatively generic-looking phrase. Unlikely to be a borrowing from a prehistoric culture for a special purpose.

I think it's Bud's own choice of words. She seems to adopt all kinds of odd constructions as metaphors. (Squashed earth = vanillekipferl? Did she get that while inventing a Hungarian backstory for herself?) So what would remind her of a bloody Asian ghost?

Who were those babies Brandi was defending? If the patriarchal priests were after them, then they were probably special daughters of the deposed matriarchy in hiding. So an entity that has a genuine grievance against patriarchy has gotten its hands on a civilization-destroying machine. This could get fun.


I mean, cut and paste:

女鬼

and google it by itself. Fuuuun!

[Dragon Hostler]

Haunted golem?

Clay Dybbuk?

[Sidhekin]

Clay Dybbuk?

... you were thinking of Agatha Clay's mother, right?

(Yes, I see your signature.)

[Yamara]

When and how has Bud "spoke" with demons regarding Brandi's deal?

...

So, what access does Bud have to demons? Did she interview those of the "gateways", Jin and Monica? Does the "gateway" Shelly have a handle on demons other than Connie?

Presumably, Bud could have talked to Monica's demons. She is a Demon Wrangler, in addition to being the Keeper of the Chimera, Glyph Reader and Jaguar Girl. Monica, Bud and Doubt could have had a little sit down off camera. ...

Actually, we know Bud can kick around any demon she likes. http://wapsisquare.com/comic/itskicking/ The Rogue Queen took the one moment she thought it was safe to gloat in front of Bud, when Bud couldn't act. So Bud had plenty of opportunity to do her own investigation.

[Yoduff]

And now for something completely different ...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/M ... rTheNewGuy

Of course, this may be irrelevant ...

[AmriloJim]

I understand there is quite a nice echo.

The echo has some rolling Escherian harmonics... the frustration outburst soon devolves into nonsense as you explore the reverbs.

[eee]

Even Confucius said, "Respect ghosts and gods, but keep away from them."

Not a demon, a ghost of a newly dead child. This is where the Jaguar Girl comes in, me thinks, to get Brandi's mind back together, or, more accurately, shut down its time share aspect.

Why are we assuming the Nu Gui is what Brandi actually made a deal with?

Brandi did not kill the baby, it died during Brandi's efforts to protect the creche when the Lantans came after her! So it was an accident, not of deliberate purpose. If anyone is to blame it is the Lantan priests, not Brandi. I suspect the deal is not between the Nu Gui and Brandi but Brandi swearing vengeance on the Lantans for causing her to kill the baby. That was the split point for Brandi's personality. So the SDO Brandi is the Nu Gui and is carrying out her vengeance. She became the murdered baby and the ghost to avenge it.

But consider who the baby (I assume it was a girl) would be furious with. Brandi, maybe, but mostly the priests who caused her death, and the society that spawned such evil. What did the Chimera - driven by uncontrollable rage - destroy? The priests, and most of the Lanthian civilization. What did SDO go to considerable pains to trap and now try to destroy? The descendants and survivors of that civilization. Children are capable of a blind, all consuming hate and rage most adults can't touch. I have no problem with the idea Brandi allowed the baby to become her other personality.

Maya - and the other Lanthian Immortals, but mostly Maya - could be in considerable danger. She's the one who created Golem-tech, after all, she's the root cause of the baby's death.

I hope Bud brings Jin, Monica, and maybe Tina in on this. This is big. This is REALLY big. The Nü Gui has to be stopped and driven out of Brandi before she can do more damage or use Brandi's GG body to unleash destruction. Bud's going to need all the help she can get...

[Julie]

So now we get to pour over Chinese folklore/mythology and mesh it with the supernatural world we know and love! Fun! (And now I'm glad I took a course on the history of East Asian religion/philosophy last year...it gives me an even better chance to keep up with what's going on. )

Why are we assuming the Nu Gui is what Brandi actually made a deal with?

Brandi did not kill the baby, it died during Brandi's efforts to protect the creche when the Lantans came after her! So it was an accident, not of deliberate purpose. If anyone is to blame it is the Lantan priests, not Brandi. I suspect the deal is not between the Nu Gui and Brandi but Brandi swearing vengeance on the Lantans for causing her to kill the baby. That was the split point for Brandi's personality. So the SDO Brandi is the Nu Gui and is carrying out her vengeance. She became the murdered baby and the ghost to avenge it.

I think that her (Brandi's) anger towards the priests would be a perfect reason to make a deal with the baby's vengeful ghost (who would also potentially be angry at the priests).

EDITED: Wikipedia definition of Nü Gui

The problem I have with this is that Bud is European and Brandi is African. Isn’t there an equivalent in either of those 2 cultures?

Why would it have to be from their cultures? There may not have been an equivalent entity in their folklore during their brief lifespans. Now, however, they've been around long enough as golems that they've certainly had plenty of opportunity to be exposed to all kinds of supernaturals from other places.

[analyst]

...





Goo.





.

Just one letter away from Boo.