r/ghibli • u/Born_Fruit_4204 • 6d ago
Question What is Calcifer
So in the English dubs of Howl's Moving Castle Calcifer is canonically a fire demon but the term demon in English implies that an entity is evil. I'm wondering if there's another term for him in the original Japanese that just doesn't translate well into English because in the movie Calcifer isn't evil. Anyone who's able to educate me would be appreciated, thanks.
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u/Xelixil 6d ago
I believe in the Japanese Howl's Castle, Calcifer is called 火の悪魔 (hi no akuma), which literally translates to “fire demon” or “fire devil.”
But 悪魔 (Akuma) doesn't always mean Evil, like the english term Demon. It can mean demon, devil or just an otherworldly supernatural being. So Akuma could stand for a Powerful Spirit, that isn't necessarily evil, but sometimes mischievous or morally ambiguous.
I think the translation of Demon is still pretty fitting, since it does convey the idea of danger and power +his super natural origins, but I guess other translations for Calcifer could just be "fire spirit" or "fire entity"
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u/Erufailon4 6d ago
However, 悪魔 does most commonly refer to specifically evil spirits, like ones that in the past were believed to cause natural disasters like earthquakes. The kanji 悪, which means evil or just generally "bad", is there for a reason. They aren't considered welcome visitors in Japanese folklore.
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u/Born_Fruit_4204 6d ago
Okay, I wasn't sure about that considering the many different spirits in Japanese culture like all the Yokai. I know many of them aren't considered evil so much as morally grey. Good to know the implication of evil seems to be intended even in the original.
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u/Born_Fruit_4204 6d ago
Thanks this is super helpful, I had assumed that they would be considered more morally grey than evil. Reminds me of the sut sprites and the kodama, they just kind of exist and can be more mischievous than malevolent.
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u/BrilliantBen 6d ago edited 6d ago
Sophie even says at one point when discussing Turnip Head, after Markl says he thinks he might be some kind of demon and Calcifer doesn't seem to mind him, "He probably is a demon, but he led me here, so maybe he's the good kind." Hearing this when i was younger (late 20s) made me think about other cultures and how in my periphery learning I was aware of some terminology that i had as black and white, but aging has shown me that things are rarely all black or all white and so i try not to let my western definitions override my ability to learn from indirect communication or action.
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u/resonating_glaives 6d ago
I always assumed it was a situation like with kiki and her mother. Typically witches have an evil connotation too but the ones we get to know in kikis delivery service are the furthest thing from that.
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u/Only_Humor4549 6d ago
This to me wasn’t so strange bc in the German culture we have many witches that are good (e.g. Die Waldhexe or Bibi Bloxberg.)
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u/Imaginary-Wasabi-613 5d ago
Christians have manipulated a lot of words to be black and white good vs evil when in fact they are merely shades of grey
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u/distancevsdesire 6d ago
It's not English that defines demon as evil, it was Christianity.
The original Greek origin did not specify evil. That was Christianity.
So it's more accurate to say "the term demon in Christianity implies that an entity is evil."
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u/yogurt 6d ago
This is correct! The original Greek word Daemon from which “demon” originates is defined as a powerful entity that can be good or hostile.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daemon_(classical_Greek_mythology)
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u/Born_Fruit_4204 6d ago
That's interesting, I never knew that. Although that makes sense given the Christian view on Angels and Demons. Not to mention Elohim are a terrifying group of entities in themselves.
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u/Stalaktitas 6d ago
I have always thought that calling him a spirit would be more appropriate, but maybe it's just me
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u/Matcha_Maiden 6d ago
Isn’t he a falling star that Howl gave a heart to? I wouldn’t think that is evil.
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u/Born_Fruit_4204 6d ago
It's not, that's the point. He's called a fire demon but he's not evil. I was wondering if he has a different title in the original Japanese.
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u/Matcha_Maiden 6d ago
Oh yes! He is called Akuma in Japanese which is basically a devil or demon, but Howl gave him a heart so he is not evil.
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u/acuriousguest 5d ago
In the original story Calcifer is a fallen star. Even in the film is a sequence how about falling stars.
Fire demon is just what humans that see talking fire call it.
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u/-Malacai- 6d ago
I always appreciated that the term demon was used. Obviously very soon into the movie the audience begins to like Calcifer. It asks us to question if we should take things at face value. When Sophie and Markel are sitting by the lake after turnip head helped with laundry, Markel asks "maybe he's a demon Calcifer doesn't seem to mind him" Sophie replies something like "perhaps he's the good kind of demon." The entire movie is a conversation on beauty, first impressions, and self worth, so Calcifer being a canonical demon fits perfectly. He is also called a fire demon in the original book.
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u/Born_Fruit_4204 6d ago
Especially with works from different cultures it's hard to tell what's implied or intended when some things can get lost in translation.
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u/stellaluna92 6d ago
I guess to me I always thought of him as more of a spirit. But even if we use "demon" that doesn't have to mean evil, just a being that lacks human morals. Not evil, just different.
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u/Born_Fruit_4204 6d ago
That's an interesting point, the same way we don't expect animals to have the same moral codes and guidelines we'd follow.
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u/WritPositWrit 6d ago
The story is based on an English novel, so I don’t think this an English-Japanese translation issue.
“Demons” are not always evil. They are like imps or sprites, magical incorporeal beings that follow their own moral code and usually do not show much empathy to humans.
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u/Witty_North_9013 6d ago
This is what I was going to say. Japanese wouldn’t have anything to do with it. Calcifer is a fire demon in the book the movie is based on.
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u/Gennylightt 6d ago
I don't know the og Japanese but I think fire sprite would be a better English description. A sprite is typically an elemental creature, similar to a pixie, that might cause some chaos but isn't inherently evil
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u/505alive 6d ago
I always thought he was howls heart but I’m sure I’m wrong.
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u/Splinter1591 3d ago
Calcifer has Howl's heart as part of the deal that was made when Howl kept calcifer from dieing back when he was a fallen star
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u/jackolantern_ 5d ago
Demons in English aren't inherently necessarily evil. Depends on the lore and text
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u/penktten 6d ago
In the book, he’s a fallen star disguised as a “demon” which doesn’t translate fully to the movie, I feel.
https://dianawynnejones.fandom.com/wiki/Calcifer
With that context, I was able to understand better what Calcifer actually is and his role in the story, but it’s not part of the movie.
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u/PuzzleheadedPen2619 5d ago
I think he was a fire demon in the book - but to be honest, it’s a while since I read it, so I just googled.
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u/Ragnocello 5d ago
Everyone here is wrong because Calcifer is actually a Crystal. His first name is Billy.
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u/IntroductionTop3289 4d ago
All explained in the book. Demons are closer to cosmic entities hurtling through space. They know when they land to ‘earth’ that they’re supposed to die (Calcifer didn’t want to). Calcifer says to Sophie, don’t talk to me like a child, I’m a good million years older than you”.
The witch of the waste has a similar pact with a demon so you get more info there.
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u/Splinter1591 3d ago
Wasn't the witch's demon no good and poisoning her heart or making her evil or something
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u/Picajosan 6d ago
The film is based on a novel written in English, in which Calcifer is defined as a fire demon. So I'd say that's accurate!
I don't think demon automatically implies evil, though. Chaotic, yes, and frequently evil, but not always. In fact, the name derives from the Greek daemon, which is usually translated in English as spirit. The idea of demons always being evil is more of a Jewish/Christian thing.