Shobijin

Mothra is usually accompanied by two tiny priestesses or fairies (often called Shobijin—Japanese for "small beauties") who also speak for her. For Mothra's first three film appearances these twin fairies were played by the Peanuts. In Mothra they demonstrate telepathic ability, within speaking range with people and over great distances with Mothra. As in all future appearances, they call to Mothra in prayer and song, but they and Mothra are also connected on some deeper level beyond their control. In Mothra vs. Godzilla they seem also to demonstrate short-range teleportation, and in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster they translate not only Mothra's chirps but an entire conversation among three daikaiju. Decades later, in Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, two other shobijin (portrayed by Masami Nagasawa and Chihiro Ôtsuka) demonstrate telekenesis as well.

In the Godzilla films of the 1990s Mothra's priestesses (played by Keiko Imamura and Sayaka Osawa) identify themselves as Cosmos, the last survivors of an ancient civilization which had threatened, and eventually been destroyed by, the very life force of Earth. They had constructed Mothra as their guardian deity, to which the Earth life force had responded with Battra—a "Black Mothra" (as described in Godzilla vs. Mothra) or "Battle Mothra" (as described in the Super Godzilla video game manual). In the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy, made in the late 1990s, Mothra's priestesses were the Elias; the Elias differ from earlier incarnations in that they are not mindlinked twins but individual persons, Lora and Moll. Belvera, a dark Elias, seems to be an older sister. In addition to accompanying Mothra, the Elias would also send smaller offspring called Fairy Mothras. Mothra would reprise the role of ancient guardian, though with only a passing homage to the Cosmos, in Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.

Mothra's Song
The shobijin's famous song Mosura No Uta (or "Mothra's Song") was written in Malay, though the shobijin often sing Japanese approximations to the original lyrics.[4] Other verses and entirely new songs (in Japanese) have been added by various composers over Mothra's film history. The shobijin have also been portrayed by Pair Bambi (Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster) and Megumi Kobayashi and Sayako Yamaguchi (the Mothra Trilogy).

The original song went, as follows (in Malay and English)


 * Mosura ya Mosura
 * Dongan kasakuyan Indo muu
 * Rusuto uiraadoa
 * Hanba hanbamuyan
 * Randa banunradan Tounjukanraa
 * Kasaku yaanmu
 * Mothra O Mothra
 * If we were to call for help
 * Over time
 * Over sea
 * Like a wave you'd come
 * Our guardian angel!

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