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Hathi was a male Indian elephant that lived in the jungle of Seeonee. His name (हाथी) is the Hindi and Sanskrit word for "rook".
Hathi was head of the elephant troop. He is one of the oldest animals of the jungle and represents order, dignity and obedience to the Law of the Jungle.
Biography[]
During a drought when Mowgli was a child, Hathi and his three sons found a waterhole for all of the jungle animals to share during this harsh time, thus forming a "water truce" in which no animals will harm each other at the waterhole. This works, as it prevents Shere Khan from attacking Mowgli. From that point on, Hathi tells the story of how humans came to the jungle, referring to them as "fear".
After he was banished from the man village Mowgli revealed that Hathi once destroyed a human village in revenge for being captured, and persuaded Hathi and his sons to do the same to Buldeo's village as punishment for threatening Meshua with execution.
Non-canon appearances[]
Disney film version[]
- In the Disney film, the character of Hathi, like the other characters in Kipling's Mowgli stories, is greatly transformed and becomes a comic character. He is called "Colonel Hathi" and he leads his wife, Winifred and their son, Hathi Jr. in a marching patrol while singing a deliberately silly song authored by the Sherman Brothers entitled, "Colonel Hathi's March". His role in the film is as follows: The night after Mowgli is hypnotized by Kaa, Colonel Hathi and the Dawn Patrol patrol the jungle and wake Mowgli and Bagheera. When Mowgli sees Hathi, Jr. he asks to join in, and he agrees, but tells him not to talk in ranks, because it's against regulations. After Hathi finishes drilling and inspecting all of the elephants, he sees Mowgli, and he thinks he's a new recruit, and after Mowgli yells at him, he calls it treason and sabotage. Bagheera comes to stop the misunderstanding, and he tells Hathi that he's taking Mowgli to the Man Village, and Hathi says the famous saying: "An elephant NEVER forgets!" As they march away, Winifred tells Hathi that he forgot their son. When he goes to fetch their son, all the elephants crash into each other, because he forgot to say "Halt!" Later in the film, Bagheera finds Hathi and asks him to help find Mowgli, because he ran away. Hathi refuses, and Winifred and Hathi, Jr. break ranks to talk to him about it. Winifred asks him how he would like to have their own son lost and alone in the jungle. Hathi tells her that's an entirely different matter, and Winifred tells him that Mowgli is no different than their own son, and she tells him to help find Mowgli or she's taking over command. Hathi is shocked, and says that a female leading his herd is utterly preposterous. Hathi, Jr. tells him that he and Mowgli are friends, and he'll get hurt if they don't find him. Hathi relents, and after organizing all of the elephants, they start searching for Mowgli Unbeknownst to everyone, Shere Khan was hiding and listening to their conversation, and he also decided to search for Mowgli.
- Hathi is also one of the main characters in the spin-off Jungle Cubs. This was before he was a colonel and is portrayed as a baby like everyone else.
- Colonel Hathi and all other characters (with the exception of King Louie, wolf pack and possibly Winifred) return in the Disney Sequel The Jungle Book 2. In The Jungle Book 3, Colonel Hathi and all other characters including King Louie and Winifred return to celebrate their victory after Shere Khan was taken to a Russian circus)
- In The Jungle Book (1967), Colonel Hathi was originally to be voiced by Mel Brooks.
- Hathi is a major character in the anime series The Jungle Book Shonen Mowgli where he is the king and enforcer of the Law of the Jungle. Like the stories, he has 3 children. However, one change is that Chil the Kite is his messenger.
Hathi in popular culture[]
- Like all of the main Jungle Book Characters, Hathi is used as a name for a warranted adult, or young leader in many Cub Scout Packs.
Trivia[]
- Elephants are honored and revered in India's neighboring island country Sri Lanka, millions worship Ganesh, the elephant god.
- Because of poaching, elephants are evolving to lose their tusks.
- Hathi made a cameo appearances in the 2000 Film Champitoons, he is right behind Baloo and Kaa. He is one of the few characters to appear in the said film, followed by Baloo, Kaa, Bagheera and King Louie.
Gallery[]
.jpg "Hathi (Disney).jpg (90 KB)")
.jpg "Hathi (Jungle Book Shōnen Mowgli).jpg (82 KB)")
