The Two Mice That Have Influenced the World

Posted on 22. Oct, 2025 by Paul Sochaczewski in Ganesha and Collecting

The Two Mice That Have Influenced the World
Recognizing the Rodents That Helped Create an Entertainment Empire and Enhanced the Power of a Much-Loved God

Birthday of Mickey and Musika — November 18
HOLLYWOOD and GUJARAT

Success and glory, profit and faith — it all hinges on two iconic mice.

On November 18, 1928, a lovable cartoon rodent named Mickey Mouse was introduced to the world in the film “Steamboat Willy.”

On November 18, 628, a sculptor, let’s call him Ajay, working in central India, chipped and chopped a stone statue of the beloved rotund elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesha. He made a single critical modification to the classical form. In addition to the standard iconography, he added a mouse named Musika, crouched loyally by Ganesha’s feet.

These two mice, from widely different cultures and separated by 13 centuries, have captured the public imagination as no other rodents have. Both Micky Mouse and Musika are the creation of brilliant propagandists with ambitious agendas. One rodent made a struggling showman a rich and influential global personality, the other made an already-popular deity even more powerful. Mickey, of course, was created by Walt Disney and his team. Purpose: Entertainment as a means to profit. Musika was created by Hindu religious public relations experts and spin doctors to enhance their branding efforts four centuries earlier that had created Ganesha and positioned him as arguably the most-loved Hindu god.

Anthropomorphic animal symbolism for profit (Mickey) and religious power (Musika). What are their (vaguely) linked stories?

The Plucky Hero and the Humble Service Rodent

Mickey Mouse is a global icon and helped create an entertainment empire.

It was the Roaring ‘20s and filmmaker Walt Disney created the animated character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who first appeared in the 1927 film “Trolley Troubles,” Disney’s first, and highly successful, venture showcasing the concept of “personality animation.” He described Oswald, who appeared in 26 short films, as “peppy, alert, saucy, and venturesome, [but] also neat and trim… I want the characters to be somebody.”

But Oswald was too successful, and Disney’s distributor appropriated the rights to the character.

The idea for Mickey Mouse came shortly thereafter. Disney, and his collaborator Ub Iwerks, simply snipped Oswald’s overly long floppy rabbit ears into smaller round mouse ears.

Mickey first appeared in two 1928 short films — “Plane Crazy” and “The Gallopin’ Gaucho.” Neither was well received. But then the animated feature film “Steamboat Willy,” one of the first films to incorporate sound, was released. Mickey was a huge hit and went on to become the longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Co. — the most famous anthropomorphic rodent in history.

Mickey’s inspiration came from Hollywood. Stars credited with inspiring Mickey’s characterization include the swashbuckling Douglas Fairbanks, film comedian Harold Lloyd, and dancer-singer Fred Astaire. But it was the Little Tramp who had the greatest influence, according to Disney mythology. Walt Disney said, “I think [Ub Iwerks and I] were rather indebted to Charlie Chaplin for the idea [of Mickey Mouse]. We wanted something of the wistfulness of Chaplin … a little fellow trying to do the best he could.” Chaplin biographer Jim Korkis said, “It is now and always has been the aim of Disney to graft the psychology of Chaplin upon Mickey. The two universal characters have something in common in their approach to their problems. They have the same blend of hero and coward, nitwit and genius, mug and gentleman.”

Mickey’s plucky personality and ingenuity to overcome huge obstacles have been interpreted as a symbolic reflection of Disney’s early struggles as a farm boy breaking into the imposing Hollywood industry in the 1920s, according to Kathy Jackson, author of Mickey and the Tramp. Chelsea Tatham, author of Mickey Mouse and Merry Melodies, suggests the can-do personality of Mickey reflects the “American endurance to survive” in the face of economic woes during the Great Depression in the United States.

Regardless of the psycho-babble, Mickey has become a global icon who generates happiness and hope. And, as Disney said of the empire of which Mickey is the poster-rodent: “I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing — that it was all started by a mouse.”

* * *

A bronze from the author’s collection.

The vahana Musika pulling Ganesha’s chariot, in a reference to a passage in the Ganesa Purana sacred text that describes the royal chariot of Ganesha (identified as Akhumaharatha, his 378th name) being pulled by a mouse or rat. The mouse serves Ganesha and helps him remove obstacles and ensure success.

The history of Musika is far more obscure than that of his cousin Mickey. He first appears in Indian sculptures in the seventh century (obviously the date given in the introduction and the name of the sculptor are conjectures), some two centuries after the first sculpture of an unaccompanied Ganesha was created.

Reference: Ganesa: The Enchanter of the Three Worlds. Paul Martin-Dubost. 1997

Arguably the oldest physical representation of Ganesha with Musika is this seventh-century relief on display at the open-air museum of EME Temple at Vadodara, in Gujarat state, India, some 400 km north of Mumbai. Musika’s head and left foot can be seen behind Ganesha’s right ankle.

Unlike Mickey, Musika is not a gregarious star. He never takes center stage; his job description is to humbly support his boss, Ganesha. Elephant-headed, rotund, multi-armed Ganesha is not the most powerful god in the vast Hindu pantheon, but he is arguably the most-loved deity for his ability to remove obstacles, bring good luck, and catalyze wise decisions. He is the patron of arts and sciences. He is so powerful that his image stands at the entrance to Hindu temples regardless of the sect, and he is the god to whom all supplicants first pray so that he will open the spiritual gateway and ensure their prayers are transmitted to the appropriate god.

Origin

Mickey’s origin is clear, even mundane. Pencil drawings by two creative men desperate for a commercial success. Through the years Mickey evolved, grew in perceived stature and fame, and became the spoke-rodent for an entertainment empire.

* * *

Musika’s origin is far more complex, and his creation (as does Mickey’s) relates to clever marketing.

Ganesha was created by Hindu marketing experts in an attempt to make Hinduism more appealing to rural people. They took the feared goblin-like Animistic elephant spirit worshipped by villagers and reframed him into a positive and helpful deity. They gave him a backstory, making him the son of Hinduism’s most powerful god-couple, Shiva and Parvati. In short, through Ganesha they made Hinduism, thought to be the religion of the upper castes, accessible to the masses.

To borrow from philosopher Joseph Campbell’s structure of the hero’s journey, all great legendary characters require a sidekick, a powerful weapon, a loyal servant. The Lone Ranger rode a powerful white horse name Silver during his battles with Wild West outlaws. Batman had Robin to help him stamp out Gotham city villains. Santa has a sleigh, pulled by eight flying reindeer, led by Rudolph, so he can bring joy to countless children.

Ganesha, arguably a far more important global celebrity, has a mouse named Musika.

Musika is not a god, per se, but what in Sanskrit is called a vahana (lit. “that which carries” or “mount”). Such creatures are commonly termed “vehicles,” and every god and goddess worth their salt has one. Most are relegated to supporting roles — the vahana of Ganesha’s father, Shiva, is a bull named Nandi, a hard, strong loyalist that watches over Shiva’s temples. Ganesha’s brother, Kartikeya, rides a flamboyantly feathered peacock named Paravani that represents the god’s ability to navigate through challenging situations with elegance and resilience, while also illustrating Kartikeya’s subjugation of pride and ego.

However, some Hindu vahanas have achieved greatness in their own right.

Ganesha’s sort-of-uncle Vishnu flies around on the majestic man-eagle Garuda, who has his own vital backstory and role in the myths of the sub-continent. Indra, the Vedic King of the Gods, rides a four-tusked white elephant named Airavata who is so important he later becomes a star in his own right as an earlier incarnation of Buddha.

But why was a tiny mouse like Musika chosen to enhance an amiable, problem-solving, and large deity like Ganesha? Hindu scholars are rarely shy in offering analyses of what their gods and symbols really stand for; here are a few rationales for Musika’s existence:

In Hindu iconography, the vehicle supports the good work of the respective god but can also symbolize the evil forces over which the deity dominates. In the case of Musika, the mouse can be interpreted to represent greed and impure thoughts that Ganesha, the overseer deity, conquers.
Ganesha takes care of the big problems of humanity, crashing, elephant-like, through existential barriers to remove obstacles and protect the believer against all forms of harm. But Ganesha is too big for some tasks, and that’s where tiny, cunning Musika comes in. He crawls and squeezes into the nooks and crevices of humanity’s ills to solve minor day-to-day problems.
If we accept that Ganesha was created by Hindu public relations experts to win the hearts of downtrodden rural folk, then Musika’s role becomes clearer. Ganesha “riding” Musika is a metaphor that Ganesha is a friend of farmers because he controls the detested rodents that eat the farmers’ grain and rice. In his book Hindu Holidays and Ceremonials, B.A. Gupte notes that Ganapati (one of the names of Ganesha) “was originally called Mushak Vahan, or ‘rider on a rat.’ The word ‘mushak’ means a ‘thief,’ and the title ‘Mushak Vahan’ thus implies he is a rider on the field rat, the ‘thief of the field.’” S.M. Michael, in “The Origin of the Ganapati Cult,” adds that one of Ganesha’s appellations is “lord of the harvest.”
Since mice and rats are seen as being capable of gnawing their way through seemingly impenetrable obstacles, Musika enhances Ganesha’s ability to destroy every barrier, regardless of size or difficulty.
The mouse also represents the ability to navigate through life’s challenges with agility and resourcefulness, qualities that Ganesha embodies. Musika’s insignificant presence reminds us to remain humble and grounded, no matter how much success we achieve.
The mouse Musika symbolizes desire and the restless mind, which, if uncontrolled, can disrupt peace and stability. By riding the mouse, Ganesha demonstrates mastery over unhelpful desires and the ego.
Musika reminds us that even the smallest creatures have a place in the divine order and teaches the importance of humility, wisdom, and balance in life. He represents the “small” people whose needs and wishes have been overlooked by the main gods. Ganesha listens to every entreaty; he is an equal-opportunity wish-granter. If the marketing men had used catchy slogans, they might have created the catchphrase: Hey, downtrodden farmer, Ganesha cares about you!

Maritime inclinations

Artwork, made of crushed semi-precious stones, from the author’s collection, showing Musika on Ganesha’s sailboat.

Both Mickey Mouse and Musika have maritime credentials. Mickey got his start playing a ship captain in “Steamboat Willie,” while the Brahmanda Purana relates that Musika is said to appear on Ganesha’s banner.

Self-Reliance vs. Requesting Assistance

Mickey is a plucky, can-do character, reflecting Walt Disney’s take-responsibility-for-your-own-life philosophy: “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

* * *

Musika, on the other hand, works in an opposite manner. He acts as an assistant for those seeking a deity’s blessing. Sure, the devotee has to be of good heart, practice the correct rituals, and say the prayers with enthusiasm, but the direction of his or her life path rests with Ganesha and the other gods.

Catchy Songs, Chants, and a Global Movements

Left: Amazon; Right: Alamy

Left: In the 1950s, “The Mickey Mouse Club” converted millions of young people into the Cult of Mickey.
Right: In Thailand, worshippers queue to whisper their desires (mainly financial success) to Musika, which, upon payment of a “bribe,” he will transmit to his boss Ganesha.

Mickey is the leader of a global movement, whose main cheerleaders were “The Mickey Mouse Club” whose theme song gaily invites people to “Come along and join the jamboree/All around the world we’re marching.” Mickey’s followers are urged to buy merchandise bearing his visage.

* * *

Musika by himself gets far less visibility, but because he supports the most-loved god in the Hindu pantheon he has indirect influence with some 1.2 billion people. Musika has his own seven-letter mantra, which should be chanted while the worshipper offers flower petals to the mouse’s image and places his or her thumb on the mouse’s heart. For the less devout seeking a more direct route to wish fulfilment, the gaudy Saman Rattanaram temple outside Bangkok offers a Ganesha hotline. The much-visited temple features a louche giant-sized, reclining pink Ganesha. Nearby, oversized Musika statues beckon worshippers, with a sign explaining that if you whisper your wishes to Ganesha’s mouse and offer him a bribe (yes, that’s the word on the sign), he will transmit your desires to Ganesha himself.

Mickey and Musika Generate Big Bucks

A Disney Dollar featuring Mickey Mouse was issued as corporate script from 1987-2016 for use in Disney theme parks. It is signed by Treasurer Scrooge McDuck. Such mementoes now sell for around $30-$50 on internet sales sites (although one optimistic seller suggested a price of $1,000 or best offer).

Photos: Patti Moore

Top: In their search for wealth, Ganesha devotees in the Prasat Nakhon Luang temple have decorated the numerous Musika statues with objects of perceived luxury — designer sunglasses, jewels, pearls, and faux designer handbags. Note the donation box — give generously. And observe the happy coincidence of a Mickey Mouse and Friends handbag adorning one of the Musika statues.
Bottom: A visitor to the temple has had her hands imprinted by a monk with the complementary symbols of Ganesha and wealth.

Mickey was the catalyst that made Walt Disney rich. At the time of his death in 1966, he had an estimated net worth of $100 million, and the business he founded, Walt Disney Co., was worth roughly $203 billion in 2025.

* * *

Musika’s relationship to money is oriented towards achieving personal wealth for the individual believer. Dating from the 17th century, the Prasat Nakhon Luang (royal city castle) in Thailand attracts pilgrims who seek a divine blessing from a claimed footprint of Lord Buddha found in the temple. But Thai worshippers are comfortable conflating the spiritual with the pragmatic. The complex also houses a Ganesha temple, where prayers and offerings are expected to result in tangible benefits.

Ganesha is known for removing obstacles and generating wealth. The second goal is the more important at Prasat Nakhon Luang, where believers decorate numerous Musika statues with objects of perceived value — jewelry, designer handbags, and sunglasses. After making a generous donation, the worshipper can have his or her hands inscribed with symbols representing Ganesha and wealth. The believer then visits the Lord Buddha’s footprint and stands a coin on the edge of the rim of the wall surrounding the shrine. If the coin remains upright, your wish will come true.

The Name Game

When Walt Disney showed his wife the design for the new character that he and his creative partner Ub Iwerks had created, she asked his name.

“Mortimer Mouse,” Disney said proudly.

“No good,” Lillian Disney said. “Try Mickey.”

* * *

Musika has far more identities. He is also known as Mushika, Mooshakraja, or Mushakah, or dozens of other names — all variations of the Sanskrit mūṣaka (mouse), which is derived from the root mūṣ (stealing, robbing). (Ganesha, however, as befitting a prominent deity, has a thousand names.)

Origin Tales

Like all cultural icons, Mickey’s origin is the subject of legend.

One tale credits a tame mouse as inspiration, which was an office pet at Disney’s Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City, Missouri.

Another story says that the mouse was chosen after other animal inspirations failed to excite Disney and Iwerks — a dog, a cat, a stallion, a cow, and a male frog.

The generally accepted urban legend is that Disney and Iwerks came up with the original Mickey design while on a train ride following a devastating meeting in Hollywood in which Charles Mintz, a producer at Universal Pictures, announced his studio was taking ownership of the pair’s successful Oswald the Lucky Rabbit character.

* * *

The myths concerning the origins of Hindu gods are found in the sacred puranas, ancient encyclopedic texts that include cosmology, origin myths, and genealogies of gods, folk tales, temple design and art, theology, and guidelines for worship. There are 18 Major Puranas and 18 Minor Puranas, comprising more than 400,000 verses, many first composed between the 3rd and 10th centuries CE and frequently revised since.

The mouse as the mount of Ganesha is mentioned for the first time in the Matsya Purana; scholars place the earliest version of the text between c. 3rd and 6th centuries CE. The Brahmavaivarta Purana, likely first composed between the c. 8th and 10th centuries CE, includes the verse “Goddess Earth, Vasundhara, gave him [Ganesha] a mouse as mount.”

As befits a vahana with multiple monikers, Musika has been gifted with numerous backstories, all far more complicated and cinematic than that of Mickey Mouse. Here is the abridged version of one such tale.

Indra, King of the Gods, called all the gods and celestial beings for a conference to discuss an issue of paramount importance. While the assembled deities listened attentively, a gandharva (divine musician) named Krauncha disrupted the proceedings by flirting with the apsaras (divine female dancers). Indra, enraged by his insolence, cursed him to become a mouse and exiled him from the kingdom. Krauncha, now in the miserable form of a tiny homeless mouse, eventually reached a famous ashram, where he was accepted as a devotee. But he couldn’t control his disruptive nature, and he ate all the sweets and grains and chewed the clothes of pilgrims. He even blasphemed by gnawing the sacred texts. Rishi Parashar, head guru of the ashram, caught the troublemaker and sought Ganesha’s help in getting rid of him. Krauncha was terrified when presented to the imposing elephant-headed god and begged forgiveness, which soft-hearted Ganesha granted. Krauncha then pushed his luck and asked Ganesha to restore him to his celestial form as a gandharva. “Alas, I cannot, for you have been cursed by Lord Indra, the King of Gods,” Ganesha explained. “But I’ll give you an important blessing instead. You will become my vahana and be respected by being in my service.”

Animal Colleagues in Collective Service

As the memorable theme song of “The Mickey Mouse Club” children’s program goes — “Who’s the leader of the club that’s made for you and me?” — Mickey Mouse is primus inter pares of a familiar stable of anthropomorphic cartoon animals: Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, Goofy, Jiminy Cricket. Although Mickey has undergone numerous cosmetic surgeries, he has always been a singular creature — a mouse.

* * *

Musika, however, takes many forms.

He is often pictured not as a mouse but as a sleek bandicoot rat with a prominent pointy snout.

And Musika has to share his devotion to Ganesha; he is one of 12 animal vahanas associated with the god. Members of this lesser-seen menagerie includes a lion, peacock, elephant, blue horse, scorpion, parrot, holy eagle (Garuda, the mount of Vishnu), and two serpents.

A Final Thought

Mickey and Musika. Distant cousins, perhaps. Mickey, a little guy with a big personality, a star full of gumption and never-say-die energy. Musika, a reformed troublemaker happy to perform a supporting role to ensure the success of always-positive Ganesha. I won’t try to squeeze any more tenuous speculative linkages out of these two mice except to note that in their own ways, each has transformed society. Entertainment and profit? Religious obeisance with hoped-for rewards? As Walt Disney, the ultimate self-promoter said: “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

The Mickey-Musika story is expanded from Searching for Ganesha: Collecting Images of the Sweet-Loving, Elephant-Headed Hindu Deity Everybody Admires.