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Guide to The Untold Stories

9/8/2016

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Guide to the Untold Stories of Once Upon A Time
(a work in progress)
by Mia Bennett (@must_be_mia1) and Teresa Martin (@Teresa__Martin) 

​The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
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​Robert Louis Stevenson's novella introduced Dr. Jekyll, a good man tortured by his attraction to a darker side. He attempted to separate the good and bad parts of himself by using a serum. The result was the creation of Mr. Hyde. This alter ego personified all that was evil in Jekyll and acted out on all that the doctor secretly wished to do. This included murdering his enemies. The more Jekyll takes the serum and acts out, the more Hyde takes control of him.

​The Count of Monte Cristo
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​The Count of Monte Cristo, also known as Edmond Dantés, started out as a noble sailor with good intentions. Unfortunately, he was thrown in prison wrongly accused with treason by his enemy Fernand Mondego because they loved the same woman. Edmond manages to escape from prison and becomes obsessed with revenge. This has turned him dark and bitter. He only cares about making his enemies suffer.
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​The Scarlet Letter
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Hester Prynne was a married woman new to a Puritan town in "The Colonies". Yet she arrived alone, sent ahead by her husband who never arrived. Assumed dead, Hester lived by herself for years . . . but then became pregnant. Who was the father? Certainly not her husband, hence she served time in jail for adultery and was sentenced to sew a scarlet "A" on her dress so all would know her sin. Wearing it almost as a badge of honor, Hester makes a living as a seamstress. There's only one question the town still wants to know: who is her fellow sinner? Hester will not tell for she will not sentence the man she loves to the death that awaits him should she say his name.
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The Rivers of the Underworld

19/3/2016

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​The 5 Rivers. Image Credit: ABC Studios
The Rivers of the Underworld
by Zach Van Norman (@TheZachVan)
One of the questions Oncers have been asking themselves since the spring premiere of the Underworld story is, "What's the deal with the rivers?" They're actually a major piece of Greek mythology, so here for your reading pleasure is a summary of the Five Rivers of the Underworld.

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King Arthur and Camelot in Once Upon a Time Season 5a: The Antithesis of Ideal

12/2/2016

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King Arthur and Camelot in Once Upon a Time Season 5a: The Antithesis of Ideal
by Lori J. Fitzgerald (@MedievalLit)​
​     
The realm of King Arthur lies on the border of folklore and history. Its stories are brought to life in the pages of literature and echoing in the wind over the archeological sites of Cadbury Hillfort (Camelot) and Glastonbury Tor (Avalon). It is a place of magic and chivalric ideals of behavior and leadership, woven into the songs of minstrels so that all of medieval Europe knew of King Arthur and his knights. Here be wondrous tournaments and adventures for the mysterious questing beast, or the otherworldly Grail, or to rescue a fair damosel in distress. Knights in shining armor display great feats of strength and chivalry, right judgement, and courtly love. In Camelot, striving for your best self, for trouthe (integrity), is the utmost ideal. It is no wonder that Once Upon a Time, a show known for its unique twists on fairy tale characters, has reached into the mists to draw out King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table. Unfortunately, in Season 5a, the show has presented a very warped view of the medieval ideal of Camelot and chivalric leadership.

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Hades: Lord of the Underworld 

11/1/2016

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​Hades: Lord of the Underworld
by Amy Hood- @AmyLia403

     
     Hades, Pluto, Lord of the Underworld. Keeper of Souls, Guardian of the Dead . . . all are titles this often divinely wicked god goes by. Along with his raucous reputation, there is often a ton of confusion that comes along with his tale. With Hades descending upon Storybrooke soon, I thought this would be a great time to clear up some misconceptions about both Hades and his domain, so lets hop a boat across the River Styx, shall we?
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    The detail people most often get wrong is in calling Hades the Devil, and the Underworld Hell. Hades is NOT the devil. He is overseer of the Underworld, brother to Zeus and Poseidon. The realms were divided among the brothers, and sure, with Zeus getting the heavens and Poseidon getting the golden blue seas, Hades seemed to pull the short end of the stick. His domain is a dark and not very fun kinda place where all souls go when they die, according to mythology. Not just the bad people . . . everyone goes to the Underworld. Its like a giant purgatory stew/rave, if you will. 
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    This fact is the reason that we will be able to see characters on Once who may have died, but we wouldn't expect them to be in Hell. As the Underworld is for all souls, this leaves us open to encounter ANYONE who has passed on, good or evil. 

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Hell Hath No Furies...Or Does It? The Origin and Mythology Behind Once's Latest Creature

11/10/2015

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Hell Hath No Furies...Or Does It? The Origin and Mythology Behind Once's Latest Creature
By Amy Hood- @Amylia403

​     The latest creature of lore to visit Storybrooke was the Fury, a winged creature who came to take Robin as payment for the price of Regina's request that Dark Magic be used to save him. We have heard for seasons about the "price of magic", and based on the mythology of these creatures, it was a perfect choice for exacting that price.

     The Furies figure into both Greek and Roman Mythology. They are also known as the Erinyes, or "Angry Ones". In the episode of Once Upon A Time  titled "The Price". the Fury was there to take Robin to the Underworld, which was in fact, one of the jobs they held in the myths. There is much more to these fascinating creatures, in fact, I expect we may even see them again.

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An Overview of Merlin

17/7/2015

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An Overview of Merlin
by Lori J. Fitzgerald-- @MedievalLit

"He walked with dreams and darkness,"
Merlin and Vivien, Idylls of the King, Alfred Lord Tennyson
The most shadowy and complex figure in Arthurian legend is Merlin, a composite not only of roles but of people, both historical and literary. Enchanter, political advisor, teacher, prophet, poet: Once Upon a Time has a plethora of characterization to choose from for its undoubtedly unique portrayal of the Sorcerer coming up in Season 5. The Apprentice’s reveal of the Sorcerer’s name in the Season 4 Finale was an enchanting moment; however, one thing that research has shown about this enigmatic wizard is that "Merlin" was probably not his real name.

Names have power, as we know from Rumplestiltskin. The Ancient Celts believed that the name of a person and his soul were connected, and as thus, tied into power and control. Names should be kept hidden. The great Bard Taliesin formally forbade all teachers in the Celtic realm from revealing personal names, as they held the keys to the sacred stories. So "The Merlin" was probably either a nickname or a title. A merlin is a type of falcon, small, swift, and dark: a hunter of other birds. As such, it seems appropriate for a person who was powerful enough to be a Maker of Kings.



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Poseidon: God of the Sea

25/4/2015

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By Amy Hood- @amylia403
The mythology of Poseidon*, who is known by the name Neptune in Roman mythology, is one of the most vast and expansive of all the Greek gods. In many places, his story intersects with others and his influence is spoken of among the oldest mythological tales. 

     The history most often begins with the tale of his father, the god Chronos, who ate three of his own children: Hades, Zeus and Poseidon. The three brothers fought and defeated their father, bringing a new era to Olympus and the rule of Earth. Zeus took reign over the heavens, Hades was given the Underworld to rule, and Poseidon was given dominion over the Sea. Poseidon was also ruler over earthquakes and horses and often transformed himself into a horse when visiting dry land. The God of the Sea was one of the most amorous in Greek mythology, with a long list of lovers both male and female. He was married to a sea nymph named Amphitrite, but fathered many children with multiple women. One of the most famous of these children is Triton, who is often confused in modern stories with his father. There is no mention in mythology of a daughter named Ursula, but with this unique twist being shown by the Once writers, we should get some great family history and drama. With Triton being Ariel’s father, this makes Poseidon her grandfather, and Ursula her aunt. 

     Poseidon is said to have ruled from the kingdom of Atlantis but traveled freely all over the world. Among some of his dozens of other children are Atlas, Polyphemus the Cyclops who features in The Odyssey, and the hero Theseus. All three are mentioned throughout Greek mythology. Many works of art including statues, painting and drawings have been dedicated to the God of the Sea. 

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Magnificent Maleficent: Family Through Blood and Water

4/2/2015

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Magnificent Maleficent: Family Through Blood and Water


By Mauri Lazaro (@darkdeariemauri) and Teresa Martin (@Teresa__Martin)

   Maleficent has a rather nebulous past on Once Upon A Time.  She died, fans thought, but then it was revealed in Season Two that a spell “sustains her in whatever form she’s in”. How this leads to her return, all are still waiting to see.  Until then, an examination of Maleficant’s past on Once and other versions of the tale on which she is based can shed some light on what will be seen in 4b. 

     In the traditional versions of “Sleeping Beauty”, the character on which Maleficent is based is a “wise woman,” sometimes fairy, of the realm, and the only one not invited to the christening of a new princess.  This was indeed a serious matter.  A christening is not merely a ceremony.  In the traditional sense, it integrates a person into a world-wide family.  There are godparents, who have an oath to be the guide to the child both by example and in action.  If the parents die, the godparents become the parents de facto.  Also, all present welcome the child as their own, and take oaths along with the parents and godparents.  So leaving this fairy out of the ceremony was not just a snub. It was a formal acknowledgement that she is not of the family. . . outside, broken away from all.  This grave ostracism spurred her to take revenge by imposing a curse upon the child.   She is only temporarily successful because the curse is broken with a Prince’s kiss.

      On Once Upon A Time, fans first saw the scorned fairy, known now by the name Disney gave her, Maleficent, in “The Thing You Love Most”. She is introduced as Regina’s “only friend.”  It is learned that Regina had traded The Curse with Maleficent in exchange for a sleeping potion. Fans also found out that Sleeping Beauty “got the best” of Maleficent when she was around the same age as Snow White.  This established that the Charles Perrault version of the fairy tale is being utilized by Once writers.  In his narrative the children of the original Sleeping Beauty feature, including a daughter, Aurora.  Maleficent’s story on Once might include a snub as in the original tale, but perhaps one less symbolic and more damaging.  When her backstory is told, her origins will likely rhyme with the familiar trope “evil isn’t born, it’s made.” 

     This would be in stark contrast to the Disney cartoon in which Maleficent has no redeemable qualities.  She is held in contempt by not only being left out of the christening, but also how she is spoken to by the other fairies.  Her curse and determination to thwart Phillip from awakening Aurora is not given any motivation except that of one who does not want her revenge undone. A hint of motivation, envy, is seen in the manner in which she finally appears as a great dragon, traditionally the great enemy of Good; a demon destined for perdition and determined that all should share its fate.

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Lessons Learned: Nursery Rhymes and Once Upon A Time

2/1/2015

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Lessons Learned
Nursery Rhymes and Once Upon A Time

By Teresa Martin-- @Teresa__Martin

     Nursery Rhymes are a form of verse that after hundreds of years still permeate the lives of little children.  One can go to just about any pre-school in the English-speaking world and start singing the first line of “Baa Baa Black Sheep” and immediately the children as one will start belting it out like the chorus of U2’s “In the Name of Love.”  Then, when they reach the line “three bags full,” you’ll likely behold a sea of three little fingers raised with the gusto of Katniss saluting Rue.


 Yet, as familiar as nursery rhymes are, finding the origins of them is elusive.  Little is certain from where they came except the fact that they have been a staple of children’s lives for as far back as ten generations.  This is credibly asserted by Iona and Peter Opie, authors of The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (1).  In this work it is hypothesized that nursery rhymes are “fragments of ballads or of folk songs,  . . . . remnants of ancient custom and ritual” and “last echoes of long-forgotten evil.”  Like fairy tales, the source materials were likely not intended for children (3).


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The Cold Bothers Her

18/9/2014

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The Cold Bothers Her
by Teresa Martin @Teresa__Martin

     The Snow Queen is the fairy tale on which Frozen is loosely based and will be the focus of the arc for Season Four A of Once Upon A Time. The original story by Hans Christian Andersen is a heavily pious, Christian narrative of the Devil, his servant the Snow Queen, and two children who become the victims and ultimately victors over a spiritual assault.  In true Andersen fashion, the narrative focuses on children as the spiritually strong, having within them the ability to see truth and beauty, and hence able to conquer. T
he fairy tale begins with a troll who is the most traditional villain and sparks the 
conflict: 



He was the very worst—the ‘devil’ himself. One day he was in a really good 
mood, For he had just finished making a mirror that could shrink the image of 
whatever was good and beautiful down to almost nothing, while anything 
worthless and ugly was magnified and would look even worse.

     The mirror would actually laugh whenever in the face of piety.  But as in the myth told in The Bible, all was fun and games with the mirror until the demons got the urge to

        …Fly all the way up to heaven to make fun of the angels and of God himself. 

The higher they flew with the mirror, the more it chuckled until finally they 
could barely hold onto it. They flew higher and higher, closer to God and the 
angels, but suddenly the mirror shook so hard with laughter that it flew out of 
their hands and crashed down to earth, where it shattered in into a hundred 
million billion pieces and even more than that (Andersen, 19).

     The particles from the mirror scatter all over the world.  There are different effects on people depending on where pieces land.  The most apparent effect comes from the mirror as a symbol of truth, and hence, when it shatters, truth is shattered.  A piece of it gets in the eye, so that perception of what was true and good is distorted.  It “made everything looks bad or else it only let you see what was wrong with things.”  The worst though was when it went to a person’s heart for “their hearts became as cold as a chunk of ice” (Andersen, 22).  Maria Tatar, a master contemporary critic of fairy tales, sees the Devil in this story as “a kind of artistic Anti-Christ whose art consists in finding truth . . . through criticism and satiric distortion.”  As a result, this splintering is “the opposite of love, a power that unites and overcomes oppositions and antagonism.”  Tatar further elaborates in her commentary that “for many theologians, the devil is seen as the being that divides and creates enmity . . . The transition from plentitude and wholeness to division and sin reveals the action of evil in the world.  God’s creation is shattered and atomizes into isolated fragments and creates Hell on Earth” (Andersen, 22).


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    Origins

    Explore the Arthurian legend surrounding Lancelot, take a trip into the woods to discover the mythology behind Red Riding Hood or learn more about a modern day hero called Snow White. Origins provides unique insights and perspectives from talented writers into the characters we know and love, going far beyond the boundaries of Storybrooke.

    If you have an essay or article that you would like to contribute to 'Origins', please contact us at editor.onceuponafans@gmail.com

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