The Spell of Mor'du is a magical potion featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the sixth episode of the fifth season.
The Spell of Mor'du is based on the Witch's magic cake from the Disney Pixar movie, Brave.
History
The Spell of Mor'du originates from the old witch of DunBroch, who, according to legend, used it on an unnamed prince to transform him into a bear, giving him the strength of ten men. ("The Bear and the Bow")
After acquiring the spell from a witch, Merida inadvertently turns her mother and triplet brothers into bears. The transformation is eventually reversed.[1] ("The Bear King")
When King Fergus comes to the old witch for something magical, he confronts her about the Spell of Mor'du, which she once used on his wife and sons in the past. ("The Bear King")
To prove herself worthy to the clans of DunBroch so they will release her kidnapped brothers, Merida gains Belle's help in making the Spell of Mor'du in the old witch's cottage. However, upon seeing Merida's superb archery skills, Belle begins to wonder why the redhead is relying on magic to be powerful. Merida is adamant that magic is the only way she can get the clans to recognize her as their queen, but when she attempts to ingest the potion to transform into a bear, nothing happens, revealing Belle switched the potion with water. The clansmen prepare to execute Merida's brothers, which pushes Merida into action as she looses an arrow that cuts off the three arrows aimed for her brothers. With this, the clansmen finally accept her as their ruling queen. ("The Bear and the Bow")
In Storybrooke, Emma sends Merida to kill Belle as a way to force Mr. Gold to become heroic. After thwarting Merida, Mr. Gold grabs a potion from the pawnshop before escaping to the townline with Belle, intending to leave Storybrooke forever. Instead, Belle chooses to part ways from him, and as she makes the walk back into town, she runs into Merida. The redhead, on Emma's orders, drinks the spell potion and mutates into a massive bear. With the beast chasing her, Belle runs for her life, ending up in the woods, where Mr. Gold goads the bear into attacking him in order to save his love. After being knocked backwards onto the ground by the bear, Mr. Gold braces himself as the bear closes in on him. Suddenly, he sees the potion that fell from his pocket and desperately throws it on the bear, not knowing if it will have any effect. Luckily, the potion reverts Merida into human form. ("The Bear and the Bow")
Ways to Break the Spell
- Mr. Gold uses an anti-transformation powder to revert Merida back to human form. ("The Bear and the Bow")
Trivia
On-Screen Notes
- Though the magic is called "Spell of Mor'du", it is a not a spell at all, but a potion. It is unknown whether the magic has also a spell version, like locator spells/potions. ("The Bear and the Bow")
Appearances
Once Upon a Time: Season Five | |||||||||||
"The Dark Swan": | "The Price": | "Siege Perilous": | "The Broken Kingdom": | "Dreamcatcher": | "The Bear and the Bow": | "Nimue": | "Birth": | "The Bear King": | "Broken Heart": | "Swan Song": | |
Mentioned | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Appears | Absent | Absent | Appears | Absent | Absent | |
"Souls of the Departed": | "Labor of Love": | "Devil's Due": | "The Brothers Jones": | "Our Decay": | "Her Handsome Hero": | "Ruby Slippers": | "Sisters": | "Firebird": | "Last Rites": | "Only You": | "An Untold Story": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Once Upon a Time: Season Seven | ||||||||||
"Hyperion Heights": | "A Pirate's Life": | "The Garden of Forking Paths": | "Beauty": | "Greenbacks": | "Wake Up Call": | "Eloise Gardener": | "Pretty in Blue": | "One Little Tear": | "The Eighth Witch": | "Secret Garden": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"A Taste of the Heights": | "Knightfall": | "The Girl in the Tower": | "Sisterhood": | "Breadcrumbs": | "Chosen": | "The Guardian": | "Flower Child": | "Is This Henry Mills?": | "Homecoming": | "Leaving Storybrooke": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Archive |
References
- ↑ King Fergus: You gave me daughter magic, turned me wife and boys into bears.
- "The Bear King", Once Upon a Time, ABC.