List of Religious References

This page lists Once Upon a Time's various references to the Bible.

"Pilot"

 * The priest at Snow White and Prince Charming's wedding is dressed in robes similar to the robes worn by Christian Deacons.
 * The cursed Snow White bears the name Mary Margaret. Mary is a common Biblical name for women, two of the more famous figures being the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene.
 * Mary Margaret, who originally was supposed to be a nun,  appears wearing a cross in a necklace.

"The Shepherd"

 * David Nolan, the cursed identity of Prince Charming, a former shepherd, shares his name with King David of the Bible, himself a former shepherd.
 * Prince Charming's mother is named Ruth. Ruth is the name of King David's great-grandmother.
 * Prince Charming is betrothed to Princess Abigail. King David's third wife was named Abigail.
 * Prince James duels a man called the "Behemoth", a creature from the Bible.

"The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter"

 * Graham asks Mary Margaret is she believes in other lives. She replies, "Like heaven?".

"Dreamy"

 * The Storybrooke counterparts of fairies are reviewed to be nuns. They seems to be similar to Roman Catholic Religious Sisters, which is evident such as: doing community service, refers by others and themselves as "Sister" and also have a Mother Superior who is in charge of them.
 * The nun convent logo on the "Miner's Day" banner is a Budded Cross, which is characterized by three scalloped shapes at the end of each arm, which symbolize the Holy Trinity. The logo reads as "Sisters of Saint Meissa Dona Nobis Pacem MMDCXLVIII". Dona nobis pacem (Latin for "Grant us peace") is a phrase in the Agnus Dei section of the Roman Catholic mass.

"The Return"

 * A statue of the Virgin Mary can be seen outside the convent.

"An Apple Red as Blood"

 * When the Evil Queen gives Snow White the poisoned apple, a cross can be seen on Daniel's grave.

"We Are Both"

 * Dr. Whale asks David whether or not nuns can date as the Dark Curse was broken, referring the oath Roman Catholic nuns made when joining the community.

"Lady of the Lake"

 * Lancelot is nicknamed the Leviathan, a biblical creature.

"In the Name of the Brother"

 * Victor Frankenstein, Gerhardt and their father Alphonse celebrate the Christian-based holiday Christmas.

"Tiny"

 * Prince Charming's real name is David, just like the shepherd-turned-King.
 * David Nolan fights against a giant, similar to the story of David and Goliath.

"Welcome to Storybrooke"

 * Mary Margaret is seen wearing a cross in a flashback from 1983.

"Selfless, Brave and True"

 * A statue of the Virgin Mary can be seen outside the Sisters of Saint Meissa convent.

"Second Star to the Right"

 * Tamara remarks that magic is unholy.

"Quite a Common Fairy"

 * Noticing that Regina Mills is reluctant to meet Tinker Bell Emma assumes that Regina did something to the fairy when they first met, including the possibility that Regina stole Tinker Bell's halo.

"Snow Drifts"

 * When Hook is pondering where and when in the past Enchanted Forest he and Emma have landed, he briefly mentions the belly of a whale; referencing the biblical story of Jonah.

"Family Business"

 * While Belle is looking up information on how to get her memories back, a cross can be seen on the cover of one of the books.

"Smash the Mirror"

 * The Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament by Joseph Tayer and Vocabulary of the Greek Testament by James Hope Moulton and George Milligan are sitting on a shelf in the Storybrooke Free Public Library.

"Heroes and Villains"

 * An angry Hook promises Mr. Gold that Mr. Gold's next life won't be so pleasant for him. Reincarnation is a shared element of various religious, spiritual and philosophical communities.
 * Still, Mr. Gold believes he doesn't need to care about Hook's promise, telling the pirate, "Given my immortality, you'll have quite the wait amongst the fire and brimstone". "Fire and brimstone" is a figurative expression of signs of God's wrath in the Bible.