The Enchanted Helm is a magical item featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It appears in the ninth episode of the fifth season.
History
In DunBroch, before an upcoming battle with the southerners of Camelot, King Fergus seeks out the old witch for something magical to secure the future of his kingdom. Before giving him the item, he signs a contract, which allows the witch to extract payment from him anytime in the future. He receives an enchanted helm that, as per the witch's explanation, can lead men into battle and fight for his cause. However, what he doesn't know is that the helm is non-magical, and the witch is testing him to see if he can lead his people without resorting to magic. As the clans of DunBroch are prepping for the onslaught, Fergus is looking out the river while holding the helm. His daughter, Merida, comes by, asking him how he has managed to instill respect in his men so they will fight for him, as she will have to do the same one day if she inherits the crown. Fergus states there must be proof she is willing to die for the same cause they are fighting for. Realizing this advice also applies to himself, he throws the helm into the river, concluding that he doesn't need magic to win a war. During the battle skirmish, Fergus dons an ordinary helm as he fights against the invaders. King Arthur of Camelot, with his face obscured by armor, approaches to cut down Fergus, believing the helm is magical. Before he reaches Fergus, Merida attempts to intervene by loosing an arrow on the mystery knight, but her arrow pierces the knight's cloak instead. Arthur then kills Fergus and steals his helm. In his quest to find the missing half of Excalibur, Arthur mistakenly thought the helm would be of use, but he later discovers it has no magic. ("The Bear King")
On the day of Merida's coronation, old witch comes to collect payment for the enchanted helm. Horrified at the witch's claims that her father resorted to magic to lead his people, Merida sets off to track down the helm with Mulan's help. Going back to the grounds where the southern invasion took place, she finds the arrow she once shot at King Fergus' attacker, with a piece of the knight's cloak still attached to the arrow shaft. Before Merida can use it to find the knight, King Arthur and Zelena steal it to locate the missing helm they wish to utilize. After befriending Mulan, Ruby uses her werewolf scent tracking ability to help Merida discover that Fergus' killer is Arthur. In an even stranger twist, Merida learns the helm Arthur once stole from her father was not magical at all. To keep him from retrieving the actual enchanted helm, Merida fights Arthur, with Arthur retreating after the clansmen of DunBroch back her up. Instead of returning the helm to the old witch, Merida proclaims she will destroy it because no one should have the power to influence men into fighting for a cause they don't believe in. The witch then congratulates her on passing the test, as she gained confidence to lead DunBroch without resorting to magic. As a reward, the old witch gives her magical ale, which Merida sprinkles on her father's grave, giving her a chance to talk with Fergus one last time. ("The Bear King")
Trivia
On-Screen Notes
- The helm is among the items in the chest that King Fergus opens to show Merida his bow.[1] ("The Bear King")
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": | |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | 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 |