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Well, when I pass the mantle onto you, you will be Mother of all of the magic in the land. That is freedom.

—Flora to Gothel src


Mother Flora is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. She débuts, with her only appearance, in the nineteenth episode of the seventh season and is portrayed by guest star Gabrielle Miller.

Flora is based on the character of the same name from Roman mythology, and her counterpart Chloris from Greek mythology. She also takes the role of Mother Nature and is an allusion to Margaret White from the horror novel Carrie.

History

Before First Curse

In the Land Without Magic before it lost its magic, Flora is the Mother of the tree nymphs that live in a grove. ("Flower Child")

One day, one of the tree nymphs, Yarrow, returns to the grove alone, and tells Flora that the sister she had gone out with, Gothel, stayed behind to satisfy her curiosity about the human world. Later when Gothel returns to the grove while still glamoured as a human, Flora prompts her to be proud of what she truly is, to which Gothel reverts to her tree nymph form. Flora mentions knowing that Gothel went to see the humans and tries to persuade her that they are not worth her time as they are conflicted and irrational creatures, despite Gothel insisting the ones she met today are different. She reminds Gothel that she can never be human no matter how much she is drawn to them, and her fate is to be eternal nature just like the rest of their kind. Flora explains that she will get the mantle of "Mother" one day and become the Mother of all magic in this realm. Gothel laments about her inheritance feeling like a prison rather than the freedom she longs for, and Flora agrees it is so because she cannot be with her family and with the humans in the same world. As Gothel does have a choice to accept the mantle or not, Flora puts her trust that she will be wise and realize the only option is to follow nature. ("Flower Child")

After Gothel's key is stolen by Isla, she and her friends gain access to the grove, destroying and killing all the tree nymphs, which also wipes out the last magic in the realm. Gothel returns home to the ruins of her home, finding everyone gone except for Flora, who is dying. Gothel, realizing humans are awful creatures as Flora warned, weeps over her belief that she has failed her sisters, but Flora assures her she has not and nature has simply taken its course. Declaring Gothel to be the new Mother, Flora tells her of the strong seed of magic she possesses within herself. Gothel wishes to make all the humans pay for what they've done, however, Flora suggests she can instead find a new place to grow anew because it's her responsibility and destiny to blossom into what she is meant to be. On her last breath, she counsels her to remember that all Mothers know only goodness can bear sweet fruit. ("Flower Child")

Trivia

Etymology

  • The name "Flora" comes from the Latin word flos which means "flower".[1]

Fairy Tales and Folklore

Appearances

References

  1. Given Name FLORA. Behind the Name. Retrieved on April 28, 2018. “Derived from Latin flos meaning "flower".”
  2. 2.0 2.1 Flora. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on November 26, 2021. “Flora, in Roman religion, the goddess of the flowering of plants. (...) Myths about her are recorded in Ovid's Fasti, Book V. A nymph called Chloris was kissed by the West Wind, Zephyrus, and was turned into Flora.”
  3. Roman, Luke and Monica, Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology, Facts on File, 2010, p. 172. Facsimile by Google Books.
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