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Ogres

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This article focuses on the Enchanted Forest species, ogres.
For the various conflicts in the Enchanted Forest that involve these creatures, see the Ogre Wars.

Ogres are not men.

—Sir Maurice to Gaston src

Ogres are a humanoid species featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. They are native to the Enchanted Forest, and first appear in the second episode of the first season.

Ogres are based on the creatures of the same name from European mythology.[1]

Biology and Culture

Ogres are large, tall, hideous beings. They are humanoid in general shape, with sharp teeth and pointy fingernails. Some of them are bald, while others have scalp hair like a human. Some ogres have pointy ears, while others have human ears. Their ferocious roar is strong enough to blow a person's hair back. They seem to communicate through roars and grunts, although some of them are able to understand human speech. ("The Thing You Love Most," "Lady of the Lake," "Family Business," "Operation Mongoose Part 1," "Her Handsome Hero")

Ogres are blind and hunt by sound alone. They have enormous strength, and are able to crush a gun with their fist, and ripping a person limb to limb. They can break through a door and throw a table across the room with ease, and can send a person flying through the air with a simple swing of a club. They are very difficult to kill; one known way of finishing them off is shooting at their eye. ("Lady of the Lake," "The Doctor," "Family Business," Manhattan," "Her Handsome Hero," "Ill-Boding Patterns")

Little is known about ogre culture. They are infamous for waging war against humans several times throughout history, and most people view them as ferocious beasts. According to Maurice, "ogres are not men." They are known to feign being hurt or trapped to lure unsuspecting humans and kill them.[2] ("Desperate Souls," "Manhattan," "Skin Deep," "Regina Rising," et al.)

Though most view ogres as simply mindless beasts that kill and destroy everything in their path, at least some Ogres were shown to be intelligent enough to form alliances with others should there be something in it for them as shown when one Ogre had aligned himself with the Evil Queen and willingly went along with her plan to conjure the Dark Curse. (The Thing You Love Most)

History

Before First Curse

During a conflict, the ogres breach the defense walls of Sir Maurice's castle. As everyone inside evacuates, except for Colette and her daughter Belle, they are forced to hide under a table when an ogre bursts into the library. Despite remaining silent to keep from attracting attention, the pair are uncovered when the ogre tears the table away. When more ogres arrive, Colette blocks them as Belle is pulled to safety by a guard. Soon after, Colette dies at the ogres' hands. Later, when the ogres reach the town road, Sir Maurice fears the worst has yet to come, so Belle suggests they ask a wizard named Rumplestiltskin to help them. ("Family Business")

With the ogres continuing to dominate the land and nearing the castle once more, Sir Maurice desperately reaches out to Rumplestiltskin. He agrees to protect them from the ogres, but only if Belle becomes his eternal servant. Though Sir Maurice vehemently declines, Belle agrees to the deal so her loved ones will be safe. ("Skin Deep")

One of the Evil Queen's followers, an ogre, is present and watches as she attempts to cast the dark curse after sacrificing the heart of her best steed. She gathers all her minions together and convinces them each to give her a lock of their hair to enact the curse. The ogre hands over his hank of hair along with the others. However, the curse has no effect. Her failure causes one of the minions, the gnome to laugh, which incites the Evil Queen's wrath enough that she turns him into stone with a point of a finger. ("The Thing You Love Most")

After First Curse

When Emma and Mary Margaret are transported into the Enchanted Forest through a portal opened in a hat, they journey with Mulan in search of the magic wardrobe that can return them home. As they travel, they are on the lookout for ogres. Mary Margaret explains to Emma that ogres do not have very good eyesight, so they are safe to make camp for the night without attracting their attention. While gathering wood, Mary Margaret is attacked by Aurora, who blames her for Prince Phillip's death. Upon Mulan's intervention, Emma arrives, and believing Mary Margaret is being threatened, she fires a gunshot into the air. Roused due to the noise, an ogre manifests and chases after them. As the beast rushes towards a fallen Emma, Mary Margaret kills the ogre with an arrow to the eye. ("Lady of the Lake")

When Emma, Mary Margaret, Mulan and Aurora return to the Safe Haven, they discover all the refugees dead and a lone survivor, who claims to have survived Cora's attack on the camp by playing dead and further explains that he lost his hand in an ogre attack. Emma does not buy his story, putting a knife to his throat and tying him to a tree as bait for the ogres. When she whistles to attract the ogres and begins walking away, he finally reveals himself as Hook and offers to show them a way to get to Storybrooke. ("The Doctor")

Before Second Curse
Once Regina undos the first curse resulting in everyone returning to the Enchanted Forest, they join Aurora and Prince Phillip, who report that the ogres have since been defeated. ("New York City Serenade")

Trivia

On-Screen Note

  • An ogre is featured in the title card for "Her Handsome Hero"[3] and "Ill-Boding Patterns".[4]
  • According to Mulan, when one is killed by an ogre, the last thing they see is themselves dying in the reflection of the beast's eye. ("Lady of the Lake")
  • According to the book Regina is reading in Camelot, in a location called the Western Mountains, fairy rings (a naturally occurring ring or arc of mushrooms) are formed when an ogre sets down his milk churn. "Once he picks it up, there's a big circle left in the grass".[5] ("Siege Perilous")
    • This is a reference to a Dutch superstition saying that fairy rings are formed this way when the Devil sets down his milk churn.[6]

Production Notes

  • According to Jane Espenson's script for "Skin Deep," ogres are superstitious and greedy. Rumplestiltskin fulfilled his end of the deal with Belle's family (saving her people from the ogres), with a few whispers, and some gold.[7]
  • The ogre featured in "Lady of the Lake" was computer generated from an on-set visual effect tool of an paper ogre head on a stick. The stick acts as a stand-in to give the actors in the filming scene appropriate eye level visually, and also allows the CGI team to accurately create the CG character in the correct spot.[8]

Appearances

Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.

References

  1. ↑ Ogre. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on October 13, 2021. “The word gained popularity from its use in the late 17th century by Charles Perrault, the author of Contes de ma mère l'oye (Tales of Mother Goose). Since then, ogres have appeared in many works, including "Tom Thumb"; "Hansel and Gretel," where the witch is a type of ogre because she intends to eat the children; and "Little Red Riding Hood," where the wolf resembles an ogre.”
  2. ↑ Regina Rising, Wendy Toliver, Kingswell Teen, April 2017, p. 69
  3. ↑ File:517Title.png
  4. ↑ File:613Title.png
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 File:503StuffOfLegend.png
    File:503ThisQuestionMark2.png
  6. ↑ Wigington, Patti (Updated June 19, 2017). Mushroom Magic and Folklore. ThoughtCo. “In Holland, these rings are believed to be left when the Devil sets down his milk churn – once he picks it up, there's a big circle left in the grass.”
  7. ↑ ONCE UPON A TIME: "Skin Deep" script (PDF) pp. 21. Retrieved on August 13, 2018.
  8. ↑ Ochej, Josephine (April 30, 2013). Roar. ABC. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013.
  9. ↑ File:505RumplestiltskinStorybook.png

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