 Swamp Witch | |
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- "In the ruin of my castle, you will find the source of my power. Mirrors to travel, mirrors to spy, mirrors to remember, mirrors to forget, mirrors to rule the world."
- ― The Swamp Witch, The 10th Kingdom
The Swamp Witch (as she was known in her later years) was Queen of the Fourth Kingdom, infamous as the evil stepmother of Snow White. After her husband's death, she became Queen as Snow White was still a child. Jealous of her stepdaughter's beauty, she infamously tried to assassinate Snow White three times before finally succeeding with a poisoned apple.
As she was the one who trained Christine White and indoctrinated her with the goal of destroying Snow White's line, she could be described as the true antagonist of The 10th Kingdom.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Very little is known about the Swamp Witch before her accession to the throne, but it is known that at some point she acquired five magical mirrors. The magical mirrors are described as the source of her power.
Reign as Queen[]
Snow White's father was lonely after his first wife's death, so some time later he got married again, to the Witch. The Queen brought no possessions to her husband's castle, except for her magic mirrors. Everyday she would lock her bedroom door, take off all her clothes, and look into her mirror and ask "Mirror, Mirror on the wall, whose the fairest of them all?" The mirror would reply, "My lady is the fairest of all," and this would satisfy her for she knew that magic mirrors always spoke the truth. By the time her stepdaughter, Snow White, was seven, when the Queen asked her mirror who the fairest in the land one it replied, "My lady Queen is fair to see, but Snow White is fairer far than thee." The Queen called for her huntsman and told him to take Snow White into the forest to be killed because she was sick of the sight of her.
Assassination attempts on Snow White[]
The huntsman spared Snow White. The Queen's mirrors found her stepdaughter eventually. She dressed as a peddler and climbed the seven hills to the cottage of the Seven Dwarves. Twice she came, once with a corset to crush Snow White's ribs and then with a poison comb to drug her; the Seven Dwarves revived Snow White each time. The last time the Queen came, she brought a basket of apples and convinced Snow White to take a bite into a poisoned apple. This time she stayed to watch Snow White die, and to be sure, she held her stepdaughter in her arms until she died in front of her, choking on a piece of poisoned apple.
Punishment[]
When Snow White and the Prince were married, the Evil Queen ended up attending the ceremony. There she was forced to wear red hot slippers made of iron. She had to "dance" all night. Finally, the Evil Queen was able to crawl away from the wedding and into the swamp where she could plot her revenge. She never recovered and was too weak to carry out any revenge plots.
Searching for a Successor[]
With the knowledge she was weakening, the Evil Queen became the Swamp Witch as she laid out plans that would ruin the House of Snow White forever. She knew that her end was near and she searched far and wide for a successor. One of her mirrors finally showed her a troubled young woman running in the woods in another world. Sensing the chance, the Witch offered the woman a chance to escape and become the strongest and beautiful woman in the world. This woman was Christine Lewis.
Legacy[]
The Swamp Witch was buried with the poisoned comb and a poisoned apple in her hands. She gave Christine, her student, all her knowledge and magic in hopes that the House of White would be ruined. The Evil Queen almost managed to cause the ruin of all the Nine Kingdoms through her student.
Quotes[]
- "Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"
- "Are you lost, my child? Come with me and you will lose your pain forever. I am dying but my work is unfinished. The House of White Survives! You will do my work for me and I will give you all my power!"
- "In the ruin of my castle, you will find the source of my power. Mirrors to travel, mirrors to spy, mirrors to remember, mirrors to forget, mirrors to rule the world."
- "YOU ARE NOTHING! SHE WILL CRUSH YOU!"