Hi all. I’m new and haven’t read to far into the forum yet, so apologies if I’m repeating. Has anyone commented on the origin of Baelfire’s name? A Baelfire (also called Belfire or Balefire and many other similar words) is a large bonfire lit annually in medieval Ireland at Beltane (May Day) to celebrate spring, the dawning of a new year, the resurrection of nature, optimism, fertility, etc. In traditional Celtic culture, each home’s hearth fire was re-lit annually during Beltane from the bonfire as part of the ritual. From this standpoint, I’m thinking Baelfire may have died in the Ogre war he went to fight to get away from his now beastly father, or worse, that Rumple inadvertently caused his death, and that he created the curse to rebirth him. I’m thinking Baelfire will have a spectacular purpose, re-igniting the hearth of FTL or some such as he returns. It was mentioned that perhaps a reversal of time will result from Rumple’s plan. That could be the way.
Another way could be in a sort of reincarnation? Perhaps when a FTL character dies, he is born in our world. Recall that Henry was born in Phoenix, which suggests his father may have lived there. The phoenix is found in the mythologies of Arabian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Chinese, and even Indian people. It lives for like 1000 years, then builds itself a fiery nest on which it sits to be fiercely burned and reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix arises, perpetually repeating the cycle.
I believe part of Rumple’s purpose is redemption for himself, and nullification of EQ’s power. How? The plot is certainly thickening.
If this is where we’re headed, the next question then is, who is Baelfire? The 7-year-old local kid who found Emma? Potentially he ends up being Henry’s father. Potentially this is the stranger in town, August, who speaks of lemurs (named after spirits or ghosts in Roman mythology) in Nepal with eyes that reflect light, and he says the prayer temples are overrun with ghosts. Reincarnation is a give in Buddhism and Hinduism, the religions practiced in Nepal.
Who August is is its own more expansive post, but despite my comment, I don’t really think he is Baelfire, who I do think is Henry’s father, or for one, Emma would recognize him (nor do I think he is Pinocchio, as it seems many people here believe — too obvious for one thing). So I’m thinking we haven’t met Baelfire yet in our world. But I do think he is Rumpel’s reason for creating the curse and tricking EQ into enacting it.