Gloriana Embry

Gloriana
Biographical
Home	Salem, Massachusetts Boston (briefly)
Occupation	Prostitue (formerly)
Status	Alive
Relationships
Affiliation	The Divining Rod
Relatives	Unnamed Grandmother Unnamed Brothers Unborn Child
Significant Other(s)	Cotton Mather (lover)
Appearences
Portrayed By	Azure Parsons
Season(s)	1 • 3
Episode Count	12
First Appearance	The Vow
Last Appearance	Saturday Mourning

“	If they can hang a woman like Miss Bishop, what does that mean for someone like me?	”
	— Gloriana to Cotton Mather

Gloriana was a local prostitute at the Divining Rod, a brothel in Salem, Massachusetts and also the lover of Cotton Mather before she was banished from Salem by Increase Mather. Pregnant and alone amidst the refugees seeking asylum in Salem, Gloriana fell prey to the jealous witch Anne Hale.

She is a guest character in the first and third season of Salem, portrayed by the actress Azure Parsons.

Early life

“	Our granny used to scare us silly with those witch stories, but she'd really terrify my brothers.	”
	— Gloriana

Not much is known about her early life. She was raised by a grandmother along with other brothers, probably native of Salem. At some point in her life, she did not have other choices then become a prostitute, putting herself under the protective wing of Madame Mab.

Personality

No doubt a woman of easy virtue, but with a good heart. Far away from Puritan morality, she fell in love with the Reverend Cotton Mather, who came to Salem to eradicate the threat of witches. In the course of the series, she showed acts of kindness both towards the other girls of the brothel and with the same Cotton, consoling the young man in his periods of despair, largely due to the abuse suffered by his father. The young woman was afraid of being accused of witchcraft because of her profession and Increase took advantage of her profession as a prostitute to get her away from his son Cotton.

Physical Appearance

A beautiful woman in her early twenties, pale-skinned, with thick red hair and a prosperous body. Unlike those of the Puritans, whose clothes are all blacks, Gloriana wore skimpy clothes of bright colors such as green or red. She kept her hair loose and wore jewelry.

Throughout the Salem series

Season One

Gloriana and Cotton having fun

Gloriana was Reverend Cotton Mather's favored prostitute, who paid a hefty sum to Madame Mab for no other man uses the woman's body for their carnal pleasures. She was sympathetic to the Reverend, and unlike her peers, she wasn't shy when it comes to talking with a man. Gloriana was like an open book with the man and the two talked about many topics, from the witch hunt to sex.

After the birth of a deformed fetus, one of the many evil machinations of Mary Sibley implemented to muddy the waters, Bridget Bishop, the town's midwife, was accused of witchcraft and Gloriana had to be a witness in court, because she and Madame Mab were present when a prostitutes gave birth to the deformed fetus under the terrified eyes of the prostitutes and the same midwife. John Alden, then, to highlight the innocence of the midwife, accused the prostitutes of being part of the witch-cult too, but Gloriana countered that she was not a witch and was defended by Cotton. Gloriana later went for the midwife hanged, confessing her fears to be accused again to Cotton, and the man assured her that he would always protect her.

Romantic effusions between the two

What began as a game, however, became something deeper. Both of them began to feel real affection, almost love, for each other. Their love was so much that Cotton also came to think of to marry the woman, making her an honest woman instead of a prostitute. However, this relationship was hampered from the start. Initially by the same Cotton, unable to admit his own feelings, reaching even to repress them. The love for the woman, however, was very strong and when the Reverend saw other men flirting with Gloriana at the Salem Inn, he reacted badly, almost coming to a fistfight. Later, in the church, when Gloriana asked explanations to Cotton, the man began to kiss her and he forced himself on her on the floor of the church.

But for the lovers, the worst was yet to come. In fact, shortly after this, Increase Mather, father of Cotton and violent witch-hunter, arrived in town. The man saw the woman as a threat to the political career of his son and cast her away from Cotton with infamous means.

Gloriana comforting Cotton

Cotton cannot stand over the abuses of his father and confessed to Gloriana that he fears the boot of his father, as when he was a child. Gloriana then comforted him, reminding him that he is a strong man and a responsible adult, as well as a good witch-slayer. The goodness of Gloriana, however, could not anything against the evil machinations of the witches hidden in the higher ranks of Salem.

Once arrested on charges of witchcraft, during the interrogation held by ordeal of water, Mab accused Gloriana of being a witch too. Immediately the young prostitute was arrested, under the eyes of a helpless Cotton, subject to the will of his despotic father. Increase Mather gave his son the task of searching for the woman's body the Devil's Mark, but when no infamous mark was found on the naked body of the woman, inspected under the eyes of militiamen, Increase accused her of immorality and fornication, banishing her from their midst, her expulsion immediate and beyond dispute. And should she ever return at any time, for any reason, Increased promised her that she will find herself once again beside him on the common, her lifeless body dangling from the wrong end of the hangman's noose.

Later Increase confessed first to John Alden and then to his own son that he drove the prostitute away because she was a hindrance to the political career of Cotton and she was not a good wife-material. Increase ordered some militiamen to lead the woman as far away from Salem, up to where the horses would hold before falling to the ground exhausted. After a last sad kiss through the bars of the wagon, Gloriana has never seen again.

Season Three

After wandering for a long time looking for Cotton, going up to Boston and back, Gloriana found herself entering Salem along with the horde of refugees. Pregnant and suffering, Gloriana was rescued by none other than Anne Hale, who offered her herbal skills to refugees since no doctor was willing to help them. After that Anne has ascertained that the child was healthy, she didn't recognize Gloriana until she revealed the identity of the child's father, causing an uproar in the heart of the ginger witch.

Once Anne discovered that Gloriana was Cotton's long lost lover and that she was pregnant with his child, Anne had a meltdown and took drastic measures to ensure that they cannot reunite. After locking her in the lair in the attic at the Hale house, Anne performed a malicious ritual to steal the unborn child and transferring it to her own womb.

Gloriana was completely distraught and repeatedly pleaded Anne's conscience to set her free and gave back her child, but to no avail since the heart of the witch had completely hardened with jealousy and hatred. After nightmarish moments that seemed to last forever at the hands of Anne's spectral attacks, Gloriana was deprived of her own memories by Anne in order to totally destroy any chance she had to win again Cotton's love.

The evil witch later persuaded Mercy Lewis to take her in as a prostitute at the Bird's Nest. Mercy agreed, making it quite obvious that she saw right through Anne's act and was well aware of what she did to Gloriana, but kept it quiet about it.

When Cotton later stumbled upon Gloriana at the Bird's Nest, he recognised her and attempted to make her remember who she really was. Despite his efforts, Gloriana wasn't able to remember the slightest thing due to Anne's spell upon her.

Frustrated, Cotton realised what Anne had done and threatened her to break the curse and restore the child to the rightful mother. But it was all in vain as Gloriana and Cotton never saw each other again, and their child was going to be raised as the next vessel of the Dark Lord.

Gloriana was mentioned one last time during Cotton's final moments before descending into Hell. Anne once again berated him for loving a "whore" over her, to which Cotton had no regrets over as he retorts that he was sorry that he ever laid eyes upon Anne and that he would rather spend eternity in Hell than be married to her. The fate of Gloriana remains unknown.

Relationships

• Cotton Mather
• Anne Hale

Main article: Cotton and Gloriana

“	Nothing is going to happen to you.	”
	— Cotton to Gloriana in In Vain

Cotton comforts Gloriana

Cotton and Gloriana establish a loving relationship blossomed as a result of Cotton's many visits at the brothel in town. The girl was able to break the shell of Cotton, loving him for the man who is fragile. Increase Mather, however, doesn't see the love between the two as something morally ethical nor useful to the possibility of Cotton to hold high political positions. When the girl is banned for immorality, Cotton it is psychologically destroyed, letting go totally adrift.

Anne's specter torturing Gloriana

Anne and Gloriana had no significant interactions until Gloriana, pregnant and tired from her journey, returned to Salem after her banishment and Anne finds out the shocking truth about Cotton being her child's father. Due to her already abusive and one-sided forced marriage to Cotton, Anne goes to extreme lengths to stop Gloriana from reuniting with him. Although a relieved Gloriana initially believed that Anne was a caring woman of integrity and compassion who was aiding her in her time of need and thus, likely saw her as a new friend, she quickly learned the harsh truth about how evil Anne was becoming once Anne locked her in a secret room at the Hale house and stole her unborn baby from her via magic.

A hysterical Gloriana made obvious her rage and hatred for Anne, even going as far as to attempt to physically attack her, while crying and shouting for Anne to return her baby. Anne then paralyzed her before torturing her in her demonic specter form and subsequently wiping her memory before giving her to Mercy to work as a prostitute. Gloriana was absolutely terrified of Anne.

Memorable Quotes

Gloriana: Our granny used to scare us silly with those witch stories. But she'd really terrify my brothers. She told them witches could steal a man's..

Cotton Mather: Aah! Would you like that, Gloriana, without the bother of the man attached?

Gloriana: Not this man.

— The Vow

________________________

Gloriana: Have you lost your lust for life? Don't tell me that you are full up.

Cotton Mather: Perhaps some holes cannot be filled.

Gloriana: Really, my lord? Which holes are those?

Cotton Mather: The ones we dig for ourselves.

— The Stone Child

__________________________

Gloriana (to Cotton): If they can hang a woman like Miss bishop, what does that mean for someone like me?

— In Vain

__________________________

Gloriana: "If we could leave this place? If we could forget Salem and its witches? If we could have a different life?"

Cotton Mather: "I believe I'm doing good."

Gloriana: "I know. And your father would be so very proud."

— In Vain

__________________________

Cotton Mather (about Gloriana): "I have no words. Like a man who's seen the face of God. Only an awed silence is the appropriate response."

— Departures

______________________________

Increase Mather's Banishment: "This woman is no sorceress. And therefore she will not go to trial. But what her advocates fail to grasp is that absence of guilt does not mean innocence. For this whore is no innocent Far from it. She is guilty of sin, sins of the flesh, sins against God, sins both mortal and eternal, and as such, she warrants no place in Salem."

— Departures

_________________________________

Appearences

Season One
Episode	Appearance Status
The Vow	Appears
The Stone Child	Appears
In Vain	Appears
Survivors	Appears
Lies	Appears
The Red Rose and the Briar	Mentioned
Our Own Private America	Appears
Departures	Appears
Children Be Afraid	Absent
The House of Pain	Absent
Cat And Mouse	Absent
Ashes Ashes	Absent
All Fall Down	Absent

Season Two
Episode	Appearance Status
Cry Havoc	Mentioned
Blood Kiss	Absent
From Within	Absent
Book of Shadows	Absent
The Wine Dark Sea	Mentioned
Ill Met by Moonlight	Absent
The Beckoning Fair One	Absent
Dead Birds	Absent
Wages of Sin	Absent
Til Death Do Us Part	Absent
On Earth as in Hell	Absent
Midnight Never Come	Absent
The Witching Hour	Absent

Season Three
Episode	Appearance Status
After the Fall	Absent
The Heart Is A Devil	Absent
The Reckoning	Absent
Night's Black Agents	Absent
The Commonwealth of Hell	Appears
Wednesday's Child	Appears
The Man Who Was Thursday	Appears
Friday's Knights	Appears
Saturday Mourning	Appears
Black Sunday	Absent

Gallery

• Episode Stills
• Screencaps

Season One

Season Three

Name

• Gloriana: Elaborated form of Latin Gloria meaning "glory". In Edmund Spenser's poem 'The Faerie Queene' (1590) this was the name of the title character, a representation of Queen Elizabeth I.

Trivia

• Gloriana is but one of the several victims of sexual abuse during the series. Gloriana has been forced to have sex by Cotton Mather in "Survivors," after he became jealous seeing her with a client at the tavern.
• Gloriana is one of the two women loved by Cotton Mather in the series. The other is Anne Hale, though she is loved because of a spell of love. Both women have red hair.
• Gloriana is one of the several redheads in the show. The others are Anne Hale, Rose Browning and Mab. Gloriana is the only woman with red hair who is not a witch.