Mary Sibley (née Walcott) is the main female protagonist of Salem. She is the wife of the late George Sibley, the lover of John Alden and mother of their son, and the most powerful witch in Salem, Massachusetts. She became a witch after sacrificing her unborn baby to Satan in exchange for supernatural powers and arcane knowledge.
In the beginning, Mary's actions were motivated by not only her love for John, but also due to her desire for vengeance upon the Puritans, whom she believed to have robbed her of all her loved ones. However, with John's unexpected return, and the subsequent revelations of how she had actually been deceived and ill-used by the Essex witches, Mary came to wholeheartedly regret her irrevocable choices, especially after her son was taken over by the Devil. Ultimately, she and John reconciled, and dedicated all of their strength and skills to fight for the future they sought.
"Beautiful, ruthless and vulnerable, Mary Sibley is Salem’s most powerful enchantress, with a deep secret and deeper desires that may threaten her position and strength. Both villainess and heroine – she is always the center of attention. Mary uses her position of power and influence not only to promote her personal ascension within Salem but to wreak revenge upon those whose hypocrisy and cruelty lead Mary to her current struggles. When John Alden returns, it turns her world upside down. No matter how tough she is, Alden nearly derails everything, causing long-dormant emotions to resurface with a dizzying vengeance. Regardless of whom she truly loves, her husband or John, Mary may well be bound by ties even deeper to someone – or something – else." [1]
"Mary Sibley, Salem’s most powerful and ruthless witch, is the only person on earth with the power to destroy the Devil. She must kill her son. The only problem is – she’s dead. Or is she?"[2]
Early Life[]
Born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts, Mary is one of the firstborn in the new world. She is the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Walcott. She never knew her mother and it is unknown whether or not her father was still alive by 1685. At some point in her childhood, her parents bought the slave girl Tituba, who Mary quickly developed a close relationship with, often treating her more like a sister than one of ownership (The House of Pain). Before the events of 1685, Mary embarked on a relationship with the young John Alden and the pair quickly fell in love. However, he was later sent to join the militia to fight in the nine years war. The night before he left Salem (after witnessing the branding of Isaac Walton), he made a vow to Mary that he would return for her within a year, splitting a silver coin giving one half to her as a symbol of his promise.
Several months later, Mary discovered she was pregnant with John's baby. Believing John to be dead, she was manipulated by the witches into sacrificing her unborn child to the Devil, thus becoming a witch herself (The Vow). Some time afterward, she married George Sibley after the witches had secretly poisoned his previous wife. Within two years of their marriage, she placed her husband under a spell, wanting revenge on the man that cost her everyone she loved (The Red Rose and the Briar) and leaving her in control of Salem.
Personality[]
Poised and dignified from the beginning, Mary is a natural-born leader, which was why she was chosen by the Essex Hive's elders to lead the Salem witches and to complete the Grand Rite.
Before she sold her soul to the Devil, she was a kind and compassionate woman, but after she became a witch, Mary described herself as having become darker —ruthless, cunning, and willing to go to any lengths to enact her revenge on the Puritans by completing the Grand Rite.
In the midst of all this, though, Mary had actually retained some of the best aspects of her humanity: she was always affectionate to Isaac, whom she saved from being hanged. She never lost or wavered in her love for John, whom she initially kept at a distance for his own protection, and later on even saved him numerous times at the very expense of her own life. In fact, it was Mary's love for John that ultimately led her to sever all sentimental ties with Tituba, whom she once claimed to have loved as a sister, for it was Tituba's lies about John that led to Mary becoming a witch in the first place. Last but not least, Mary is a genuinely warm and loving mother to her son, and would go to any lengths to protect him, whether it be from the elders, witches, or Puritans.
Apart from her love for John, one constant feature about Mary would be her realism, which could lead her to resort to extreme measures such as cooperating with deadly enemies from beyond the grave, as seen when she summoned Increase Mather's spirit for answers, despite the fact that the witch-hunter had been one of her most dangerous enemies in life. Even after the Devil had taken her son's body as his vessel, Mary was realistic enough to be able to see him for what he truly was, which enabled her to always and effectively resist all his attempts to endear himself to her, even going as far as to call him "the atrocity I gave birth to". It was also this realism that led her to keep Tituba at an emotional distance after she realised her deceptions, and deduced that she and Tituba had different goals.
During her official war against the Devil himself, Mary also demonstrated other admirable qualities: fierce courage, formidable intelligence, and ruthless resourcefulness, all of which made her a most formidable foe. For instance, when her assassination attempt on the Devil failed, she was not at the least afraid when she was summoned for a “Reckoning”, and took the opportunity to taunt both him and the Sentinel as "nothing but common thieves, liars, traitors, rapists, murderers, crybabies". Later on, though she was severely weakened after being stripped of all her powers, Mary was quick to regain her emotional balance, which enabled her to successfully resist the Sentinel's attempt to lure her into suicide, and turn the tables on him by pointing out that though he no longer served God, he was still a slave to someone else. She even turned down the elders' subsequent offer of protection against the Devil, stating that he had made a fatal mistake by sparing her life, for "Hell hath no fury like this woman scorned". Hence, the Essex Elder observed that even without her powers, Mary was still the strongest of them all.
In fact, she went on to incite the Sentinel's curiosity about her, and seized this opportunity to sow discord between him and the Devil. Mary also demonstrated consummate acting skills as both a resigned submissive (to the Devil) as well as a charming seductress (to Sebastian), which led them both to lower their guard around her. Though she was genuinely grieved when the Essex hive sacrificed themselves to empower her with their combined magic, Mary still maintained her focus on what needed to be done (destroying the Devil's vessel), which again testifies to her being a woman of tremendous emotional control and mental discipline.
However, in hopeless circumstances, she was not above desperately begging for aid from even the unlikeliest allies, as seen by how she pleaded with Anne to be spared from having to consort with the Devil.
Last but not least, Mary was a woman who was willing to accept responsibility for her mistakes: she repeatedly yet sincerely apologised to the innocents whom she had hurt in her quest for vengeance, and actually reached an emotional and spiritual reconciliation with Cotton before his death. Ultimately, due to Anne's unexpected generosity, Mary was able to leave Salem for good with John as a woman in love, one who gave up power, ambition, and vengeance with no regrets so she could start a new life with the man she loved.
Physical Appearance[]
Mary is a beautiful young woman in her late twenties, with long dark brown hair, black eyes, a perfectly pale complexion, and a tall, slim yet voluptuous physique. Even the Sentinel, who harboured a passionate distaste for human beings in general, once complimented her beauty. Before she became wealthy, she was shown to wear plain dresses in shades of blue or pink.
After her marriage and becoming a witch, Mary demonstrated a penchant for elaborate gowns uncommon among the plain-clothed Puritans, varying from shades of black, purple, and red, along with rich jewellery. Her hair is worn long, though she has been shown to arrange it in various types of plaits, or curls, or buns. She also often wears the half-coin that John had given her, which had been set on a gold necklace.
Throughout The Salem Series[]
SEASON ONE
Mary makes her first appearance in The Vow when Isaac Walton visits her home delivering packages, she kindly greets him clearly showing she has an affection for the man. She asks for any news and is shocked when he tells her that John Alden has returned, pricking her finger with a needle in her surprise. The next day at church she sits in the front row with her ailing husband George Sibley and listens as Cotton Mather and Magistrate Hale debate over the dangers of a witch hunt that now plague Salem before she steps forward telling them that there are worst things then a witch hunt- a witch herself, when John Alden steps forward from the crowd and mocks the idea that witches even exist believing them to be nothing but fairy tales. She sarcastically welcomes the captain back from his long service defending Salem and afterward invites him to a dinner party she is hosting with her husband the next evening, which he ungraciously accepts.
The following evening Mary is standing on balcony before she returns to her boudoir and disrobes in front of her husband and ominously saying "Time for your feeding" she proceeds to press her hands against his chest until a toad appears in his mouth and she affectionately takes hold of the creature, stroking the creature before she begins to suckle it from nipple on her thigh, revealing herself to be a witch . A short time later George appears to have gained use of his voice and begins to shout before she returns to his side and forces him to swallow the toad once again. George begins to struggle but Mary warns him that it is no use and taunts him that she will destroy everything that he has built because he had taken away everything she had loved and as she walks away a reflection of a hideous hag appears in her mirror.
At the dinner party Mary closely watches John as Anne Hale takes an interest in him and after she creates an illusion of herself and Anne caressing John provocatively under the table he excuses himself wanting some air but she follows him outside. She tells him that she had believed he had died and he asks her if she married George Sibley before or after she been told that. He continues to show her the other half of the silver coin he had given her all those years ago and tries to convince her to leave Salem with him. The pair kisses passionately but she pulls away telling him it is impossible for them to be together ominously saying "He will never let me" before they are interrupted by Magistrate Hale who has come looking for them.
Later, she angrily confronts Tituba who had been the one that had led her to believe that John had died but she tells her that she does not regret a thing, reminding her who she now belongs too, causing Mary to loses control and shatter a mirror telekinetically but they are interrupted by a servant informing Mary she has a visitor. When Mary comes down the stairs she has a smile on her face obviously believing her visitor is John but her smile soon fades when she see's Giles Corey sitting in her drawing room. As they sit together by the fire he informs her that seven years ago he saw her and Tituba sacrifice her and John's unborn baby giving her the ultimatum to tell John the truth or he will.
The following day Mary spies on John and Anne in the cemetery as he departs from Salem and after a brief conversation with a startled Anne steals a lock of her hair for reasons unknown. Later that morning, while in the market, she takes control of Mercy as she is paraded around the square by Cotton in search of a witch and has her accuse Giles of witchcraft due to her not wanting John to discover her secrete. That night with Giles locked in the cells she asks Cotton if he has a confession but he informs her that he refuses to speak to anyone but John Alden and that he had sent men out to search for him, clearly perturbed by this tells him to force a confession out of him stating "You've been granted power use it. Press him for an answer. Let the same devil that holds his tongue hold the stones."
The night of the Sabbat Tituba quickly finds Mary and tells her the Sabbat is about to begin. They both return back home and begin the ritual. Once inside Mary lies upon her bed with Tituba sitting beside her, she uses ointment oil and phallic object on her, chanting "One, two, three, and four. Raise the devil to our door. Call the pig, the wolf, the ram. Come to the circle, all who can. Make him walk on floor to roof. Drink to him with horn and hoof. One, two, three and four. The devil is here. Now sleep no more.". The spell links Mary to the other witches but their circle is shortly broken leaving Mary shocked as to how or who caused it.
Afterward, Mary watches from her balcony as Giles Corey dies from being pressed to death causing John to angrily threaten the selectmen, their eyes meet for a brief moment before she returns to her boudoir. Inside she angrily confronts Magistrate Hale and demands to know who broke their circle but he tells her he does not know before she announces that the witch hunt has begun and the witches shall be running the trials.
In The Stone Child Following the death of Giles Corey. Mary summons Magistrate Hale to her home after discovering that he has arrested John Alden. She tells him he is to concern himself only with discovering who broke their circle, he warns her that John may become a problem for them but she replies that John Alden is her problem and he is to do nothing without her say so. She continues to tell him to seek out the Seer to discover the one that saw them in the woods stating "His eyes were there". Shortly later she visits John in his cell and tells him he is free to go but urges him to leave Salem. John questions her lack of compassion for Giles Corey and again tries to convince her to leave Salem with him but she tells him "Your confidence astounds me, Captain. Did you imagine that I would welcome you back with tears of joy? How incredibly naive you are. You're too late. It's over. I don't want you here" Despite not believing her, John walks away giving his half of the silver coin to a beggar girl outside, while a heartbroken Mary watches on.
The next morning Mary visits the orphanage where Bridget Bishop is assisting a young unwed girl in labor and is shocked to find Anne Hale there who tells her Bridget is teaching her "The wonders of God's own creation". Mary continues to tell the girl until she names the father of her child she will have no assistance as Salem will not shoulder another bastard. Bridget tries to plead with Mary to show mercy and use her power and influence to help one of her own but Mary insists. The girl tells them the boy is unable to marry for some years yet and will lose his apprenticeship if the truth is discovered but left with little choice tells Mary the father of her baby is Billy Bailyn the cooper's apprentice. Moments later the child is born and Mary remembers the night she sacrificed her unborn baby she quickly flees passing past Kitty a heavily pregnant girl from The Divining Rod. Later at church, Mary witnesses as Bridget and a group of women watch Mercy and pray for her. Bridget tries to rally the women to do something to help the girl, believing the witch-hunt to be nothing but hysteria and a way for the Puritans to control the people but Mary warns her to keep quiet or she herself might be accused.
In the evening Mary is in her bedchambers suckling her familiar, weeping when Tituba walks in. She warns her that her tears will sour the milk, while a weeping Mary reminds her she might have fed more than a toad once. Tituba tells her that it doesn't matter now, except completing the next sacrifice before the full hunter's moon. And she informs her she has already chosen her next victim but they must give the people a sign- A monstrous birth. Tituba is surprised she would do such a thing but Mary replies "I have no need to pluck a single leaf from the tree of life when the leaf is already dead on the branch." Referring to a malformed fetus that already floats dead in its mother's womb. Mary taunts her husband who gleefully tells her that the only thing keeping him alive is the look on her face when John Alden discovers what she is and throttles her with his bare hands, causing Mary to angrily force him to swallow her familiar. She later appears as an illusion when Kitty gives birth to her to a dead malformed baby, frightening the girl who believes Bridget is trying to harm her child.
The next day she speaks with Kitty and convinces her to tell her what she saw by gaining her trust by informing her she too knows how she feels as she has also lost a child. The girl tells her of the phantom that she saw and Mary questions her on the midwife, the girl tells her the hag and midwife were "one of the same person". The same night she summons Cotton to her home, appearing frightened to the reverend when she informs him that a sign has appeared in Salem, like those written in one of his books and shows him the dead fetus that she had floated by doctor lamb in a jar. Cotton is horrified by what he sees and vow's he will protect her and Salem from the witches.
In the morning she watches as Bridget is put on trial for witchcraft but after John intervenes she has all those present at the birth presented to Mercy. She takes control of Mercy and has her proceed to vomit blood and nails on Bridget when she stands before her, proof to the people of her guilt and gathers with the rest of Salem as she is hanged despite her pleas of innocence. Once outside Mary is approached by Magistrate Hale who is not pleased with her choice of the victim as Bridget was his daughter's friend and she watches from the sidelines as John Alden comforts Anne clearly showing jealousy as she sees them. Later that night John visits her and informs her that he plans on staying in Salem and taking his father's seat on the selectmen board and notices she is wearing the half a silver coin he had given her all those years ago but the pair are interrupted by Tituba, later she is seen creating a poppet which ominously appears in the bedroom of Anne Hale.
In In Vain following the death of Bridget Bishop Mary watches the spectacle below from her balcony as Isaac takes her body to the crag and Tituba warns her to make sure Isaac takes a more secure to route, while Mary insists it is a fuel to their fire. She goes outside and chastises Cotton for standing idly by during the commotion before she is approached by Magistrate Hale. The Magistrate continues to warn Mary that they should postpone their plans for the Grand Rite as they had been seen at their Sabbat but Mary insists they will continue with their plan and chastises him on not completing the task been given to him (Discovering who it was that saw them). And later watches as John escorts Anne home following the break-in at the orphanage.
Later she finds her husband trying to expel the familiar from within him by trying to make himself sick. She reminds him that the familiar follows only her behest and will not come out for him, announcing he will stew in his own sick for the day for his actions before Tituba arrives and tells her Isaac has arrived with his potions. Mary greets Isaac pretending his arrival has come just when her husband has suffered a fit of a sort and Isaac praises her for taking on such a burden. Mary enquirers on the people of Salem and Isaac tells her their spirits are low and they soon remember the day Isaac was branded. Isaac tells her Abigail fled Salem the next day without a word and often wonders what became of her. Later that night she watches as Isaac is arrested and Magistrate Hale informs her it was Isaac who had seen them during the Sabbat and must burn. Mary clearly angry that he acted without her consent orders him to go home before telling Tituba to fetch her Rose.
Deep in the woods, Mary speaks with Rose who warns her not to underestimate Magistrate Hale and comforts her about the arrival of John Alden while Mary questions if sacrificing her baby might be in vain. Later after returning John pleads with Mary to help Isaac and after she learns that Hale tried to question him despite her orders, she gives John her complete alliance. Later that night at home she creates an illusion of Abigail in Isaac's cell and tries to get him to divulge who else was with him the night of the Sabbat and is shocked to discover it was John.
The next day Mary visits Magistrate Hale and tells him she questioned Isaac and he was alone in the woods but he is insistent that Isaac must hang for being a witch, Mary becomes very angry insisting she can control Isaac but Magistrate warns her only sentiment is holding her back and is a weakness that can be used to control her before they are interrupted when Anne and her mother return from church. Mary quickly returns to John and tells him that the Magistrate plans to hang Isaac and he must do whatever he can to save him.
later Mary is in her home casting a spell, when Tituba enters and questions why it is so important that she saves Isaac and voices her opinion that it is because of John Alden but Mary insists that it has nothing to do with him and everything to do with the Magistrate who questions her authority but will soon learn who is in charge. Magistrate Hale soon arrives following his daughters sudden fit, realizing that the poppet was her creation and begs her to stop it and will do whatever she wants if she spares his daughter. Mary reminds him she has lost everyone she loves while he has everything to lose a sentiment that makes him venerable before releasing Anne from her spell. Later after Isaac's release, she warns John that if he stays in Salem she will be unable to protect him, she returns home and finds one of her knitting needles has gone not realizing her husband has stolen it.
Mary is at her home singing a lullaby to her son and comments on how he looks like he has never heard a lullaby before. The boy tells her that the Widdershins didn't like singing and they were the ones that guarded him at night. Mary promises she will sing to him every night and tries to get him to divulge where he has been all these years before Tituba arrives to take him back to the hive. Mary clings to her son adamant that Tituba is not taking her son but the boy cries out in pain as Tituba uses her powers on the child to force her compliance and Mary concedes to spare her son. Mary demands that the elders must trust her but Tituba tells her that the Elders need her to stay focused in order to complete the task at hand and warns her of the threat that both Mercy and Anne pose. Mary assures her that she will complete closing the veil around Salem and once she does she will choke on her malice before she walks away with the boy.
Afterward, Mary visits John's house and finds one of his tunics desperate to know the truth of his fate she visits the seer and asks him to find John Alden. The seer removes his eyes and places them in her hands allowing her to have a vision. She watches as the Mohawk tribe burn John's body upon a raft obviously dead and stumbles out of the Seer's hut without a word clearly devastated.
later, Mary visits Mercy at the crag and tries to reel her in demanding she submit to the elders and to herself or face the consequences but the girl is adamant she will have her revenge. Mary leaves closely watched by Mercy's Acolytes before she pays a visit to Anne Hale following the death of her parent's. She watches as a guilt-ridden Anne cuts her wrists in the bathtub but her wound heals and Mary reveals herself. Anne at first wants no help from Mary particularly when Mary tells her that she was the one who spelled the doll that nearly killed her but after she once again loses control of her telekinesis Mary promises her she can teach her to control her powers and will use her name to protect her till she finds a suitable husband and tells her to get dressed and come to church.
At church, Mary tries to rally the citizens of Salem following the discovery of the pox outbreak in knockers and reveals to them that their beloved Magistrate Hale and his wife were also victims of the dreaded disease shocking all those present but selectman Mr. Hathorne tries to convince them that being led by a woman is the cause of their downfall when newcomer Samuel Wainwright, a doctor, steps forward telling them been led by a man or woman would not save them, obviously disgusted by their bickering leaves and Mary quickly joins him in visiting those afflicted with the pox. The doctor shamelessly flirts with her and reveals his plan to find the origin of the pox in hopes of combating the disease.
That night Mary discovers that Isaac has been found by the doctor who reveals the man is highly resistant to the pox and hopes to find a cure within his blood if he lives through the night and hopefully he can reveal what had caused the outbreak. Clearly worried about this news Isaac opens his eyes staring directly at Mary before she leaves to go home and is visited by her son. She shows him objects that once belonged to her mother, revealing to him that she does not remember her as she died when she was young. The boy asks about his father and Mary tells him he was one that she loved very much and the very best of men but he is dead. He asks his name and she tells him his name was John the boy reveals the elders wouldn't give him a name till he is baptized but would like to be called John after his father and Mary affectionately calls him "little John" before he senses the elders are dead and Tituba burst into the room revealing that Mercy has killed their elders the last true witches. Standing on the balcony of her bedroom they watch the scene before them- the elders hanging by their intestines burning in the commons and the word war burning on the ground. (Cry Havoc)
SEASON THREE
Buried in the forest by a heartbroken John Alden, the sad rest of Mary Sibley is interrupted by her sister witch Tituba who unearths Mary and carries her corpse in the heart of the Essex Stronghold, where she is brought back to life.(After the Fall)
Grief-stricken and enraged by the revelations of how her resurrection was to kill her son (who had been completely taken over by the Devil), and that she was forever bound to Salem due to her connection with the Essex Tree of Life, Mary physically assaults Tituba, who calms her down by forcing her to see a vision of John's corpse amidst the terror the Devil would unleash if not stopped. Resigned to her new mission, Mary first paid a visit to John and, after a passionate night of love, bid him a sad goodbye before returning to the Devil's house. Despite her consummate maternal performance, she was still tortured by the suspicious Sentinel, who later tricked her into revealing her true colors. (The Heart Is A Devil)
Powers and Abilities[]
Mary Sibley was shown to be one of the most powerful witches that Salem had ever seen, being able to rival even ancient witches such as Countess Von Marburg in terms of magical strength. In fact, she was the Samhain of the Essex Hive, as well as the only witch shown to possess more than one familiar - a toad and a snake, both of which she could use to control different people. As familiars are gifts of the Devil, it was possible that having more than one represents Mary's level of power. Last but not least, she was possibly the very first witch in history to have successfully performed the legendary Grand Rite, which led to the Devil's incarnation at its completion.
Growth and Progress[]
After selling her soul to the Devil by sacrificing her unborn child at Tituba's request, Mary was slowly taught witchcraft by both Tituba and Rose Browning (who was, at that time, the Samhain of the Essex Hive). After two years as a witch, she performed her first significant magic — by forcing down her familiar toad down George Sibley's throat with Tituba's aid, she placed her husband in a paralysis of sorts that rendered him utterly in her power. Since then, her powers continued to grow consistently and dramatically stronger.
For instance, she was shown to be capable of staying conscious while projecting her specter to another place — upon doing this, she would enter a trance of sorts. Later on, she proved skillful enough to imitate feats displayed by far stronger and older witches, such as the ability to bilocate, and though she confessed that such a feat required all of her strength to accomplish, the fact that she was successful at it and even capable of effectively casting other magic in this state is a definite testament to her tremendous magical strength.
Besides this, Mary was able to access an advanced version of teleportation, being able to teleport within a close proximity and over vast distances, and could even bring others with her. She also had telekinetic skills that enabled her to assume control over a person's movements, which was also known as puppetry.
Like Tituba, who was originally Mary's teacher in higher-level witchcraft, Mary was partially-skilled in dream walking, though she usually required Tituba's aid. It was through this method that Mary infiltrated John's dreams to discover the Malum's location, though this led to violent convulsions that forced her to stop, and later caused her to be unable to resist John's amorous advances. She eventually surpassed these limitations, being able to affect Isaac in the same way in his own dreams without suffering any consequences.
Despite the hive's assumption that Tituba was their only gifted necromancer, Mary proved herself to be a powerful practitioner of this kind of magic as well. Through the remains of Increase Mather's corpse, she summoned him from Hell in the form of a spirit, and in this spiritual state, he was completely bound to her will. Mary also demonstrated an extraordinarily high level of skill and expertise in magic that directly manipulated life and death, such as Dead Raising. For instance, she was able to temporarily resurrect George after his murder, and the resurrection only failed due to the Countess' curse overpowering her spells. With Tituba's aid, Mary easily located Corwin, and even linked a ram's head to him, allowing her to kill him from a vast distance. Later on, using Corwin's finger, Mary and Tituba identified John as the former's murderer, despite him being cloaked from magic. Last but not least, after she had unwillingly aided the Countess in incarnating the Devil, Mary was soon drained of blood by Sebastian at the former's orders, but with the little amount she had left, Mary still successfully resurrected John at the expense of her own life.
Mary's control over the elements was definitely her most offensive magical ability. For instance, during an attempt to kill Increase, Mary assumed control over the woods all the way from Salem, using vines to subdue the witch hunter with just a simple drop of blood. Even from a vast distance, she was able to affect him by causing his chains to strangle him. However, the one element that Mary had the greatest proficiency in and most commonly used was fire: her usage ranged from divining a desired object's exact location to a suicidal attempt at eliminating a powerful rival, the Countess. With a small blood sacrifice, she set the entire meeting house on fire, though she claimed this act was fuelled by the trees that surrounded her (Essex witches were associated with the forest), and propelled a large fireball at the Countess. She was also shown to be able to extinguish fire with her bare hands without inflicting any injury upon herself.
Mary was also highly psychic in nature, being able to sense the presence of her target even when she was unable to determine its identity, and in John's case, despite him being cloaked against witches. She could cast realistic illusions, both on herself and entire locations, as seen when she hid the pool of hellblood from Cotton and the Magistrate. By simply tasting Anne's blood, Mary was capable of replicating the contents of Anne's Book of Shadows, and subsequently learn the thoughts of the younger witch. She was also skilled in unbreakable curses, as seen when she cursed a doll that nearly led to Anne's death. Even John Hale, a cradle witch, could not break the curse, which is another definite testament to Mary's mysterious yet formidable power.
Reckoning[]
Following Mary's resurrection and her attempt on the Devil's life after a short ruse of being his follower, he decided that Mary would undergo the ritual known as "the Reckoning" that stripped her of the Devil's gifts, leaving her as a powerless human. Despite her initial shock and subsequent illness due to her body and mind becoming accustomed to living without magic once again, the ritual freed her soul from the Devil. It has been stated by the Essex Elders that Mary is the only known witch in all of history to have endured the reckoning without dying.
Besides this, through a shrewd cautious series of manipulations and plannings, the mortal Mary was given temporary power granted by the ultimate sacrifice of the surviving Essex hive to dismember the Devil's vessel. Unlike her witchcraft, this power came from the earth itself.
Although Mary ultimately left Salem as an ordinary woman with absolutely no magic, the Essex Elders still regarded her as the strongest amongst them, and described her as the most powerful witch the Essex Hive ever produced.
Mary, trust me. I will come back for you. Hey, look... this is all that I have and I swear on my parents grave. This is my vow. This war will not last a year.
Mary and John fell in love before the events of 1685. Later John left Salem to join the nine years war but not before vowing to return for her in a year. Several months later, Mary discovered she was pregnant with his child but believed he was dead so she sacrificed their unborn baby to Satan so that she could enact revenge on the Puritans (The Vow). Seven years later she is shocked with John's arrival and is torn between her love for him and her duty to the witches cause but after he is arrested for witchcraft and later put on trial and sentenced to hang for treason she chooses to save him (Ashes Ashes). They both plan flee Salem together but their plan is hindered by the witches who reveal their child is, in fact, alive forcing Mary to choose between him and their son. She stays in Salem and completes the Grand Rite and is reunited with their son (All Fall Down).
I, traitor? I, who have endured the worst that sick man could inflict upon my flesh to protect you? I think not. 'Tis you who have betrayed those who nurtured you. You who have turned your back on everything we have planned these long years!
Tituba is Mary's oldest friend, most trusted ally and devoted servant. They were raised together as children when Mary's parents bought the young slave girl when she came to the new world and they quickly developed a close relationship during their childhood (The House of Pain). After John Alden was sent to join the nine years war and Mary discovered she was pregnant with his child, Tituba was the one that helped her sacrifice her unborn baby in exchange for powers (The Vow). In the following years, she became her one true ally with completing the Grand Rite. Tituba later makes a confession of love that Mary cruelly rejects (Children Be Afraid) and after she is arrested for witchcraft and tortured by Increase Mather she accuses John of being a witch inciting Mary's hatred. After Mary decides to flee Salem with John, Tituba reveals that the child that she had sacrificed all those years ago is alive, forcing Mary to stay and complete the Grand Rite to save her son and she vows to make her pay (All Fall Down).
Mary married the wealthy selectman some time after she was told that John Alden had died when Magistrate Hale poisoned his late wife. Within two years of their marriage, Mary placed George under her spell while the rest of Salem believed he was suffering from a mystery illness. Mary has shown to hold no affection for her husband and simply married him to acquire the influence she needed to control Salem as well as an act of revenge for sending John away (The Vow). After the arrival of Increase Mather Mary tried to destroy his mind to prevent him from revealing what she was, where it was shown he had once been enamored with his young wife despite her own revulsion of him but her plan failed due to Increase's intervention (Children Be Afraid). Since his bewitchment, he has shown to hold no more affection for his wife and even voted for John Alden to go to trial to spite her (Cat and Mouse).
During the events of 1685 Mary discovered that she was pregnant with John Alden's baby but believing him to be dead was manipulated by the witches in sacrificing her unborn child becoming a witch herself (The Vow). For seven years Mary believed the child she had lost was dead and often wondered if she had made the right choice especially with the arrival of John Alden (The Stone Child). She later discovered that her child is alive and was forced to choose between fleeing Salem with John or saving her son. They are finally reunited after Mary completes the Grand Rite (All Fall Down). Without being baptized, her son later decide to name himself "John" after his father.(Cry Havoc)
Mary and Isaac are childhood friends and both are firstborns in the new world. During the events of 1685 Mary witnessed his punishment for fornicating with his lover Abigail Cooke (The Vow) and after she became a witch and married George she took pity on him when no other would. Mary has shown to have a lot of affection for Isaac and went to great lengths to save him from Magistrate Hale (In Vain). But despite this, she has manipulated him on many occasions to benefit her own agenda causing her to vow to protect him from any further harm after he was injured due to her intervention (Cat and Mouse). After she saves John from being hanged, she tries to save Isaac from the Grand Rite by sending him away from Salem but gives him one last task, to place the Malum in the witches tree but unbeknown to her he has been infected by the plague it contains (All Fall Down).
No! I didn’t wish for my friends to be killed! I promised them that they would be safe because you promised me, but you lied! You lied and now they are all dead! Everything that comes from your lips is a lie!
Not much unknown of their past history other than that it was Mercy's father that had wed Mary to George Sibley so it is presumed Mary knew or knew of Mercy before she placed her under her spell. Mercy was used to accuse those of witchcraft but after she was freed from the familiar within she was no longer under Mary's control so Mary turned the young girl into a Witch to prevent her from revealing what she was (The Red Rose and the Briar). Mercy soon developed a strong attachment to her as Mary took her under her wing, teaching her the craft. When Increase Mather arrived in Salem and became suspicious of Mary, Mercy accused Tituba of witchcraft to protect Mary but was later forced to go into hiding after Tituba revealed Mercy was now a witch herself. Together they tried to kill Increase but their plan failed (Cat and Mouse) and after the deaths of Mercy's friends who had been arrested and tortured by the senior Mather, Mercy vowed vengeance against Mary as she had promised she would protect them (Ashes Ashes).
I think perhaps, Mrs. Sibley, you are like the Queen Elizabeth of Salem.
”
— Dr.Wainwright to Mary Sibley
Mary and Dr. Wainwright know shortly after the arrival of man in the city and now seem to get along. She sees him as one of the few allies against misogynist selectmen who would usurp her command over the town. The two flirt shamelessly and also have sexual intercourse.
Mary Sibley (to Anne Hale): "Love is to a woman what war is to a man: the most deadly thing they'll do. Only a fool runs quickly to war or love. You’d best watch yourself."
Mary Sibley (to George Sibley): "We will use the trials to turn the puritans against each other. They will hunt and kill and drown in their very own blood till there's no puritans left standing. And Salem is ours."
Mary Sibley: "Sometimes in life, we make choices. And sometimes, these – these difficult choices – they lead us to do things, terrible things, and we don’t wish to. We’d do anything not to. But choice informs choice."
Mary Sibley (to Mercy): "Not all queens start as a princess."
Mary Sibley: "Do you like games, George?"
Mary Sibley (to Mercy): "Men think of themselves as rock, hard as stone. So they are. Hard, brittle, easily broken. Women know that we are mostly water. Sea around us, sea inside us. When I hurt, I remember that. I remember what water is, what it does. It flows. It changes. It endures far longer than the rock."
Mary Sibley: "There is no world, new or old, not founded on bones and blood. Imagine a world free of the violent hypocrisy and oppression of the Puritans, a new world that celebrates the power of nature, freedom of thought, belief, and feeling. This is our chance. A moment when the future of this land is utterly in doubt."
Mary Sibley (to Anne Hale): "Neither the world, the flesh nor the devil himself is like a Puritan suit in only black and white. All is grey. And the devil they fear is not the devil I know."
Mary Sibley (spurring militiamen against Mercy's hive): "Witches! Suffer not one to survive and torment us more! Kill them! Kill them all! You wanted war. Now taste war."
Mary Sibley:" These are extraordinary times, with extraordinary dangers, and they call for extraordinary measures."
Mary Sibley (to her son): "You were not born for this. You were born to be loved. And I do love you. I am so sorry, my love. I have failed you over and over again, but I will not fail you now. Whatever happens, do not be afraid. We will meet again. I love you beyond all measure, beyond any other love, beyond life itself."
Mary Sibley (to Cotton, tearfully): "Goodbye, Cotton. I'm sorry for everything I did. If it were not for me than none of us would be here and none of this would be happening."
Mary Sibley (to the Dark Lord ): "I've already birthed one monster who would be God and that is quite enough for me."
Mary Sibley (refusing the Dark Lord): "Revulsion. The thought of touching you disgusts me."
SCENES FROM SALEM Episode 7 -- Mary Invades Dreams
SCENES FROM SALEM Episode 4 -- Mercy and the Hag
SCENES FROM SALEM Episode Six - Mercy and Mary in the Woods
SCENES FROM SALEM Episode 8 -- John and Mary
SCENES FROM SALEM Finale -- Mercy in the Woods
Salem- 201 "Cry Havoc" - Mary and Anne
Salem- 202 "Blood Kiss" Mary
Salem- 203 "From Within" Mary and Tituba
Salem- 203 "From Within" Mary and Tituba Spell
Salem- 205 'The Wine Dark Sea' - The Countess and Mary meet
Salem- 205 'The Wine Dark Sea' - Mary threatens George
Salem 209 "Wages of Sin" The Countess and Mary
Salem 213 "The Witching Hour" Mary and the boy
WGN America's Salem Season 3 302 Mary, Tituba and the Witches
WGN America's Salem Season 3 303 Mary & The Sentinel
WGN America's Salem Season 3 304 Mary Sibley
WGN America's Salem Season 3 305 Mary and the devil boy
WGN America's Salem Season 3 305 Mary and the Sentinel
WGN America's Salem 306 Alden, Tituba and Mary in the woods
WGN America's Salem 310 "Mary and John Sibley"
WGN America's Salem 310 "Mary Sibley & John Alden"
Name[]
Mary is a feminine given name which is the usual English form of Maria, which was the Latin form of the New Testament Greek names Μαριαμ (Mariam) and Μαρια (Maria) - the spellings are interchangeable - which were from the Hebrew name מִרְיָם (Miryam).. The meaning is not known for certain, but there are several theories including "sea of bitterness", "rebelliousness", and "wished for child". However, it was most likely originally an Egyptian name, perhaps derived in part from mry "beloved" or mr "love".
Walcott originates from England and the habitational name from any of several places called Walcott, Walcot, or Walcote, for example in Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Norfolk, Oxford-shire, and Wiltshire, all named in Old English with w(e)alh ‘foreigner’, ‘Briton’, ‘Welsh’, genitive plural wala (see Wallace) + cot ‘cottage’, ‘shelter’, i.e. ‘the cottage where the (Welsh-speaking) Britons lived’.
Sibley originates from England and the popular form of the medieval female given name Sibley, a vernacular form of Latin Sibilla, from Greek Sibylla, a title of obscure origin borne by various oracular priestesses in classical times. In Christian mythology, the sibyls came to be classed as pagan prophets (who had prophesied the coming of Christ), and hence the name was an acceptable one that could be bestowed on a Christian child.
Trivia[]
Historically, Mary Walcott was the one who showed Tituba how to make the "Witch Cake" to feed to a dog in order that she and her friends might ascertain exactly who it was that was afflicting them.
As revealed in one of the interviews for the first season, available on official website, Janet Montgomery has always been fascinated by the supernatural. To better prepare for the role, she has read about the history of witchcraft and Wicca.
Mary Sibley seems to favor dark shades of burgundy and black clothes. Rarely she was spotted wearing light-colored clothing;
In Children, Be Afraid, Mary appeared in a dream to George Sibley wearing a pink dress.
In Cat and Mouse, she wore a silver nightgown in her boudoir;
in Midnight Never Come, she briefly wore a white dress with a cape of the same color.
The description given on official Instagram to accompany the promotional photos of the third season is as follows: "Mary Sibley: the queen of sacrifice."
When asked by a fan what a potential fourth season for Salem would entail, Brannon Braga replied by saying that it would likely involve Cotton Mather somehow escaping Hell and returning to a war-torn and impoverished Salem that he described as "worse than Hell itself" to stop Anne Hale's malicious plans. While Braga made no mention of Mary in the tweet, it is not unlikely that she could return to Salem to help stop Anne. However, such is merely speculation and a fourth season may never happen.