| This article is about the first incarnation of the North Wind, the comic series character who is also known as the Mountain King. You may be looking for his counterpart mentioned in the video game; Winter Wolf, the second North Wind; or the second incarnation of the Mountain King. |
| “ | The winds always change. It's our nature. | „ |
| ~ The North Wind speaking to Bigby Wolf in Fables #57 — "A Man's Home is His Castle, Part One of Father and Son" |
Boreas Frostheart, also known as the North Wind, Mr. North and the Mountain King, among other names; is one of the Great Powers of the worlds, on par with Mister Dark and the d'jinn, and a member of the cardinal winds. He is the father of Bigby Wolf. Mr. North eventually sacrifices his own life to kill Mister Dark.
History
Early life
Mr. North is probably one of the oldest Fables in existence. When he was young, he wandered the world and fell in love with Winter, a wolf. He slept with her, and she gave birth to seven cubs, including Bigby Wolf. Mr. North left Winter, and she died while he was gone.
After Winter died, Bigby's brothers traveled to Mr. North's castle. He agreed to teach them what he knew. However, when he saw their monstrous deeds, he banished them to a forest below his castle. Bigby later tried to kill his father seven times, failing each time.
Grandchildren
For a time after Bigby and Snow White had children, Mr. North moved to the Farm. Snow White needed someone to teach the children to use their powers, and Mr. North wanted to spend time with his grandchildren. During this time, Mr. North uncovered that a zephyr was on the loose after it has killed Mary's Little Lamb. Mr. North sent his attendant winds to track it down and kill it. Knowing this, Snow sent what she concluded what must be her seventh cub away to find Bigby before the winds had the chance. Once Bigby was able to live with his family in Wolf Valley, Mr. North returned to his castle.
Not long after Mr. North left the Farm, his family came to visit him. Bigby, though still unhappy with his father, agreed that his children should be able to have a relationship with him. He also managed to convince Mr. North to side with Fabletown against the Empire.
The North Wind commits suicide
During that visit, Bigby sent the cubs into the forest near the castle, unaware that his brothers were there. Mr. North refused to choose between his sons, losing some respect from Bigby and Snow White.
Death
Since finding out that one of his own grandchildren was a zephyr, Mr. North is torn between keeping his oath to exterminate every zephyr on sight and to do the best for their grandchildren. Fearing his feelings would eventually change and hurt them, he decided to do the noble deed of ending his life and taking Mister Dark with him, solving the crisis and sparing his grandson in the process.
Personality
Like the wind, he's fickle, coming and going as it suits him. North's leaving of Bigby's mother, Winter, caused his son to regard North as cold and emotionless, but it wasn't so. In truth, North has an ever-changing perspective on things. Being the King of the North and the Wind, he is ever-changing on the matter. He told Bigby, that he truly loved his mother. He can be regarded as a friendly man. Mr. North came to the Farm and helped Snow White raise his grandchildren. He treats Snow with great warmth and told her to call him 'father', as he regards her as family.
The one never changing aspect of his personality was his love for his family, particularly his grandchildren. When he realized that his seventh grandson was a zephyr, he was conflicted. He was bounded by an ancient oath to kill zephyr. Eventually, his love for his grandchildren, even Ghost, proved to be the greater. He willingly sacrificed himself in order to kill Mister Dark for good.
Physical appearance
Mr. North was capable of changing shape, though he was normally seen in the form of a tall and built, muscular man. Being of fair skin, he had white hair in most of all his seen forms.
Powers and abilities
Mr. North is a Fable capable of creating powerful winds and can change his shape as he pleases. Many less powerful winds are also his to command.
Weaknesses
Casket of Primordial Winds: While immune to most forms of magical and physical harm, the North Wind, like the other Great Powers, has a suicide mechanism in case he got tired of this life. As a final act of sorts, the North Wind used his Casket of Primordial Winds to kill himself and the Dark One.
Killed victims
This list shows the victims North has killed:
- Winter (caused)
- Himself
- Mister Dark
Appearances
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Original source
The North Wind
The North Wind is primarily based on based on Boreas, the personification of the North Wind from Greek mythology.
"East of the Sun and West of the Moon"
As implied in Fables: The Last Castle and confirmed in Fables #99 — "Dark City," he is also based on the North Wind from the Norwegian fairy tale of "East of the Sun and West of the Moon." In the story, a peasant girl sets out in search of her lover, a prince who has been taken captive by his wicked stepmother, who lives in a castle that lies "east of the sun and west of the moon." The girl asks an old woman if she knows the way to the castle, and although the woman does not know the way, she lends the girl a horse to ride to the East Wind. The East Wind has never been to the castle that lies east of the sun and west of the moon, but believes his stronger brother, the West Wind, might have been there. He takes her to the West Wind, who brings her to the South Wind for the same reason. The South Wind brings the girl to the North Wind, again, for the same reason. The North Wind says he once exhausted himself blowing an aspen leaf to her desired destination, but will take her there if she is absolutely determined to go there. The girl says she is determined to go there, and so, he takes her to the castle.[12]
Peer Gynt
According to Fables #108 — "Hall of the Mountain King, Chapter One of Inherit the Wind," one of the North Wind's many aliases is the Mountain King, a reference to the character of the same name from the verse play Peer Gynt by Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen.[13] The Mountain King is a powerful troll king[14] who resides in the Hall of the Mountain King[15] with his court of subterranean creatures.[14] The caption for one of the panels of issue 108 refers to the North Wind's castle as the "keep of the Mountain King," and the issue itself is named "Hall of the Mountain King." In addition, "In the Hall of the Mountain King" is the name of a famous piece of orchestral music composed by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg for a scene in Ibsen's play.[16]
Trivia
The book that the North Wind is holding while sitting on Snow White's couch in Fables #48 — Wolves, Part 1" is The Wind in the Willows.
References
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See also
| Wolf family | |
|---|---|
| "Patmat" | Snow White • Bigby Wolf |
| The cubs | Winter • Blossom • Therese • Darien • Conner • Ambrose • Ghost |
| Allies | Beauty • Beast • Cinderella • Briar Rose • Boy Blue • King Cole • Prince Charming • Sam • Herne • Herne, son of Herne |
| Enemies | Mister Dark • Leigh Duglas • Prince Brandish • Peter Pan |
| Locations | Wolf Valley • The Hesse |
| Other relatives | North Wind • Winter • Lauda • Lauda's husband • Queen of the Silver Realm • Rose Red • West Wind • East Wind • South Wind • Etan Wolf • Lake • Tannika Wynn • Sam's great-grandson • Hel |