Una (Stardust)
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| Una | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Stardust |
| Portrayed by | Kate Magowan |
| Information | |
| Gender | Female |
| Family | King of Stormhold (father) Septimus (brother) Secundus (brother) Primus (brother) Tertius (brother) Quartus (brother) Quintus (brother) Sextus (brother) |
| Children | Tristan Thorne |
Una is a fictional character in Stardust. In the movie, she is portrayed by Kate Magowan.
[edit] In the Story
Una is the long-suffering slave of the witch, Ditchwater Sal. How exactly she became tricked into becoming the witch's slave is unknown. Although in the novel, she says she was playing by the waterfalls and was lured away from safety by the witch, who was in the guise of a colourful frog. All she knows is that she will gain her freedom on the day Sal dies, and the enchanted chain that binds her to the witch's caravan shall release her from her servitude. In the novel, she shall become free upon the day the moon loses her daughter, and only if that happens in a week when two Mondays come together. Until then, she bides her time and puts up with the abuse Ditchwater Sal constantly inflicts on her.
Una is a, extremely beautiful young woman with dark hair, beautiful violet eyes and fluffy cat-like ears. When not toiling for the witch-woman, she is kept in the form of a pretty blue bird, whose plumage matches the indigo gown she wears. Her name is never revealed until the end of the film when she is reunited with her (mostly dead) family. Although there are several hints as to who she is: the dying King of Stormhold demands that his remaining sons tell him "Where is Una?", the reply "No one has seen Una for years"; and Una herself admits to Dunstan Thorne, "I am a Princess, tricked into being a witch's slave." She is simply referred to as the Slave Girl.
When we first meet Una, she is minding the stall for Ditchwater Sal. Sal specialises in selling glass flowers that can be used as amulets and magical talismans. Dunstan Thorne of the village of Wall escaped into the magical land of Stormhold, and saw many strange things in the magical market town. He was entranced by Una's beauty and she herself was greatly attracted to him. They fell in love on sight, and Una gave Dunstan a magical bluebell which would protect him from black magic. Upon noticing the chain around her ankle, Dunstan remakrs upon it and Una reveals the truth of her servitude to him. In the film, she asks if Dunstan will free her, but the magical chain cannot be broken until she is freed. Dunstan and Una sneak into the caravan and make love together. Dunstan (reluctantly( returns to Wall with the magical bluebell and, nine months later, Una gave birth to little baby Tristan.
Eighteen years passed, with Tristran unaware of his magical heritage. Una was not allowed to keep him, and so she wrote him a note declaring her love for him and that she shall pray they meet one day. She hid a magical candle known as a Babylon Candle, a very rare and much-desired magical tool in Stormhold, which allows one to travel great distances when lighting the flame and thinking of their chosen destination. So she sent Tristran over to Wall with her note and the candle; the note telling her son to light it and think of her. However, Tristran thought of a fallen star that he had promised to bring to the girl he desired, Victoria, and he was taken to the crater where the star had fallen. It came as a great shock to him when he arrived in Stormhold and the injured beauty he had collided with was not his mother, but the fallen star itself. A feisty young woman named Yvaine. Bemused, Tristran decided to take her back to Victoria anyway. Much to Yvaine's anger.
We do not see Una for some time, until an evil sorceress, Lamia, encounters Ditchwater Sal. Lamia is the eldest and the leader of three evil and ancient witches known as The Lilim. The three sisters are the most powerful sorceresses in all of Stormhold, with Lamia being the most mighty and formidable of all. The witches are well over five thousand years old, withered, frail and hideous. They witnessed Yvaine's fall to earth and are seeking her to consume her heart. For it is a well-known fact in Stormhold that devouring the heart of the star can bring centuries of youth to witches and cause any common human being to become immortal. Lamia and her sisters had caught another unfortunate star four centuries ago, and Lamia consumed the remnants of that long-dead star's heart in order to regenerate herself for a long journey. Lamia arrived at Sal's caravan and swore an oath that she would harm her. Ditchwater Sal showed off to Lamia by restoring Una to her human form and making her set the table for dinner. The Slave was then turned back into a bird and watched the witches eat. Lamia was tricked into revealing the truth of the star's fall to earth to a cunning Ditchwater Sal, as Sal had drugged Lamia's meal with a herb that causes the eater to speak nothing but the truth for one whole day. Enraged, Lamia cursed Sal so that she'd never see, touch or perceive Yvaine in any way, and she would instantly forget they'd ever met. Una, however, was ignored by Lamia and did not forget that her mistress and Lamia met, and was also able to acknowledge that Yvaine was there.
Later, when Tristran and Yvaine (who are now in love with each other) hitch a ride with Ditchwater Sal to the market town near the entrance to the human universe. Tristran bartered his magical bluebell for safe passage to Wall. Sal vowed she would not harm him, but out of spite she turned him into a rodent and locked him in a cage. Una (in the form of a bird) saw the whole thing, recognising the flower and realising who Tristran was. Yvaine was invisible to the witch, and travelled in the old hag's caravan, unknown to her. Una was clever: she did not acknowledge Yvaine until her mistress had gone. Therefore, Yvaine went undetected.
Una was toiling for Sal, as th witch slept. She witnessed Yvaine preparing to leave the market town for Wall, as Tristran had gone to tell Victoria he no longer loved her and wanted to be with Yvaine. The star hiad misinterpreted this, thinking that Tristran had abandoned her for Victoria. She made to leave for Wall, but if Yvaine crossed the threshold of Stormhold and entered the human world, she'd freeze into celestial rock and die. Una hijacked the caravan and managed to get to Yvaine the minute she was about to cross the gap in the wall. She warned Yvaine that if she entered the human universe she would die. Sal broke out of the caravan and began to assault Una, but Lamia arrived in her carriage, having tracked down the star to wall. Lamia sneers at Yvaine, who is still invisible to Sal. Sal aassumed that the star Lamia was referring to was her own slave. As revenge for tricking her, Lamia used her magic to behead Ditchwater Sal, which broke the chain binding Una and she was free at last. However, the now frail and haggard Lamia manacled Yvaine and Una together (Una only out of the sake of it) and abducted both the girls back to her dilapidated lair, where her two sisters, Empusa and Mormo, awaited her to return. Lamia decided Una would make the perfect slave for her and her sisters, remarking, "It will be nice to have someone to mop up once we've finished with our little guest."
Empusa set about abusing Una, whilst Lamia and Mormo tied Yvaine to the sacrificial altar and prepared to cut her heart from her chest so they could eat it, therefore restoring their youth for another several centuries. But Tristran and Una's only surviving brother, Septimus, arrived after meeting together and forming an unlikely alliace. A vicious battle broke out. Septimus moved to kill Una as she tried to flee, believing her to be a witch, and was shocked when she turned out to be his long lost sister. Una and Septimus's other brothers were killed off either prior to or during the film, and now Primus, Secundus, Tertius, Quartus, Quintus and Sextus watch as pale, shadowy ghosts. Nevertheless, they were delighted at seeing their beloved sister for the first time in many years since she vanished. An act which many thought Septimus to be responsible for, though he himself denied it.
Una was reunited with Tristran at last, and the two sobbed in each other's arms. The witches and Septimus fought, with Septimus managing to impale Empusa with the knife she uses to dissect her sacrificial animals. Yet, Lamia used a voodoo doll to break Septimus's limbs, and dropped it into a pool of water, causing his lungs to fill with water and drown him. Una fled outside for safety, though not without encouraging Tristran to "Be the man that I know you are." Tristran fought with Mormo and killed her by releasing caged wolves and stoats upon her, which tore her limb from limb. Lamia's sorcery was useless against Tristran thanks to Una's magical flower. Tristran manages to defeat Lamia and save Yvaine. Una is reunited with Dunstan and the family live together happily.
