Is this how the Beast in 'Beauty and the Beast' was really cursed?

So, we all know the story of Beauty and the Beast. A smart, gorgeous girl named Belle is held captive by Beast, who we come to learn is actually a prince under a curse. And to break that curse, Belle needs to fall in love with Beast. This totally happens, and Belle breaks the curse, and the two presumably live happily ever after —but do you remember WHO exactly cast the curse?

According to the story, the only answer we get is that a “Beautiful Enchantress” did it. But who is this person? Where did she come from? Redditor Observa had these questions, so after doing a ton of research, she came up with a theory that’s about to blow your minds.

The “Beautiful Enchantress” may have more of a connection with Belle than we thought. In fact, it might be her mother.

So, from the beginning, not a lot is said about Belle’s mom, but – over the years – Disney has revealed several clues. First of all, the TV show Once Upon a Time made it known that Belle’s mom is named Colette. And in Disney’s official musical, these words are sung about our beloved Belle: “You are your mother’s daughter; therefore you are class…creme de la creme.”

So far, we know two things: Belle’s mom is named Colette and she came from an elite background.

Next up, we have a portrait that’s displayed in Disney’s Magic Kingdom. The painting features Belle and Colette, who is wearing a noticeable rose on the front of her dress. As for Belle, she appears to have the fleur-de-lis emblem upon her blue and white dress. Surrounding both of them are roses and lilies (which are another symbol of French royalty and are synonymous with the fleur-de-lis).

When you look at the stained glass window that depicts the Beautiful Enchantress, you will detect other important motifs:

The Enchantress is wearing a green, yellow, and white gown. These three colors just so happen to be the colors that are shown on the fleur-de-lis. This brings up the question: could this be foreshadowing Belle and the Beast’s meeting?

You may also note that Belle’s mom is a brunette, while the Enchantress appears to be blonde in the above image. BUT, the Disney film also lets us known that the Enchantress is a shape-sifter. Since she could go from being an old crone to a beautiful sorceress, that means that she could also start out as Belle’s mom and transform herself into the blonde Enchantress.

And if you look at what the Beautiful Enchantress is wearing on her head, you’ll see that it’s a crown displaying three distinct stars. This suggests that she was a Vidame: a person who watches over the prince and keeps the kingdom happy. (Remember when the Disney musical said that Belle’s mom was high-class? This would explain why!)

Now, going back to the iconic rose. Observa stated that roses symbolize both love and beauty – and is Belle not the Beauty in this particular fairy tale? She also wore an iconic yellow and white ballgown that matches the fleur-de-lis and simultaneously represents her purity and innocence (especially when compared to the Beast’s wrongdoings). All of these facts, colors, and symbols can be traced back to the portrait of Belle and her mom, and to the stained glass portrait of the Enchantress.

This isn’t the first time someone has come up with a really smart Beauty and the Beast theory. Back in August, one Imgur user introduced us to a new way of watching the Disney film, and the theory left us scratching our heads.

Bottom line? Beauty and the Beast is a complex story, and if we can extrapolate more meaning from it than perhaps intended, then why not? Even if this is just a theory, you probably won’t think of Beauty and the Beast the same way, again.