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Myrtle Snow is a quirky, honest witch with a penchant for truth spells. She is a character in American Horror Story primarily portrayed by Frances Conroy. She is the Head of the Witches' Council, and has a strong dedication towards the coven of the Salem descendants.

Background[]

Myrtle Snow is an alumna of Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies, having attended with Fiona Goode, Bubbles McGee and several other witches during the time Anna Leigh Leighton was the Supreme. She and Fiona acted as rivals towards one another throughout their schooling.

Around 1961, a young child Myrtle is the first alumna of Academy to greet Spalding arrival, happy for having somebody else with her same age in school.[1]

After the disappearance of Anna Leigh (the audience is aware that Fiona killed her), Fiona was questioned by the Council. She lies, claiming that she does not know where Anna Leigh disappeared to, and further encourages the Council's notion that Anna Leigh intended her to be the next Supreme, despite Anna Leigh telling Fiona before her murder that she was going to make sure Fiona would never be Supreme.

During a party held in the Academy to announce Fiona's appointment as Supreme Elect, Myrtle did not cheer with the rest of the witches and confides with a friend that, as the "Guardian of Veracity in the Vernacular",[2] capable of detecting falsehoods, she detected Fiona lying to the Council. She whispers to Fiona that she suspected her of murder, but Fiona just laughed and used her telekinesis to drop Myrtle's glass onto the floor.

Knowing that Spalding would likely have aided Fiona in "cleaning up her mess," that night, Myrtle enchanted Spalding's tongue to prevent him from lying and summons the Council to question him. She confided this to her friend, but unfortunately, Spalding overheard. Out of love and devotion to Fiona, he cut out his own tongue before the Council could arrive. Myrtle noticed that Fiona was in the bathroom with Spalding before the headmistress could arrive, and suspected Fiona to be the one who cut his tongue out.

With no witnesses, Fiona managed to become the Supreme, while Myrtle became the next Head of the Witches' Council. She remained rivals with Fiona, whom she believes to be absent in necessary duties a Supreme should fulfill.

When Fiona's daughter, Cordelia, was abandoned at the Academy as soon as she began manifesting powers, Cordelia and Myrtle formed a very close bond. Myrtle later claimed that she was more of a mother to Cordelia than Fiona was, but did not have children of her own because of her devotion to the Coven.[3]

Following her second resurrection when the Coven (and the rest of the world) was threatened by the Antichrist Michael Langdon, Myrtle was instrumental to his downfall. She offered Cordelia and the other witches advice and helped gather important allies such as Bubbles into the fold.[4]

Personality and Appearance[]

Myrtle is a woman with the air of a traveled sophisticate, who is usually seen wearing haute couture. Her red orange crimped hair, legendarily associated with witches[5], formed a mane around her face in a yaki style, and she wore vintage cat eye glasses. Her black lace gloves often gripped a cigarillo on a long-stemmed holder.

As well as a being a gifted witch, Myrtle is also known for her penchant for high fashion, as defined when she is sentenced to burn at the stake following the murder of her fellow council members. She walks to the stake, black umbrella in hand, wearing a long, flowing red dress with matching gloves and heels, as well as a pair of sunglasses. As she is asked for final words, she screams out "Balenciaga" (while wearing Carolina Herrera), after the French fashion house founded in 1914 by Basque-Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga. This was her tribute to couture, her ultimate love. She also violently criticized Cecily Pembroke before murdering her for her faux-pas regarding Pembroke's 40s-era hat, claiming that it would give her nightmares.

She is very loyal to the coven, to which she devoted her life as she never married. Although she is not a teacher, she cares deeply about the witches that are part of it and also usually looks very proud when she presences the magical achievements of its members. She does not shy away from using violence to protect her witch sisters against any threat that may come to them, willing to kill anyone who will seek to do them harm and she is not above using magic for her own benefit under some circumstances.

Story[]

Coven[]

After Zoe Benson discovers her Black Widow powers, Myrtle and her albino man-servants arrive at her home to escort her to New Orleans and she turns down Mrs. Benson's plea to at least drive her daughter to the train station, saying it will only hurt Zoe. When they reach Miss Robichaux's Academy, Myrtle disappears and leaves Zoe to enter on her own.[6]

After Nan summons the Witches' Council when she believes Madison Montgomery to be dead, since she can no longer hear her thoughts, the Council begins questioning the students and Cordelia. Nan lets slip the incident in the Ramsey house where Madison's pyrokinesis surfaced, and that other than herself, Fiona is the only other witch who knows about it; Myrtle deduces the possibility that Fiona killed Madison in fear that she would take Fiona's powers.

Myrtle accuses Fiona of murdering Anna Leigh and Madison, and of severing Spalding's tongue to prevent him from telling the truth. She asks Spalding to write down the name of the one responsible for cutting his tongue off. As Spalding would not have had to cut it off, had Myrtle not enchanted it, she is the one responsible. The sight of her name on the paper is enough to send Myrtle into an uproar, claiming that Fiona always gets away with everything. But Cordelia is quick to defend her mother, stating that Fiona had no reason to murder Madison since Madison had a secret heart murmur and could not have been the next Supreme, as one of the hallmarks of a rising Supreme is radiant health.[2]

After accusing Fiona of neglectful behavior, she and the Council demand Fiona's resignation. Fiona accuses Myrtle of trying to take a back-door to the Supremehood and accuses her of attacking Cordelia. Fiona then shows evidence of Myrtle stalking Fiona and being inside New Orleans the time Madison was killed. However, Fiona "proves" (with the help of Queenie) that Myrtle was the one who attacked Cordelia by using Queenie's voodoo doll powers to put acid burn marks on Myrtle's hand. Cecily and Quentin unanimously vote to burn Myrtle at the stake, which occurs with each member of the coven present at the execution. She was then resurrected by Misty Day [7] and is, later, seen under mounds of dirt in Misty's garden, slowly healing.[8]

After an unknown enemy attacks Misty's shack, the two flee to the Academy. Once there, Myrtle, convinced that Misty is the next Supreme, gathers the others to participate in the ritual "The Sacred Taking" to allow a new Supreme to rise with the sacrificial death of the old. As it is extremely unlikely Fiona will kill herself for the good of the coven, Myrtle and the others set out a plan to make Fiona commit suicide out of desperation. Myrtle uses her magic to show Fiona a future in which a dying Fiona is abandoned by the Axeman, her lover, and she perishes alone. Playing the piano, she is amazed to learn that Fiona is still alive.[9]

Feeling saddened and appalled by Cordelia’s attack and subsequent blindness, Myrtle reminisces with Cordelia about the time when Cordelia was brought to Miss Robichaux's. Since that day, Myrtle stands clear to have loved Cordelia like a daughter, and questions her if she believes that Myrtle attacked her. Cordelia states that she knew this whole time it was not her doing. Myrtle, still affected, calls her former co-workers, Cecily and Quentin over to discuss her resurrection over food. Myrtle then tricks them into eating monkshood-laced melon balls and they are temporally paralyzed. Myrtle then takes the melon baller, and carves out one of each of their eyes with a melon baller. Myrtle magically places the eyes in Cordelia’s sockets and she can finally see again. According to herself, being immolated was an "empowering experience" that considerably augmented her powers and granted her deeper knowledge on magic.[3]

When Cordelia was having an emotional crisis at the greenhouse, Myrtle tried to calm her down. She plays the theremin, which Cordelia remarks that it makes horrible and awful noise.[10]

When conflict erupts between Madison and Zoe, Myrtle and Madison snipe at one another. After Cordelia blinds herself with garden shears, Myrtle meets Fiona outside Cordelia's rooms. Myrtle tells Fiona that Cordelia is something Fiona can never understand: a hero, willing to sacrifice for the good of the coven. Later that night, Myrtle calls Zoe to the greenhouse, encouraging Zoe to run away with Kyle, in order to save herself from Fiona. Myrtle goes so far as to give Zoe a piece of rare, and valuable, jewelry to use for money, and displays her passion for romance.[11]

In the legacy room, Myrtle brings flowers while Fiona is sitting for her portrait. That night, over a bouquet of Atropa belladonna, Myrtle and Madison discuss Misty's entombment before being interrupted by Kyle and Zoe, who have returned to the Academy after the latter of the two comes to believe herself to be the next Supreme. When the girls attacked the Axeman, Cordelia stayed behind with Myrtle. In the last scene, she is with the others admiring Fiona's portrait.[12]

During the Trial of the Seven Wonders, Myrtle pushes Cordelia to find her true power and become the Supreme. Sometime later, after Cordelia's powers as Supreme fully manifest, Myrtle, Queenie, and Zoe cry at the beauty of Cordelia's televised invitation to the Academy, which resulted in more than 30 girls expressing interest in attending. Myrtle suggested that Queenie and Zoe become members of the Council, and encouraged Cordelia to "cut away the old rot" in order to bring the coven into a Golden Era. Myrtle insisted Cordelia burn her at the stake for killing her former colleagues. She is last seen on the stake in a beautiful, long red dress and sunglasses. Her last words are "Balenciaga!"[13]

Apocalypse[]

Three and a half years before the nuclear apocalypse, Cordelia envisioned a terrible future and was scared to face it alone. Fearing for her girls' lives, she performed a very dangerous resurrection spell to bring back Myrtle to the mortal coil, flesh and bone, in hopes that she would guide her on how to protect the coven. Myrtle at first opposed to Cordelia, reminding her that she had given strict warnings not to bring her back, but when Cordelia explained that she needs her guidance because something bad is coming, Myrtle sympathetically understood the gravity of the situation, rejoining the Witches' Council following Queenie's disappearance.[4]

In 2017, whilst Cordelia and Zoe were instructing young witches, including Mallory, on how to alter the color of a rose, Myrtle walks in and informs them that an emergency meeting of the Council has been requested by the warlocks of Hawthorne School for Exceptional Young Men

Cordelia, Myrtle, and Zoe arrive at the warlock academy, greeted by Ariel Augustus and Behold Chablis. Inside the building, Ariel thanks his fellow witches for accepting their invitation and for giving him the opportunity to share with them their discoveries. He goes on to talk about Michael and that they have recently sheltered him, something in which Zoe finds no interest. He then continues talking about the extraordinary feats Michael conducted and the fact that he passed their various tests, and claims that his abilities are on the same level as those of the Supreme. Myrtle scoffs at this and causes Cordelia to giggle.

Ariel reassures her that if he was not serious, they would not be holding the council. Cordelia denies the Warlock as, according to her, no male has ever come close to being as powerful as the Supreme, due to the testosterone not fully conducting magical energy from the Ethereal Realm, with Myrtle quipping that women are better than men in more than magic. John states that the witches are not making an effort to hear what they have to say but Myrtle tells him that they have nothing to hear and assertively denies the possibility of a male Supreme.

Ariel is frustrated by the witches' judgment and asks Cordelia to put Michael's abilities to test through the test of the Seven Wonders. Cordelia refuses to administer the test, as she is afraid of putting the boy's life at stake and recalls the death of Misty Day, who took the test before it was her time and, as a result, died. Ariel questions her caring for her students, bringing up Queenie and her mysterious disappearance.

The Supreme says that she knew about her missing and her eventual death and narrates her visit at Hotel Cortez to free her spirit. She assures the warlocks that she indeed cares about their kind and will not risk administering the test. When Ariel asks her why she is the one to get to decide this, Cordelia angrily answers that it is because of her status as Supreme. The warlock snaps at her saying that she is a bigot against men and afraid of a male reigning as the Supreme, something that must happen according to him. Cordelia does not falter and decisively ends the Council.

As the three witches exit the building, in the distance, she sees Michael, accompanied by resurrected witches Madison Montgomery and Queenie. Cordelia is shocked and collapses to the ground as Myrtle and her fellow witches rush towards her.[14]

After tending to Cordelia, Myrtle learns about her vision of being consumed by zombies under the control of a white-faced demon. When Cordelia tells the warlocks that Michael Langdon will take the Test of the Seven Wonders in two weeks time under the Blood Moon, Myrtle is shocked and furious at the pronouncement.

When they return to Miss Robichaux's Academy, Myrtle storms into Cordelia's room and lets loose her "apoplectic" anger. Cordelia says that she has seen what is ahead and that she is scared that if she does not let Langdon take the test she'll become just like her mother. Cordelia says that at some point she has to identify a successor. Myrtle mentions Mallory and how she healed a dead doe. Cordelia tells Myrtle that she cannot deny Langdon's power and that she is fading. Her powers are growing weaker and that she is dying. Myrtle suddenly becomes overwhelmed by emotion and begins to cry upon Cordelia's lap, distraught over her daughter-figure. Mallory interrupts them and tells Cordelia that her two o'clock appointment is here to see her.

Myrtle is present at the Test of the Seven Wonders, where Langdon effortlessly masters all of them. She also witnesses Misty Day be brought back from Hell, which results in Cordelia having a nosebleed and the title of Supreme be passed onto Langdon. Myrtle and Misty tend to Cordelia, who reveals that she only gave him the test to see how powerful he was and that Langdon has given them the advantage of having all of her witches with her. Myrtle is among the audience while Stevie Nicks, the White Witch, is serenading Misty Day to help her heal.[15]

Myrtle and Madison dine with fellow witch and longetime friend Bubbles McGee and reminisces about their decades of friendship, Bubbles affectionately calling her a "bitch." Myrtle asks Bubbles to help the coven by going to the Hawthorne School and reading the souls of Ariel AugustusBaldwin Pennypacker and Michael Langdon to see what they are hiding.

At Hawthorne, Bubbles and Myrtle have surprised the warlocks with a meal and whilst Myrtle stokes the warlocks egos and distracts them with a story about her and Bubbles in Barcelona, Bubbles uses her magic to read their souls and discover the truth that Augustus conspired to have John Henry Moore murdered and plan on murdering the witches too. As the witches use their powers to make the warlocks tired and go to bed, Bubbles reveals this to Myrtle, who says now it is "kill or be killed." 

Later on, all the witches are at dinner. Mallory is upset because, in order for her to become Supreme, she has to take power away from Cordelia. Cordelia tells her that she is not dead yet and to enjoy the dinner. Behold Chablis asks how they can drink and be merry when people are going to die. He says that they have to stop Michael. Cordelia and Myrtle smile and the Supreme says that they will but tonight they are celebrating because this might be the last time that they are all together.

Myrtle goes with Cordelia, Zoe, Mallory and Coco to the gas station where John Henry was killed. Cordelia asks Mallory to use her powers to bring John Henry back to them. She uses her powers and passes the final test of the Seven Wonders by bringing him back to life. Cordelia asks John Henry about the night that he died and who killed him, suspecting Ariel. John Henry tells them that he was killed by a woman.

Ariel is shown a powder by Baldwin in that will kill the witches, as it only affects women. Ariel is excited about using it but Cordelia and Myrtle suddenly arrive, flanked by their albino bodyguards and Cordelia destroys it with her telekinesis, setting it on fire, to then magically shut Ariel and Baldwin's mouths. They take Mead, Ariel, and Baldwin to be burned at the stake for the murder of John Henry. John Henry comes and lights the flame to the torches, much to Ariel's surprise. Mead, Ariel, and Baldwin are then set on fire by the Albino servants and burn before everyone's eyes. Myrtle watches as they burn before turning and walking away.[4]

Mallory is trying to revive a dead bird but is having trouble doing so. Cordelia and Myrtle tell her that she is trying too hard. Mallory is concerned about Michael. Cordelia reassures her and tells her not to worry that she put a protection spell around the house. However, Michael manages to negate the protection spell with the help of Dinah Stevens and kills all the witches, including Queenie, Zoe and Bubbles. Myrtle manages to escape with Mallory, Madison, Coco and Cordelia. 

They hide away at Misty Day's shack. Cordelia astral projects herself back to the house to see the destruction. She finds Zoe and Queenie's bodies. She breathes on them but they disappear. She reawakens tells them that she could not feel their souls so she could not bring them back. Madison tells them what happened at Murder House and how Michael can erase their soul. Cordelia slaps her angry that Madison hadn't told her this sooner but Myrtle admonishes the pair and tells them that they need to stick together. Cordelia begins to cry begging that there must be something they can do. Myrtle replies that maybe there is as she looks at Mallory.

Myrtle explains that Mallory has the power to travel through time and she can go back and warn them. Myrtle says that the catch is that there is no documentation of another witch having done this and that most who tried died. Mallory agrees to do it. Cordelia fills up a bathtub with water while Myrtle tells Mallory about Anastasia Romanov and how she tried to save her family with a protection spell. They have to do a dry run and test Mallory's power so they are sending her back to save Anastasia. Mallory steps into the tub and Mrytle begins to chant a spell. The water turns black and Cordelia pushes Mallory into it.

Mallory appears beside Anastasia and helps her to create a shield between her family and the soldiers. It works but when Mallory lets go of her hands the shield disappears. Mallory is pulled back to the present and screams as she returns. She crawls out of the tub and Cordelia holds her close. Her face is dripping with blood that is running out of her eyes and nose.

Later, Cordelia talks to Myrtle and tells her that Mallory will never be ready while Cordelia is still alive. Myrtle tells her that they are not ready to lose her yet. Cordelia asks Myrtle if she would tell her if she became like her mother. Myrtle tells her that she could never be her mother. Cordelia says that they should perform The Sacred Taking to give Mallory all of her powers. Myrtle rebuffs, telling her that the coven still needs her. They just need to buy some time.

Cordelia and Myrtle go to the Hawthorne School for Exceptional Young Men to talk to John Henry and Behold. When they arrive, they find that the school is empty. They walk into the sitting room and find a pentagram made out of the bodies of the students along with John Henry and Behold, all dismembered.[16]

Myrtle arrives at Kineros Robotics where Jeff and Mutt work. She approaches the secretary and asks to speak with them. Ms. Venable denies the request because she does not have an appointment or a package to be delivered. Ms. Venable is also confused about how Myrtle was able to get past security. Myrtle demonstrates a respond by putting Ms. Venable under a spell which freezes her actions. She grabs her keycard and then releases Ms. Venable, who continues to type like nothing happened. 

Myrtle walks in on Jeff and Mutt while they are working and goes to look at the map with all the Outposts on it. Jeff and Mutt object but she uses her magic on them. Myrtle asks where Outpost 3 is located and Mutt tells her it is at the Hawthorne School for Exceptional Young Men. Myrtle tells him Coco's father is going to purchase four tickets for the Outpost and that they are going to give them to him. Mutt and Jeff watch as Myrtle leaves but then collapse with a wave of her hand.

Back at the shack, Mallory asks how they plan to stop Michael and his one thousand nuclear bombs. Cordelia says that they cannot. Coco says that she does not want to die. After, she apologizes for making it all about her. Myrtle corrects her and tells her that it is all about her. Myrtle explains her plan to have her father purchase the tickets for Outpost 3. They plan to hide Coco and Mallory right under Michael's nose. Madison  asks how they are going to do that because Michael is able to detect if someone is a witch. Cordelia says that they are going to put an identity spell on both of them. Cordelia explains that the spell will give them new personalities and that Coco must belittle Mallory in order for her to suppress her powers. Coco protests and asks about her family. Cordelia says that they will be put under a spell until the apocalypse but that they will not be going with her to the bunker since they are more likely to raise suspicion.

When Madison finds out Dinah was the one who helped Micheal kill the witches, she and Myrtle demand she be burned at the stake. Cordelia refuses and when Myrtle questions her, the Supreme says that they must bide their time and they cannot do anything that might alert Michael to their grand plan.

In April of 2020, when the nuclear apocalypse hit, Myrtle, Cordelia, and Madison survived by burying themselves under the Louisianna swamp mud and when Mallory inadvertently uses her powers to confront Michael, they dig themselves up out of the ground. Madison asks how long they have been buried down there and Myrtle says a year, maybe two. Myrtle tells Cordelia that she felt the power surge too. Cordelia says that it is time.[17]

On Halloween 2021, several months after the nuclear catastrophe, Myrtle, along with Cordelia and Madison, arrive at Outpost 3 and effortlessly breach the building. After Cordelia's command to "find their sisters", Myrtle and Madison gather the corpses of Coco, Mallory, and Dinah for the Supreme to resurrect by using Vitalum Vitalis, revealing their statuses as witches.[18]

Myrtle reveals that Mallory and Coco had identity spells placed on them to protect them, blocking their memories of who they were because they are "special". Coco is upset at being stabbed in the head by BrockDinah, a Voodoo Witch, balks at the behavior of the witches; this is not her conflict and she has no desire to throw in with the coven. Myrtle turns to Langdon, who wonders aloud how the world can be saved when it has already been destroyed, but Myrtle shows off her great wit to Langdon and comments that the world can be saved. Cordelia squares off against him and appears to have a plan. Langdon says that when he has done they will all wish they were still dead. Myrtle references the world ending with Fire and Ice, not witches and warlocks.[14]

Michael explains that the world has been remade in his father's image. Myrtle mockingly tells him he made a grave mistake: not killing off all the witches. Michael says that he could kill them in an instant and the world would go on without missing a beat. He shows them mercy by telling them that if they bow before him and become his obedient subjects, he wiil not kill them. Cordelia laughs and says no. After Marie Laveau's arrival and Dinah's death, Cordelia enchants a spell that sends Miriam into a tizzy and she starts to shake violently. Suddenly, she explodes sending Michael flying over the banister. While Michael is distracted, Madison grabs Miriam's arm-gun and starts to fire at him until he collapses against the wall. Myrtle walks up to him and pulls a hunk of hair out of his skull, commenting at how smooth it is. She hands it to Mallory, who will use it for a time travel spell and locate MIchael Langdon in the past. Cordelia says that they must find a safe place to perform it. Madison tells them that she will hold off Michael for as long as she can. The others leave but as they are running through the halls, Mallory is stabbed by Brock as payback for Mallory getting his place in the plane that brought her to Outpost 3.

Tremendously enraged, Myrtle sets Brock on fire with a spell and he falls over the balcony to his death. Brock's fall distracts Madison from her vigilance while Michael recovers from his wounds, giving him the opportunity to blow up Madison's head before she has a chance to shoot him again. Cordelia tries to heal Mallory as Michael slowly makes his way up the stairs. Marie tells them that she will keep Michael busy while the witches escape. In the occasion, Michael kills Marie who tried to protect herself with a barrier and Coco who tried to kill him with a knife.

Meanwhile, Cordelia and Myrtle dragged Mallory to a tub and they have begun the spell. It does not work because she is not strong enough. Mallory apologizes that she cannot do what they want her to do. Cordelia stands up and looks at Myrtle, who looks appalled. She tells her that she loves her before walking back out to the top of the stairs. She faces Michael. She tells him that she sees a scared boy who could not even kill the coven with a thousand nuclear bombs. Michael says that was part of his plan because now he can enjoy killing her. She summons his knife and tells him that there may be only one son of Satan but her witches are a legion. She raises the knife and stabs herself with it. Myrtle, in pain and shock, screams at her.

When Mallory uses Tempus Infinituum to kill Michael and undo the Apocalypse, she creates a new timeline where Cordelia never had to resurrect her beloved advisor Myrtle. On Mallory's "first day" at the Academy, Cordelia shows her Myrtle's portrait, claiming she was the greatest witch she ever knew.[17]

Powers[]

Myrtle was a powerful natural born witch and is shown to have mastered four of the Seven Wonders. After being burned twice at the stake and resurrected both times, Myrtle experienced a massive increase in her magical powers, appearing to grow in power each time she was brought back to life.[3]

  • Telekinesis - One of the Seven Wonders and one of Myrtle's favorites, the magical ability to manipulate the movement of objects with the power of the mind. She has used this power to open doors and switch lights on.
  • Divination - One of the Seven Wonders, the magical ability to obtain direct knowledge about an object, person, location, or physical event through means other than the user's physical senses. This can be activated by just being around a person, focusing on specific tasks, searching for information, or touching objects.
    • Lie Detection - As the Guardian of Veracity in the Vernacular, Myrtle has the magical ability to tell when lies have been told. She used this power in her youth to figure out that Fiona Goode murdered the previous Supreme, Anna Leigh Leighton.
    • Location Detection - The magical ability to detect where someone is. Myrtle used this ability to find Kineros Robotics, where Jeff and Mutt work.
  • Transmutation - One of the Seven Wonders, the magical ability to move instantaneously from one location to another. This power is more commonly known as Teleportation. Myrtle was shown using this power to escape before Michael could find her.
  • Concilium - One of the Seven Wonders, the magical ability to bend the will of another individual and force them to do whatever the user desires. This power is more commonly known as Mind Control. It can be performed by talking the action in the usuary or simply just focusing on the task. Myrtle used this power when she suggested that it was getting late to Ariel and Baldwin, forcing them to leave the room. Myrtle also claimed to have used this power whilst in Barcelona with her good friend Bubbles McGee in order to procure some expensive wine. Prior to the nuclear detonations, she used it on the security team at Kineros Robotics and then on Ms. Venable in order to find her superiors, Jeff and Mutt.
    • Hypnosis - Myrtle used this variation of Concilium on the security team at Kineros Robotics and on Ms. Venable by snapping her fingers, putting them under a hypnotic trance and freezing them. Once released from the spell, the victims forget that it happened.
  • Illusion Manipulation - The magical ability to create, shape and manipulate illusions, causing others to see, hear, touch, smell, and/or taste things which do not actually exist, or cause them to perceive things differently from what they truly are. Myrtle used this power on Fiona Goode in an attempt to make her take her own life, showing her a possible future where her lover, the Axeman, leaves her to die alone of her cancer.
  • Spellcraft - Affinity for casting spells and performing rituals. Myrtle in particular has demonstrated a high knowledge of ancient spells and rituals.
    • Truth Enchantment - A spell to enchant someone's tongue so that the latter is forced to tell exclusively the truth, making them unable to tell lies.
    • Preservation Spell - A spell used to preserve any biodegradable form to prevent its decomposition and preserve its shape even after many decades, Myrtle used this spell in her younger years on Spalding's severed tongue.
    • Restoration Spell - An advanced spell used to attach severed body parts. Myrtle used this spell to completely restore the view of Cordelia by attaching eyeballs of her former colleagues, Cecil and Quentin. There might be a reason why she only used one eye of one person for each side but not both eyes of a person, it could be due to the spell or the eyeballs themselves but she refused to answer when asked by Fiona.
    • Analgesic Spell - A spell used by Myrtle on Cordelia in order to alleviate the pain for cutting out both her eyes.
    • Concilium Spell - A spell to control the mind of another person. Myrtle used this spell on Wilhemina Venable to get her key to the room of Jeff and Mutt.
    • Immobilization Spell - A spell that Myrtle used to force Mutt to put down his firearm and immobilize both him and Jeff.
    • Pyrokinesis Spell - A spell to generate fire. Myrtle used this spell to set Brock on fire after he stabbed Mallory. It may mean that she does possess Pyrokinesis.
  • Potioncraft - Affinity for an extensive knowledge of "Green Magic," including conventional herbalism as well as more sophisticated botanical science and potion brewing. Myrtle, in particular, is highly experienced in the creation and use of potent poisons that she can even mix in food and drink, which can be consumed by her victims without their knowledge.
  • Radiation Immunity - When Myrtle, Madison, and Cordelia arrived at Outpost 3 they walked freely on the toxic atmosphere of the outside world caused by the nuclear bombs, without suffering any ill effects from the radiation. This is revealed to be because of the healing properties of the Louisiana mud. The trio of witches buried themselves in the swamp in order to stay protected from the nuclear fallout for almost two years and as a result, they gained immunity against the fallout.

Associated Characters[]

Myrtle Snow's Albino-Man Servants[]

Albino Guard #1[]


Albino Guard #2[]


Quotes[]

  • Myrtle Snow: "I'm just mad for tartan!"
  • Myrtle Snow regarding Misty Day: "Behold, our next Supreme!"
  • To Fiona Goode: "I've got a book of matches in my pocket, Fiona, and I'm just dying to light this fire."
  • To Fiona Goode: "This will not STAND! You killed Anna Leigh because she was the last Supreme and you killed an innocent girl because she was the next Supreme! YOU GOT AWAY WITH IT! She keeps getting away with it!"
  • To Fiona Goode and the Witches Council: "I've been swimming against the tide my whole life. Look where it got me. I used to be an outcast, a freak, until I found my place in this coven. I thought I'd come home, but I was wrong. I go proudly to the flame. Go ahead; burn me."
  • Regarding Misty Day: "She's brought more people back from the dead than Jesus Christ."
  • Nan
    How did your hair grow back so quick?
    Myrtle Snow
    Oh, little bird, I've been buying in bulk from North Korea for years!


  • To Fiona Goode (regarding Cordelia's new eyes)
    The generous donors wish to remain anonymous.


  • To Cordelia Foxx: "Don't be a hater, dear."
  • To Madison: "You are the worst kind of Hollywood cliché. A bobblehead with crotchless panties."
  • Musing about the Salem Witches who migrated to New Orleans: "Can you imagine those poor Salem witches, traveling all the way down here in covered wagons without a proper charcuterie platter or a bidet? Absolutely savage!"
  • To Delphine LaLaurie: "Cumin. Coconut. Cardamom. Mulligatawny Soup! I've been transported to Rajasthan! Bravo Delphine. Magnifique!"
  • To the Witches' Council: "Forgiveness, you say? Forgiveness is, and always will be, the high road... the preferred road. Would that we had such luxury. Oh, Quentin. Not to worry. It's just a bit of monkshood in your balls. Causes temporary paralysis. "Human Statue Syndrome," we call it. I believe it's the nervous system first. You lose control over your limbs, the muscles harden into cement, and it feels like ice in your veins. Then the respiratory system. Or is it the other way around? Well, no matter. It's supposed to be quite terrifying, is it? Are you terrified? You should be. At any rate, I'm not going to kill you. Well, maybe after dessert. I put a lot of effort into the key lime pie. I do love a key lime pie, even more than a ile flottante. Call me a Philistine! Enough chit-chat. You've both wanted to eliminate me for years, so you could dominate the Council. But I was never worried you'd be hapless enough to try. Quentin! You're a fatuous fool and a drunk! Pembie, you're even worse. You're weak-willed, boring, and your fashion faux pas gives me nightmares. I invited you here not to chastise you or exact revenge, But to help out the coven. To help out my beloved Cordelia. Ha! I bet you thought, 'Oh, she left the melon baller in there. She's growing old and forgetful!'"
  • Myrtle Snow: "I had a love like that once, Egon von Fürstenberg. He dumped me, but everything worked out all right in the end. You know why? Because he went on to marry the divine Diane. And without Egon’s support, Diane von Fürstenberg never would have created the greatest invention of the century: The wrap dress!"
  • Fiona Goode
    Ah! I could call an emergency meeting of the council right now.
    Myrtle Snow
    Good! You call the council. Good luck. I hear they're not seeing anyone right now.


  • Last words (first burning at the stake): "You're all a bunch of little toads in a pot that Fiona is slowly bringing to a boil. By the time you notice, it will be too late. I'd rather burn than boil."
  • Last words (second burning at the stake): "Balenciaga!"
  • Michael Langdon
    Perhaps you haven't noticed the state of the world.
    Myrtle Snow
    It's almost as bad as your dinner jacket, but at least the world could be saved.


  • Regarding John Henry Moore's ashes: "I remember him being taller."
  • To Mallory: "Witchcraft is an art, but our powers only develop as fast as our cerebellum allows."
  • To Cordelia Goode: "Just the fact that you're asking me this gives you the answer. Fiona never questioned anything, she never took the time to ponder the impact of her actions. Never gave a passing thought about those she hurt, all just... petty obstacles in her path to her base wants and desires. My dear Delia, you are not your mother, you'll never be your mother, and the truth is, even if Fiona walked this earth for a thousand years, she would be but a flicker, pale in the shadows, while you light up the sky like a fiery conflagration."
  • To Ms. Venable: "Purple is for royalty, dear, not middle management."
  • Before tearing a lock of hair from Michael Langdon's head: "My goodness... smooth as silk."
  • To Ms. Venable: "My hair is an eternal mystery, never to be fully understood."
  • To Cordelia Goode: "We all die, petal. Some of us make rather a habit of it."


She's the greatest witch I've ever known. Our coven wouldn't have flourished if it weren't for her wisdom. She made me who I am.
Cordelia Goode regarding Myrtle Snow

Notes[]

  • She is the third character to be portrayed by Frances Conroy. For a complete list of her characters, see Cast. Conroy's portrayal earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.
  • Myrtle Snow has been absent in three episodes overall throughout the third season. Those episodes are: "Boy Parts", "The Replacements" and "The Dead". 
  • This is the third time that Frances Conroy and Jessica Lange are together on the show, and the second time that their characters are adversaries.
  • Myrtle Snow is a born fashionista and has made several references to fashion throughout the series.
  • Myrtle can play the piano, as well as the theremin. She claims its sound soothes her soul in stressing times.
  • As a fashionista, she deeply loves tartan designs.
  • During the performance of the Seven Wonders, Myrtle notes that her favorite power is telekinesis.
  • Myrtle was the only witch to be burned twice at the stake.
  • She may be related to Rhett Snow, an Uber driver that briefly appeared in Roanoke.
  • When being burnt at the stake in the episode, "Burn, Witch. Burn!", a mysterious and powerful force seemed to emanate from Myrtle; likely, this was either her raw magical power or her soul leaving her body.
  • In "The Seven Wonders", when Myrtle is being put to the stake for a second time, a birds-eye view of the affair makes out the face of a clown: two guards standing behind Myrtle make out a pair of eyes; Cordelia, Zoe, and Queenie, standing in front of Myrtle, make out a smile; and Myrtle herself - adorned in a red dress - makes out the clown nose. This was a subtle nod to the theme of the following season, Freak Show.
  • She was, for a while, the last witch left in the world at the moment when Cordelia killed herself and Mallory started traveling back in time in the canceled timeline.
  • Myrtle has seen the reigns of four Supremes in her lifetime:Anna Leigh Leighton,Fiona Goode, Cordelia Goode and, briefly, Mallory.
  • It can be assumed that Myrtle was the former Headmistress of Miss Robichaux's Academy before Cordelia, having taken her under wing when Fiona left her there. 
    • Myrtle's line "I plan to run this place someday" in Dollhouse seems to confirm that.
  • Myrtle is named after Ryan Murphy's own grandmother, who forced him to watch Dark Shadows at a young age and inspired his love of the macabre. 
  • Myrtle has many similarities with the character of Sybill Trelawney from the Harry Potter books and films, who is also an eccentric witch with a natural born talent for Divination.

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