Mother of Tears (2008) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Sarah, an art restoration student at the Museum of Ancient Art, opened the urn with help from assistant curator Giselle. She was curious about the ancient artifact and had no understanding of its dangerous contents. The urn was sent to the museum from the Catholic Church, and neither Sarah nor her colleagues realized it contained relics tied to a powerful malevolent witch.

Foreshadowing: The discovery of the chained urn at the 19th-century church site was kept secret by the Church, hinting at the danger it posed.

• urn
• museum
• sarah mandy
• artefact
• Giselle

The disembodied voice guiding Sarah through the museum was revealed to be the spirit of her late mother, Elisa. Elisa was a powerful white witch who had been friends with Marta, a benevolent witch. Her spirit remained attached to Sarah to protect her and help her defeat Mater Lachrymarum.

Foreshadowing: Marta reveals early on that Elisa's spirit was watching over Sarah, explaining why the voice seemed to know Sarah's movements.

• elisa spirit
• voice
• mother
• protection
• marta

Mater Lachrymarum is the final member of the Three Mothers, an ancient trio of malevolent witches. Sarah's mother, Elisa, was a powerful white witch who previously wounded Mater Suspiriorum (the eldest of the Three Mothers), leading to the accident that killed Sarah's parents. Mater Lachrymarum seeks to destroy Sarah as revenge for this past injury.

Foreshadowing: The Cardinal's cryptic warning and the witches' interest in Sarah hint at a deeper connection between Sarah and the ancient evil.

• three mothers
• elisa
• family history
• revenge
• sarah mandy

Michael was killed because he sought help from a priest specializing in exorcisms to save his abducted son. While traveling to meet the priest, the witches captured and brutally killed him. His corpse was later animated by Mater Lachrymarum and used to lure Sarah before being destroyed.

Foreshadowing: Michael's decision to seek religious help instead of involving the police directly puts him on a dangerous path the witches were monitoring.

• michael pierce
• killed
• coven
• son
• exorcism

Michael's son was abducted by the witch coven during the chaos erupting throughout Rome. He was taken to Mater Lachrymarum's lair and suffered a horrific fate at the hands of the growing coven. His death, along with Michael's, represents one of the major tragedies Sarah must endure.

Foreshadowing: The abduction occurs right after the witch coven begins their campaign of violence in Rome, showing their growing power.

• michael son
• abducted
• coven
• death

Sarah gained the ability to become invisible after encountering the witch faction at the train station who were pledging allegiance to Mater Lachrymarum. This power was imparted to her by her mother's spirit, Elisa, who was guiding and protecting her throughout the ordeal. The ability helped Sarah evade both the witches and Detective Enzo Marki.

Foreshadowing: The disembodied voice guiding Sarah from the beginning was her mother's spirit, which began teaching her magical abilities.

• invisibility
• power
• elisa spirit
• magic ability

The magical tunic was an ancient relic that significantly amplified Mater Lachrymarum's dark powers when worn. It was one of the items sealed within the urn alongside other relics connected to the witch. When Mater Lachrymarum donned the tunic, her influence over Rome intensified, causing widespread chaos, suicides, and violence.

Foreshadowing: The 19th-century Church officials specifically chained the box containing the tunic, indicating they understood its dangerous nature.

• tunic
• magical
• power amplification
• urn
• relics

The Three Mothers are an ancient trio of malevolent witches: Mater Suspiriorum (the eldest), Mater Tenebrarum, and Mater Lachrymarum (the youngest and final member). Together, they represent ultimate evil in the film's mythology. Mater Suspiriorum and Mater Tenebrarum were already dead by the time of the story, making Mater Lachrymarum the last surviving member seeking to bring about a new era of magic through Rome's destruction.

Foreshadowing: De Witt's book "The Three Mothers" provides crucial information about locating Mater Lachrymarum's lair.

• three mothers
• mater suspiriorum
• mater tenebrarum
• mater lachrymarum
• witches

Sarah defeated Mater Lachrymarum by stripping the magical tunic from the witch during their confrontation in the catacombs. She then threw the tunic into a raging brazier, which caused the lair to collapse. A fatal pillar crushed Mater Lachrymarum during the collapse, while Sarah and Detective Enzo escaped to the surface.

Foreshadowing: The book "The Three Mothers" that De Witt gave Sarah helped her understand how to locate and confront the witch.

• final battle
• tunic
• brazier
• collapse
• defeat

Marta and her partner were murdered by Mater Lachrymarum's forces because they were allies of Sarah's mother and had been helping Sarah in her fight against the witch. Their deaths demonstrated the ruthless efficiency of Mater Lachrymarum's coven and eliminated a crucial support system for Sarah.

Foreshadowing: Marta's knowledge of Elisa and the Three Mothers made her a threat to Mater Lachrymarum's plans.

• marta
• valeria cavalli
• killed
• allies
• murdered

Detective Enzo Marki was pursuing Sarah throughout the film, believing she might be involved in the supernatural events. He was eventually captured by the witch coven and tortured alongside De Witt in the catacombs. Sarah later healed his injuries using her powers and he joined her in the final confrontation against Mater Lachrymarum. He survived the battle and escaped with Sarah.

Foreshadowing: Enzo's persistent investigation led him to follow Sarah into the catacombs, where he became a target for the coven.

• enzo marki
• captured
• tortured
• healed
• survived

Sarah was forced to burn Michael's corpse because Mater Lachrymarum had reanimated it to lure Sarah into a trap. The witch was using Michael's dead body as a puppet to get close to Sarah. With the help of her mother's spirit, Sarah incinerated the animated corpse, which banished Michael's manipulated form to the underworld.

Foreshadowing: Sarah's shock at seeing Michael alive again after his death hints that something is unnatural about his appearance.

• michael corpse
• reanimated
• burned
• trap
• lachrymarum