| The Black Cauldron | |
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First edition cover |
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| Author(s) | Lloyd Alexander |
| Cover artist | Evaline Ness |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Chronicles of Prydain |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Holt, Rinehart and Winston |
| Publication date | June 1965 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover & paperback) |
| Pages | 224 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-805-00992-2 (first edition, hard) |
| OCLC Number | 302887 |
| Preceded by | The Book of Three |
| Followed by | The Castle of Llyr |
The Black Cauldron (1965) is a high fantasy novel by Lloyd Alexander, the second of five volumes in The Chronicles of Prydain. For 1966 it was a Newbery Honor book, recognizing excellence in American children's literature.[1]
The story continues the adventures of Taran "Assistant Pig-Keeper" as he joins in a quest to capture the eponymous magical kettle from Arawn Death-Lord.
The book provided a title and many elements of plot for the only Prydain film, the Disney animated feature The Black Cauldron released in 1985 (below).
Contents |
The series was inspired by Welsh mythology and by the castles, scenery, and language of Wales, which the author experienced during World War II combat intelligence training.[2][3]
At one stage of planning it was a trilogy with titles The Battle of the Trees, The Lion with the Steady Hand, and Little Gwion.[4]
The story opens at Caer Dallben where Dallben the enchanter has raised the orphan Taran from infancy. It is early autumn more than a year after the defeat of Arawn's army and death of his warlord the Horned King (The Book of Three).[5]
Prince Gwydion has called allies to a council hosted by Dallben. Evidently the Black Cauldron is active, generating more of the undead "Cauldron-Born" army from men who are disappearing. Gwydion proposes to capture it. King Morgant will lead an attack Annuvin after a small party led by Gwydion has parted company to enter by a mountain pass known only to Coll.[6] At that point three will remain behind with pack animals: Adaon, the adult son of chief bard Taliesin; Taran; and Ellidyr "Prince of Pen-Llarcau", who is arrogant, wiry strong, and threadbare. Ellidyr disdains Taran for his place on the farm and his unknown parentage. Taran envies Ellidyr for his noble birth, despite Dallben's counsel that that youngest son of a minor king has only "his name and his sword".[7] Both are dismayed to share a role with no chance for glory.
Beside the feud between young men, all goes smoothly until Gwydion's company finds that the cauldron has disappeared! That company rejoins the rearguard in haste because the Hunstmen of Annuvin have been deployed. Meanwhile, the uninvited Princess Eilonwy and man/beast Gurgi have caught up with the quest from behind. Gwydion and Coll are scattered but, thanks to Doli of the Fair Folk, all others find refuge underground in a Fair Folk waypost maintained by Gwystyl. From Gwystyl and his pet crow Kaw, they learn that the cauldron has been stolen by the three witches Orddu, Orwen and Orgoch, who reside in the bleak Marshes of Morva.[lower-alpha 1]
When they depart the waypost, Ellidyr rides southward,[lower-alpha 1] determined to retrieve the Cauldron heroically. For his safety with the Huntsmen abroad, Adaon leads the others in pursuit: Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi, Doli, and the wandering bard Fflewddur Fflam. When they are attacked and scattered, Adaon is mortally wounded and Taran inherits his brooch, whose gift and burden is prophetic dreams and visions. With its guidance he gathers and leads all but Doli toward the Marshes. From the fringe he both leads his small party through and leads a pursuing band of Huntsmen to their deaths.
Orddu and her sisters explain that Arawn once paid them a great price to borrow the cauldron; they retrieved it only when overdue. In their way, they welcome friends of "Little Dallben"[8] but they decline even to reveal it. Eventually and reluctantly, Taran barters the brooch of Adaon. Now the companions try to destroy "their" cauldron but learn from the witches that can be achieved only by a living person who knowingly and willingly climbs in to die. Instead they resolve to take it home to Dallben.
They lose the heavy and cumbersome cauldron at the ford of river Tevyn. Ellidyr discovers the impasse and offers to help if they will credit him for the whole enterprise. Taran agrees, yet Ellidyr rides off with the cauldron alone when they have freed it. Soon the companions meet the army of Morgant, who welcomes them into camp. Unfortunately he is a traitor. He shows Ellidyr beaten and bound, and the cauldron waiting to generate his own undead legion. He will spare them if Taran will enter personal service. Later, Doli arrives invisibly and cuts everyone's bonds. Ellidyr determines to rush the cauldron and make the sacrifice himself. Although wounded he is able to force himself into the opening and it shatters.
Gwydion, King Smoit, and his army defeat Morgant in battle. The story closes as Taran, Eilonwy, and Gurgi take leave of Gwydion at the verge of Caer Dallben.
The Black Cauldron was loosely adapted by Walt Disney Productions and released in 1985 as Disney's 25th animated feature film. The Black Cauldron film was based primarily on the first two Prydain novels with elements from the others. It was the last before corporate reorganization created Walt Disney Animation Studios and accepted computer-aided animation, the first to be rated PG rather than G, and a commercial failure whose gross receipts did not match production cost.
Lloyd Alexander's reaction was twofold: "First, I have to say, there is no resemblance between the movie and the book. Having said that, the movie in itself, purely as a movie, I found to be very enjoyable."[2]
The movie inspired a 1986 computer video game with the same title.
A computer role-playing game of unknown origin was made in 2001 based on the book[9]
The Black Cauldron ...
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