History Main / MagicCauldron

While all sorts of magic-users can be seen using them, they're particularly often depicted as standard-issue for any proper WickedWitch (alongside the obligatory pointy hat, broomstick, etc.), and if [[TheHecateSisters three witches]] are meeting, it'll probably be around one of these.

* Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''Disney/TheBlackCauldron'', as the title suggests. It's an adaptation of ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain'' books, but makes the evil cauldron in question more central than it was the series (where it's destroyed in book two rather than at the end of the series).

* ''VideoGame/TheBlackCauldron'', being an adaptation of [[Disney/TheBlackCauldron an adaptation]] of ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfPrydain'' (itself an adaptation of CelticMythology), of course features the titular evil cauldron.

* ''VideoGame/TheBlackCauldron'', being an adaptation of [[Disney/TheBlackCauldron an adaptation]] of ''Literature/ChroniclesOfPrydain'' (itself an adaptation of CelticMythology), of course features the titular evil cauldron.

** Welsh myth features the Pair Dadeni (Cauldron of Rebirth), which brings people back to life, but... [[CameBackWrong wrong]]. It's eventually destroyed by someone sacrificing himself by jumping into it. This legend is the basis of the cauldron which appears in the ''Literature/ChroniclesOfPrydain'', under Literature.

* Creator/{{Disney}}'s ''Disney/TheBlackCauldron'', as the title suggests. It's an adaptation of the ''Literature/ChroniclesOfPrydain'' books, but makes the evil cauldron in question more central than it was the series (where it's destroyed in book two rather than at the end of the series).

* The ''Literature/ChroniclesOfPrydain'' features a magic cauldron as an important part of the story: the Black Cauldron is an ArtifactOfDoom which generates EliteMooks for the villains. It's inspired by the Pair Dadeni from Myth/CelticMythology, and is destroyed the same way.

->''And now about the cauldron sing,'' [...] ''enchanting all that you put in.''

* In the ''Franchise/{{Asterix}}'' books, the druid Getafix mixes his potions in a cauldron (Which is never stated to have any magical properties in and of itself - it's just a pot large enough to brew sufficient potion for the entire village in one batch). Obelix fell in such a cauldron when he was young, with lasting effects. (The book ''Recap/AsterixAndTheCauldron'', however, ''doesn't'' involve a magic cauldron -- ''that'' one is of interest because it contained money, not magic.)

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* In early episodes of ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'', the Spellmans used one of this to prepare magical potions. When they work on this, they use stereotypical witch wardrobe (long black dresses and pointy hats with big brims). It seems to be a part of witches' lore and tradition.
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* In the ''Franchise/{{Asterix}}'' books, the druid Getafix mixes his potions in a cauldron. Obelix fell in such a cauldron when he was young, with lasting effects. (The book ''Recap/AsterixAndTheCauldron'', however, ''doesn't'' involve a magic cauldron -- ''that'' one is of interest because it contained money, not magic.)

** Subsequent Witches novels frequently mention that a bubbling cauldron is good "headology" (ie lets people know you're a witch), but that no witch has a ''use'' for a cauldron beyond making soup.

* In the ''Literature/EnchantedForestChronicles'' it's a running gag that the giantess Balimore has an endless cauldron that can produce almost any food on demand, and that she lends it out to her neighbors when they're planning a banquet. However, it doesn't do dessert except for burnt mint custard and sour-cream-and-onion ice cream, so she has to do that course herself.

* ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'' has its own take on the Undry (mentioned in passing), with the elf queen saying that sure, it produced food, but food that was barely above being fit for pigs (the main characters suspect it was corned beef and cabbage)... and the king adds it needed salt.

* The Literature/{{Discworld}} book ''Discworld/WyrdSisters'' inevitably features some cauldrons due to its parallels with ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'', but because it's Discworld, it's not played straight. For example, when they need to summon a demon to extract some answers, the older witches reject Magrat's suggestion that a cauldron is necessary and decide that the big copper pot from Nanny Ogg's washhouse is good enough. As far as they're concerned, the traditional cauldron is just a symbol, not a requirement. Later, Nanny Ogg uses a cauldron as part of a MundaneSolution by knocking the Duchess on the head with it.

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->And now about the cauldron sing, [...] enchanting all that you put in.
-->-- The Three Witches, ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}''

[[folder: Comic Books]]
* In the ''Franchise/{{Asterix}}'' books, the druid Getafix mixes his potions in a cauldron. Obelix fell in such a cauldron when he was young, with lasting effects. (The book ''Recap/AsterixAndTheCauldron'', however, ''doesn't'' involve a magic cauldron - ''that'' one is of interest because it contained money, not magic.)

* In ''[[Literature/HarryPotter Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'', Wormtail uses a cauldron for the spell that restores his master Voldemort to full size and strength.

* In the "ComicBook/SevenSoldiers" series, Ystin's mini-series involves the same Cauldron of Rebirth found in Myth/CelticMythology.

* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', the Ordo Lebes name themselves after cauldrons based on this trope, although in fact they're not literally using cauldrons.

-->-- The Three Witches, ''Theater/{{Macbeth}}''

* The Literature/{{Discworld}} book ''Discworld/WyrdSisters'' inevitably features some cauldrons due to its parallels with ''Theater/{{Macbeth}}'', but because it's Discworld, it's not played straight. For example, when they need to summon a demon to extract some answers, the older witches reject Magrat's suggestion that a cauldron is necessary and decide that the big copper pot from Nanny Ogg's washhouse is good enough. As far as they're concerned, the traditional cauldron is just a symbol, not a requirement. Later, Nanny Ogg uses a cauldron as part of a MundaneSolution by knocking the Dutchess on the head with it.

[[folder: Theater]]
* Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theater/{{Macbeth}}'' features three witches who use a cauldron for their magic. Quite a few subsequent depictions of witches' cauldrons likely stem from this.

* Zecora from ''WesterAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' uses one of this to work in her potions. She is somewhat of a herbalist with ambiguous knowledge of magic.

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