Differences between Disney's The Black Cauldron film and Lloyd Alexander's Novels

This page will list the differences between Disney's The Black Cauldron and the books The Book of Three and The Black Cauldron.

STORY DIFFERENCES

• The prologue states that Arawn Death-Lord is a spirit trapped in the cauldron.
• The Horned King is the ruler of Prydain rather than Arawn.
• A magic sword like Dyrnwyn appears, but is not black and is not named.
• The story is basically The Book of Three (novel) with Hen Wen pursued for her imagined power over the cauldron, with the Witches of Morva tacked on, and the magic sword in place of the Brooch of Adaon.
• Eilonwy's Bauble floats.

CHARACTER DIFFERENCES

• Princess Eilonwy is blonde as opposed to having "red-gold" hair.
• Dallben has no beard.
• Fflewddur Fflam is elderly and portly.
• Gurgi is small and dog-like.
• Hen Wen is tiny and pink rather than a white, adult sow.
• Doli is a tiny, crotchety old man with a gray beard and moth wings.
• All of the Fair Folk are miniature, moth-winged people.
• Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch are loud, obnoxious and unsubtle.

MISSING CHARACTERS

• Coll does not appear.
• Gwydion does not appear.
• Achren does not appear.
• There are no Huntsmen of Annuvin.
• No characters from The Black Cauldron (novel) appear beyond the core Companions.