The Black Cauldron was a squat, black pot, half as tall as a man. "Its ugly mouth gaped wide enough to hold a human body. The rim of the cauldron was crooked and battered, its sides dented and scarred; on its lips and on the curve of its belly lay dark brown flecks and stains, which Taran knew were not rust. A long, thick handle was braced by a heavy bar; two heavy rings, like the links of a great chain were set in either side. Though of iron, the cauldron seemed alive, grim and brooding with ancient evil. The empty mouth caught the chill breeze and a hushed muttering rose from the cauldron's depths, like the lost voices of the tormented dead." -- The Black Cauldron, Chapter 13: "The Plan".