The Mysteries of Ceridwen

Sometimes I am quite impressed by the capacity of AI to distill the essence of something from a wide variety of sources.  This is what it says about the rather nasty secret society that causes mayhem in the pages of "Sacrifice".  It has got things pretty well spot on!!  In particular, it has picked up on the difficulty I had as an author in deciding on the limits of graphic descriptions of horrific events.........

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In Brian John's novel Sacrifice, the "Mysteries of Ceridwen" is the name of a depraved and violent secret society that targets the heroine, Martha Morgan. The society is a central element of the book's plot and represents the extreme evil Martha must confront.


Role in the Novel SacrificeAntagonists: 

The "Mysteries of Ceridwen" is the main antagonist group in the novel. Its members are described as four "sinister men" who call themselves surveyors and are responsible for a "campaign of retribution".

Motivations and Actions: 

The society is driven by ancient family animosities and targets specific individuals with grotesque methods. The violence begins with a shepherd being ambushed and having three stripes carved across his chest. Martha Morgan, the main character, is the prime target on their hit list.

Depravity: 

The novel is considered the "darkest tale" in the Angel Mountain Saga due to the explicit exploration of the society's depravity and violence, with the author having to make careful judgments on the boundary of acceptable graphic descriptions.

Comparison to other Secret Societies: 

The "Mysteries of Ceridwen" is presented as a "secret society" similar to others of the time, such as the Society of Sea Serjeants or the Freemasons, but is described as particularly depraved and criminal in its activities, including potentially hiring assassins. 

Mythological Context

The name "Ceridwen" comes from Welsh mythology. She is a powerful enchantress connected with a cauldron of wisdom and poetic inspiration (Awen). The mythological story includes: 

The Cauldron: Ceridwen brews a magic potion in her cauldron, intended to grant wisdom.

Gwion Bach: A servant boy named Gwion Bach accidentally receives the first three magical drops and, realizing the danger, flees.

The Pursuit and Rebirth: Ceridwen pursues Gwion Bach through various transformations. She swallows him when he is a grain of wheat and she is a hen.

Taliesin: She later gives birth to the boy, who becomes the legendary bard Taliesin.

Brian John likely uses "The Mysteries of Ceridwen" to add dark, ancient Welsh folklore to the gang's activities. This contrasts the mythological Ceridwen's pursuit of wisdom with the gang's pursuit of violent retribution and depravity.