Carnival Row: Where did the Deagh Nós ritual come from in the second season of the Amazon Prime Video series?

• In the 1st episode of the 2nd season of “Carnival Row” we witness a ritual of the black ravens.
• Vignette is rewarded with a brand for her successful attack on a human train.
• The custom called Deagh-Nós has a deep meaning in Irish folklore.

“Carnival Row” introduces us to a fantastical world inspired by Greek, Roman, Celtic and English mythology. A ritual that is presented to us in the first episode of the second season also comes from that: the Deagh-Nós.

The Black Ravens use this honorable ritual after Vignette successfully ambushed a human train. They reward the Pix by branding it during a ceremony. But what does this custom mean and where does it originally come from?

Deagh-Nós is a Gaelic expression which roughly translates to “good manners” or “good manners”. It comes from the Irish culture, in which hospitality and togetherness were very important in earlier times. It is therefore not surprising that the Black Ravens use this expression to reward members for good or loyal behavior.

The brutality of the ritual, however, seems less consistent with the meaning behind Deagh-Nós. Not from our point of view, but definitely from the point of view of the black ravens. So the branding and enduring the pain could be the expression of what the group is fighting for: freedom and justice.

A good warrior does not allow pain, he is loyal to his comrades and always keeps his goal firmly in sight. This describes the “good manners” of a soldier, the good manners of a black raven. If you keep up the ritual, you show that you are exactly that warrior. The brand marks their willingness to suffer in the service of the common good.

On the other hand, the brand is a mark of the bravest and most loyal members of the Black Ravens. The group is no longer as secretive as it was in Season 1. They are increasingly communicating what they stand for and who their enemy is.

The marking of the strongest could serve as a warning. Because marked members of the Black Ravens have already proven their unscrupulousness and loyalty. They don’t shy away from anything and they want to show that to their enemies.

Now that Vignette has undergone the Deagh Nós ritual, her loyalty may be even more of a focus of the series in the upcoming episodes. Officially a member of the Black Ravens, she is also in a relationship with a former police officer – the group’s nemesis.

Even though Philo no longer works for the city of Burgue as an inspector, he can’t seem to get rid of his old life. That could still cause tensions between the couple. We’ll find out in the upcoming episodes whether it comes to that.

The new episodes “Carnival Row” appear every Friday on Amazon Prime Video.