Profane rituals?  Walt Disney is rolling over in his grave.....or his frozen head is......

"What was the ritual again? Water from the Fountain, and a mermaid's tear..."
"And two silver Chalices. One cup with the tear, one without."
"So one with the tear and water in both. How complicated, is it not?"
"Both get water. One gets the tear. The person who drinks the water with the tear gets all the years of life from the other."
"How many years? Ooh."
"All the years that they have lived, and they could have lived...if Fate had been kinder."

―Jack Sparrow and Angelica^[src]

The Profane Ritual, also referred to as the ritual (or rules) of the Fountain, was an ancient ceremony that was performed by those who wanted to achieveimmortality at the Fountain of Youth.

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History

Discovery of the Ritual

Throughout history, people have sought a way to remain young forever. This hope was regarded as just a dream, until theSpanish conquistador Ponce de León made his dramatic discovery: the Fountain of Youth.^[1] The origins of the Profane Ritual, however, is unknown. After Ponce de León's search for the Fountain in the early 1500s, the legends of the ritual spread, though what it was and what was required was not known in common lore.^[2] It is unknown how many times this ritual was performed, but it has been proven to been performed by the dead mermaid corpses in the Jungle Pools and the Fountain itself.^[3]

Quest for the Fountain of Youth

"Son, the Fountain. There be items required, for the Profane Ritual."

―Teague to Jack Sparrow^[src]

At some point prior to the search for the Dead Man's Chest,^[4] Angelica traded her ring with sorcerer Tia Dalma for the secret of the Profane Ritual.^[5] Through unknown circumstances, Captain Teague learned about the ritual. Near the questfor the Fountain of Youth, Teague warned his son, Jack Sparrow, who was searching for the Fountain, to find out every detail before setting sail. After meeting Angelica in the Captain's Daughter, Jack inquired her about the ritual before he was knocked out for about five days, and discovered he was shanghaied aboard Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge.^[3]

Later, Jack acquired more knowledge about the Profane Ritual while in a dance of deception aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, where he convinced Angelica to tell him the rules. It was here that Jack learned that the ritual requires water from the Fountain of Youth that must be drunk from the two silver Chalices of Ponce de León. The person drinking from the Chalice that containing both water and a mermaid's tear, and the person who drinks the water with the tear would get all the years of life from the other. Realizing that the ritual requires a victim, Jack commented that his desire for the Fountain was greatly lessened.^[3]

The quest would lead to collecting the items needed for the Profane Ritual. Blackbeard's crew captured a mermaid named Syrena after the battle at Whitecap Bay, and Jack retrieved the Chalices that the The Spaniard's crew took from the Santiago. By the end of the quest, the Fountain of Youth itself would be found, where Blackbeard's crew fought against Hector Barbossa's crew. The battle resulted in the Spanish succeeding in their mission to destroy the Fountain and Blackbeard's death in the hands of Barbossa.^[3]

The Fountain's waters taking Blackbeard's life after the ritual was performed.

Despite the Fountain of Youth being destroyed, Jack Sparrow ran to the fallen, cracked basin and filled each Chalice as the water was running out, getting the very last drop. He added the mermaid tear to one of the cups before going to Angelica and Blackbeard, both fatally wounded from Barbossa's poisoned sword. Jack brought the Chalices to them and tried to convince Angelica to drink from the one with the tear. Angelica said that Blackbeard should drink the cup with the tear so that he may earn more time to redeem his soul. However, Jack tried to convince Blackbeard to save Angelica, his own daughter, by drinking from the Chalice that takes life. But instead, Blackbeard quickly drank out of the cup with the tear and told Angelica to save him. Though she was shocked at her own father's betrayal, Angelica willingly drank from the other Chalice. However, Jack revealed that he may have made a mix-up on which cup was which.

Almost instantly, upon realizing that Jack had tricked them both, Angelica's wound heals and the flowing waters of the Fountain rushed towards Blackbeard. The Fountain's waters completely surrounded Blackbeard, entwining him as his flesh began to rot away. Angelica stared in horror as Blackbeard's skeletal arm reached out to her before the waters cleared away and Blackbeard's skeleton collapsed, dead.