COMPILED BY DR. WILLIS E. McNELLY
BERKLEY BOOKS, NEW YORK
THE DUNE ENCYCLOPEDIA
A Berkley Book/published by arrangement with the author
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THE DUNE ENCYCLOPEDIA
(Cover flap text)
Compiled by
Dr. Willis E. McNelly
At last! The complete, authorized guide and companion to Frank Herbert’s monumental Dune Chronicles!
Eight years in the making, filled with original, never-before-published material, THE DUNE ENCYCLOPEDIA reveals all the mystery, savagery and wonder of a remarkable world in panoramic detail.
How did Muad’Dib get his name? What are the three ranks of adepts within the Order of Mentats? Who are the Fish Speakers, and what is their link to Duncan Idaho? How does a stillsuit work? What are the hidden origins of the Spacing Guild? Where did the techniques for spice-trance navigation develop? Just a hint of the information contained within the pages of this unique encyclopedia — along with poetry from the Imperium, Fremen lore, legends, even illustrations of Sardaukar Medals, the Giant Sandworm of Arrakis and more!
As Frank Herbert says in his introductory note to this intensively researched, meticulously cross-referenced volume:
Here is a rich background (and foreground) for the Dune Chronicles, including scholarly bypaths and amusing sidelights. Some of the contributions are sure to arouse controversy.... Others round out long speculation. Specialists have had their field day with problems geological, biological, astronomical, and mystical....
The result: an enthralling, enlightening volume no DUNE reader will want to be without!
Here is a rich background (and foreground) for the Dune Chronicles, including scholarly bypaths and amusing sidelights. Some of the contributions are sure to arouse controversy, based as they are on questionable sources. Others round out long speculation. Specialists have had their field day here with problems geological, biological, astronomical, and mystical, with pronounciations, major biographies, histories and accounts of little-known figures. The range of topics is catholic: cf. from games for amusement to games of life and death (Cheops or Pyramid Chess to "The Assassins' Handbook").
The history of the Financial Synod which spawned CHOAM gets its first airing in these pages. In fact, many secrets hidden in the Dune Chronicles are answered here.
How did Irulan first gain and then arouse the displeasure of Ghanima? Who was Jehanne Butler and why does the Butlerian Jihad carry her name? What are the hidden origins of the Spacing Guild? Where did spice-trance navigational techniques develop? What was Leto II's private opinion of Holy Sister Quintinius Violet Chenoeh? Does Cheops have something in common with the three-body problem?
I must confess that I found it fascinating to re-enter here some of the sources on which the Chronicles are built. As the first "Dune fan," I give this encyclopedia my delighted approval, although I hold my own counsel on some of the issues still to be explored as the Chronicles unfold.
Frank Herbert
Port Townsend, WA
November, 1983
INTRODUCTION
Snippets of poetry from the Imperium; a Sample folk tale from the Oral History; brief biographies of over a dozen Duncan Idahos: two differing approaches to Paul Muad’Dib himself and to his son, Leto II; Fremen recipes; Fremen history; secrets of the Bene Gesserit; the songs of Gurney Halleck — these are just some of the treasures found when an earthmover fell into the God Emperor's no-room at Dar-es-Balat, and are now included in The Dune Encyclopedia.
Dozens of scholars have rushed into print with their translations of one or more of the ridulian crystals, and the popular press on many planets has been filled with hypothesis, conjecture, and outright fabrication. In the meantime literally hundreds of scholars, ranging from anthropolinguists and cultural historians to professors of every facet of science, have been laboring quietly and patiently with the incredible amount of material left hidden by Leto II nearly eighteen hundred years ago.
The labors of the Library Confraternity have finally brought some order to the chaotic randomness of the no-room artifacts. While only a very small percentage of the extant material has been either unearthed or translated, and little has received any kind of scholarly evaluation, nonetheless enough progress has been accomplished to present this initial volume of The Dune Encyclopedia. This book has been the work of literally dozens of scholars who have contributed their efforts so that readers on worlds from one end of the galaxy to another may finally have a clear, coherent picture of the legendary days of Paul Muad'Dib and his son Leto Atreides, known during his 3,500-year lifetime as the "God Emperor."
Readers of The Dune Encyclopedia should understand its limitations: it is not designed as a definitive study of the entire eras encompassed by the Atreides Imperium. Yet the thousands of descendants of Duncan Idaho and Siona Atreides can now, after the recovery from the deleterious effects of the Starvation and the Scattering, learn something of their ancestors and the conditions that produced the God Emperor. They may also become aware of the undercurrents that resulted in his Fall. However, if readers of this volume are searching for the formulae which cover the electronic intricacies of the Spacing Guild trans-light Ixian Navigational systems, they will be disappointed. This type of material already exists elsewhere and need not be duplicated on these pages. Rather it has been the aim of the editors and the Library Confraternity to present in this volume a broad spectrum of material concerning those events and people which shaped our present worlds.
In addition, we must also consider something of the eccentricities of Lord Leto, who was solely responsible for accumulating, assembling, and secreting what is now known as the Rakis Hoard. If Leto was interested in some topic, the material was saved. If he was not, its absence in the Rakis digs is obvious. Furthermore, if he was amused by some scrap of information, he preserved it, even though many contemporary scholars feel the information may well have been false or misleading in the first place.
We have made no attempt to separate Leto's truths from his foibles or to indicate which is which. Such judgments are best left to scholars or to the general reading public at whom this book is aimed. In addition, Leto assembled much material from the centuries post-dating the Butlerian Jihad, and we present some of it in this book, including newly discovered information about the hitherto legendary Jehanne Butler who gave her name to the jihad she so nobly led.
Thus some of the entries in The Dune Encyclopedia were written by people who actually lived at the time of Muad'Dib; others were prepared by contemporary scholars based upon older materials, and still other entries represent preliminary papers prepared by the many investigators at Dar-es-Balat.
Selection of the final material was most arduous, but the entire governing aim is to present as well-rounded a picture of the early days of the Atreides Imperium as possible.
I would like to acknowledge the specific contribut
ions made to The Dune Encyclopedia by Gweleder Miiarz and Kriteen Gwuutan, whose labors were singularly devoted. Professors Gwilit Mignail and Zhauzaf Kluursh contributed many hours to the book. Poet Rebeth Vreeb and her husband Rebeth Farnark were instrumental in helping sort out some of the voluminous material found in the Hoard and both gave unstintingly of their time and advice. In addition my husband Zhenaweev Benotto was both patient and long-suffering. I owe him more than words can say. All of these people caught many errors that would otherwise have crept into the pages of The Dune Encyclopedia, but final responsibility for the text must ultimately be my own.
HADI BENOTTO, Editor
15540
A CHRONOLOGY OF SOME IMPORTANT EVENTS IN HUMAN HISTORY
BEFORE GUILD
19000-16500 Early civilizations on Terra.
16500 Aleksandr creates FIRST EMPIRE.
16400-16000 ROMAN EMPIRE arises and conquers the known world, except for China, which resists until 14400.
15800 Imperial Seat moved to Byzantium in retreat before provincial rebellions and minor jihads.
14700-14608 THE GREAT STRUGGLE: The Century Without an Emperor.
14608 Discoveries in America allow Madrid to attain the status of the Imperial Seat.
14512 BATTLE OF ENGLICHANNEL. Seat of Empire moved from Madrid to London.
14500-14200 THE GOLDEN AGE OF INVENTION: Development of radio, television, atomics, rocketry, genetics, and the computer.
14255 First atomics demonstrated in an intraprovincial war. Seat of Empire moved to Washington.
14100-13600 THE LITTLE DIASPORA: The solar system is colonized, and the population of Terra is eventually outnumbered by 20 to 1.
13402 Ceres gains the Imperial Seat after a planetoid strikes Terra.
13402-13399 THE RESCUE OF THE TREASURES from Terra.
13360 Terra re-seeded and set aside (by Imperial edict) as a natural park.
13004 SUSPENSOR-NULLIFICATION EFFECT discovered.
12200 THE EMPIRE OF TEN WORLDS. Communications becoming strained.
11200 THE EMPIRE OF A THOUSAND WORLDS (an empire in name only, because Imperial power was so diffuse as to be nonexistent).
11105 AGE OF PRETENDERS begins when Ceres is destroyed by rebellion, and the Imperial Seat ceases to exist as a single entity.
11100-7562 THE AGE OF TEN THOUSAND EMPERORS (sometimes called "The Great Dark Ages").
7593 I.V. Holtzman born on Liesco II.
7565 Holtzman disabled and cyborged.
7562 Holtzman reveals the "wave-effect" nature of the suspensor-nullification device.
7556 Holtzman severely damaged and thrown into a cometary orbit. Communications with him are lost.
7562-5022 THE WARS OF REUNIFICATION, consequent on the immediate communication made possible by Holtzman Effect.
5022 THE EMPIRE OF TEN THOUSAND WORLDS united under Ladislaus the Great.
5022-3678 THE FIRST GOLDEN AGE.
3832 Holtzman reappears at Liesco, and presents the theory for construction of the DEFENSIVE SHIELD.
3678 THE SILICON PLAGUE: the "Death of the Machines."
3678-2000 THE LITTLE DARK AGES, ending with the development of plague-resistant conductors.
2000-1800 THE RETURN OF THE COMPUTERS (sometimes called "The Second Reunification").
1970 Holtzman reappears, and presents his UNIFIED THEORY.
1800-400 THE SECOND GOLDEN AGE. Circa 700 the first anti-computer pogroms occur.
711-200 Tensions increase between programmites and humanity-firsters, tensions which Jehanne Butler was to exploit.
200-108 THE BUTLERIAN JIHAD.
108 Holtzman returns and is destroyed by forces of the Jihad.
ca. 100 Ixians, refugees from the Jihad, led by Aurelius Venport, discover TUPILE, the Sanctuary Planet(s).
88 THE BATTLE OF CORRIN.
86 FOUNDATION OF HOUSE ATRETDES when Demetrios Atreides is made Baron Tantalos in reward for aiding the Corrinos.
84 First MELANGE-guided journey through hyperspace, by Norma Cenva.
12 B.G.-70 A.G. The Reign of SAUDIR I, "The Great."
10 Corpus Luminis Praenuntiantis (the future Spacing Guild) begins negotiations with the Empire.
10-5 THE GREAT FINANCIAL SYNOD, on Aerarium IV, creates CHOAM.
0 THE LION THRONE, THE SPACING GUILD, and CHOAM (as the arm of the Landsraad) combine to establish the form of human society for the next ten thousand years.
AFTER GUILD
123-184 Reign of NEGARA II.
207 Thomas Atreides helps restore Elrood II, and is made Duke of Jaddua.
337 THE GREAT CONVENTION is ratified.
385-388 THE LISHASH REBELLION, the last significant armed resistance to the Empire.
388 Saudir III designates SALUSA SECUNDUS as PRISON PLANET.
390 Wallach I begins use of Salusa Secundus as a training ground for the SARDAUKAR.
1234 THE ORDER OF MENTATS is founded by Gilbertus Albans, originally on the planet Septimus, and moved to Tleilax a decade later.
1487 The Corrinos shift the Imperial Seat to Kaitain.
2800 Elrood V gives Poritrin, third planet of Epsilon Alangue, to House Maros. Siridar Charles Baron Mikarrol, planetary governor of Terra, sends two million ZENSUNNI to Poritrin, beginning the Zensunni Migration.
4492 Poritrin is given to House Alexin, and the Sardaukar are sent to remove the Zensunni, sending five million to BELA TEGEUSE and five million to SALUSA SECUNDUS.
5122 First FACE DANCERS appear as entertainers at the Court of Corrin XIV.
5295 Ezhar VII releases the Zensunni on Salusa Secundus, sending them to ISHIA, second planet of Beta Tygri.
6049 Zensunni on Bela Tegeuse are transported again, with the majority sent to Harmonthep, and the remainder to ROSSAK, the fifth planet of Alces Minor.
ca. 6600 A Sayyadina on Rossak discovers a plant whose ingestion unlocks the "voices within."
ca. 6800 Harmonthep, a satellite of Delta Pavonis, is destroyed by unknown causes.
7193 Zensunni on Rossak buy passage to ARRAKIS from the Spacing Guild. By this time, all Zensunni from both Ishia and Rossak have reached Arrakis.
8711 The Atreides family is awarded the Siridar-Dukedom of CALADAN.
9751 ELACCA drug in relatively common use.
9846 Invention of HUNTER-SEEKER.
ca. 10000 Invention of the DISTRANS on Ix.
10092 Semuta extraction process discovered.
10140 LETO ATREIDES (Duke Leto I) born.
10154 LADY JESSICA born.
10155-10165 GURNEY HALLECK a Harkonnen slave on Giedi Prime.
10158 DUNCAN IDAHO (the human) born.
10175 PAUL ATREIDES born.
10179 First successful implant of the distrans in a human.
10190-91 House Atreides moves to ARRAKIS.
10191 The Sardaukar attack on Arrakis kills Duke Leto; Paul and Jessica go into the desert with the Fremen. ALIA ATREIDES born.
10193 Paul regains control of Arrakis and its spice monopoly.
10196 SHADDAM IV abdicates; Paul becomes Emperor.
10196-10208 PAUL'S JIHAD.
10200 FARAD'N (KENOLA) born to Wensicia and Count Dalak Kenola.
10204 Count Dalak dies suspiciously in 'thopter accident; Farad'n's last name is changed to Corrino.
10208 GHOLA HAYT (Duncan-10208) is created and presented to Paul.
10209 LETO II and GHANIMA born. CHANI dies. Paul goes into the desert, and Alia becomes regent.
10210 Alia dissolves the FEDAYKIN, Paul's Death-Commandos.
10218 Duncan-10208 delivers Lady Jessica to House Corrino.
10219 LETO II ascends to the throne.
10246 HARQ AL-HARBA born.
10271 REVOLT OF THE FREMEN crushed, and its leader, Duncan-10235, is put to death.
10941 Duncan-10895 reveals the ritual of SIAYNOQ.
11745 THE ORDER OF MENTATS is suppressed by Leto II.
12335 The execution of THE NINE HISTORIANS.
12725 The
Festival City of ONN is built according to the design of Duncan-12720.
13724 The death of LETO II.
14702 THE CROMPTON RUINS discovered.
15525 The finding of THE RAKIS HOARD.
15540 The publication of THE DUNE ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Compiled by W.D. I. and W. E. M.
А
ABOMINATION
A Bene Gesserit term describing behavior severely "out of character" for an individual, and not ethically or morally a part of the individual's norm. The Sisterhood viewed severely disruptive psychotic behavior as a mystic condition involving the "possession" of the host psyche of a "pre-born" by the overwhelming personality of a genetic, ancestral pseudo-life. The term "pre-born" is defined in the Bene Gesserit Azhar Book as "that soul resting quietly within its womb-bed whose entire life is destroyed by a pre-birth knowledge of its ancestors' personae. We cause such a chaotic state if we allow a breeder to take of the Water of Life when she is with child." The resultant possibility of Abomination rests on the Bene Gesserit premise that certain individuals carry the genetic capability to bring the personalities of their ancestors to a conscious level in a living mind. The Azhar Book judges the condition thusly: "It is with reason and terrible experience, that we call the pre-born Abomination. For who knows what lost and damned persona out of our evil past may possess the living flesh?"
The Azhar Book outlines the conditions necessary to a state of possession (Mahrana IV: H-K). First a pregnant Bene Gesserit breeder must ingest the Water of Life, apparently an hallucinogenic chemical which varied during the history of the order. This chemical, carried in her blood to the womb, activates the fetal psychic awareness and produces a babble of sound and sensory imagery which the un-born is unable to comprehend or assimilate. At birth, this "awakened" baby supposedly sees with adult comprehension because of the active, intelligent, adult memories it now carries at a conscious level. The child, therefore, appears to the uninitiated as extremely precocious but to the knowledgeable as a possible Abomination. Only bright Bene Gesserit children were suspect; precocious lay children were safe from scrutiny.
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