[7House Atreides had for all practical purposes ceased to exist with the assassination of its leader on Arrakis in 10191. None of its scattered retainers seems to have joined the Fremen in their revolt until the final, triumphant stages of it in 10193. In fact, it seems that Atreides retainers fought against the Fremen in the initial stages of the revolt. It is certainly reasonable to assume that leaderless nobles of that time would have attached themselves to others of the noble class and so gain Imperial pleasure rather than fight alongside insurgent Fremen.—e.d.
8And better than most...—j.b.]
Finally, the House Corrino quickly and deliberately attached itself to the man it called Paul Atreides. Virtually every surviving document whose author purports to have seen Paul in the flesh was written by a direct-line member of the House Corrino. It is not uncommon, of course, for a ruling or aspiring family to claim mythological descent. But none of the plethora of documents and fragments of documents still existing that are supposed to have been written by the Princess Irulan Corrino-Atreides claims that her family is genealogically tied to Paul's. Rather, they seem to indicate, somewhat haughtily, that she was his virgin wife; similarly, the writings of her nephew, Harq al-Ada, indicate no blood kinship between House Corrino and Paul Atreides.9 This is a very interesting revelation. In combination with the reasonable assumption that the Corrinos, like anyone, would have been able to claim lineal descent from a purely fictional god-hero, and for political purposes would have claimed it, leads to the conclusions, first, that Paul Atreides existed; and, second, that he was powerful enough for the Corrinos to have wished kinship ties with him.10
[9This rationale is based on the assumption that Irulan C-A and Harq al-Ada are in fact authors of the mss. they are purported to have written. The assumption is questionable.— t.d.f.
10It also suggests that Paul was base born, for the Corrinos apparently did not wish to have their line connected to his by blood, but only by official marriage. Nor did they claim a common ancestor with him.—j.b.]
Granting, then, that Paul Atreides lived, what was his lineage?
The legendary lineage claimed for him (see genealogy chart) is clearly fantastic. It absolutely cannot be accurate; it should be dismissed out of hand. Even the Harkonnen-influenced histories11 leave no doubt that his purported grandsire, the Siridar-Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, was impotent, could not conceivably have fathered the woman known to us as "Lady Jessica Harkonnen," Paul's mother. In fact, the Baron, having no direct heirs of either sex, was in the process of dividing Arrakis's governmental responsibilities between his nephews when the Fremen forces overran Arrakeen in 10193. Nor is there much more likelihood that Paul was in truth connected to the Atreides family by blood, as the Red Duke was, together with all members of his immediate family then on Arrakis, assassinated in the 10191 coup12. The Atreides retainers who escaped that coup were swallowed up into the general population and in fact fought against Paul's Fremen in the ensuing general revolt. Significantly, not until the revolt had gained some measure of success and some hope of ultimate victory did the scattered Atreides join it. Such a waiting is completely uncharacteristic of retainers whose blood Lord is engaged in guerrilla fighting and in obvious need of assistance.
[11Which are? —t.d.f.
12It has been suggested that Leto I kept a Fremen concubine, and that Paul was his natural son by this woman. This is an intriguing suggestion, and one which, if true, would justify Paul's claim of Atreides kinship. Unfortunately, no evidence exists to suggest that Leto Atreides was on Arrakis before 10190 — when Paul was already a young man.—e.d.]
Finally, the idea that a fifteen-year-old off-worlder who is the scion of a privileged class could galvanize Fremen will, direct Fremen resistance, and, especially, lead Fremen forces in battle is considerably13 beyond the capacity of reasonable men to believe. To believe that such a thing were possible is to betray ignorance of Fremen custom, of Fremen law, of Fremen mythology, and of Fremen reason.
[13"Insultingly" is a better word.—j.b.]
Paul was in all likelihood Fremen-born, probably native to Sietch Tabr. He may have been the son of Stilgar, then Sietch Naib, but there is no firm evidence to support this contention14. He must have distinguished himself early in the areas of military planning and tactics, of political theory, and of both on- and off-world history. Under the name of Usul and still in his teens, he had by the time of the Harkonnen coup in 10191 amassed a large contingency of Fremen warriors under his immediate command. When, in 10193, the Atreides retainers collected around him and proclaimed him their Duke, he immediately saw value in being so proclaimed; for without Great House support of some kind the Fremen revolt must assuredly have been doomed. He consolidated Fremen and Atreides supporters and attacked, gaining at Arrakeen one of history's few truly decisive victories. After the Battle of Arrakeen he was named Muad'Dib by the Fremen, Kwisatz Haderach by the Bene Gesserit, and Emperor by the nobility. At this point a suitable, that is to say fabulous, genealogy was constructed for him.
[14"Much has been made of his "noble features." If his actual facial features were in any way remarkable it must be attributed to genetic chance. No child of half off-world parentage would have been allowed to live. It is just possible that his mother was herself an off-worlder formally adopted into the sietch sometime during her own childhood. Such a situation is rare, but not unheard of.—e.d.]
If he was Fremen born, why did the Atreides retainers gather around Paul?
There are several ways that Paul's Atreides support may be accounted for. Obviously, he was the only likely candidate for their support on Arrakis, the royal family itself having been exterminated. If one understands anything of the completeness and depth of the enmity existing between Houses Harkonnen and Atreides15, and then reflects on the fact that at the beginning of the Fremen revolt the Atreides retainers were fighting as though to prove fealty to the Harkonnens, he must conclude that the leaderless Atreides were in complete disarray, their spirit crushed. They must have seen Paul not only as a rallying point but also as something of a savior.16 The Atreides surely would have realized that by switching allegiance to the Fremen they stood a better chance of defeating the Harkonnens than they would have had standing alone; and in any case they would hold the balance of power.17
[15If one understands the depths of this enmity one must also scoff at the notion that the Red Duke kept a Harkonnen concubine!—j.b.
16Certainly they'd recognized his formidability as an enemy quickly enough.—j.b.
17Neither the ghola nor the other one — Halleck — is reputed to have been stupid...—j.b.]
Too, with the arrival of Imperial Sardaukar to fight with the Harkonnens on Arrakis the Atreides must have seen their hoped-for value to the Siridar-Baron evaporate. Their choice at that point would seem to have been to ally themselves with the Fremen or be annihilated.
Finally, it is assumed that the gift of Paul's fourteen-year-old sister Alia to the Atreides leader, the reputed ghola Duncan Idaho, had something to do with the insurance of Atreides recognition of Paul's legitimacy as well.18
[18Nor were the Corrinos likely to have admitted publicly to base blood in Paul, their Princess Irulan having been part of his price for peace.—t.d.f.]
What was Paul's role in the Second Jihad?
The Second Jihad was carried out in the name of Paul Atreides, and with his voiced approval. Now, Paul's military and political genius has already been pointed out; and one of the lessons history has to offer any revolutionary leader who would be immortalized is that he must not attempt to control his own people in their victory.19 If one is the leader of a revolution, one is leader only so long as there is revolution. Paul did not himself physically lead any contingent of warring parties in the Jihad. He seems, rather, to have contented himself to remain on Arrakis and consolidate his power, astutely allowing his followers — Fremen and off-worlders alike — to conquer in his name. At the same time he was cultivating his own charisma, building himse
lf a legend, fostering belief that he was prescient and Messianic, and prophesying.20 His role in the Jihad was essentially that of a figurehead; but, unlike most figureheads, he did not allow himself to be manipulated by his hordes. Instead, he manipulated them as he consolidated, centralized, and practically immortalized his reign.
[19Cynical, aren't we?—j.b.
20It is easy to prophesy the decapitation of an enemy when one holds a sword and the enemy lies bound at one's feet.—j.b.]
What of Paul's history after the Second Jihad?
Substantially better circumstantial evidence remains concerning the answer to this question than answering any of the others posed here. For one thing, the historians recording the events21 were witnesses to them, independent of rumor and legend. There is no reason to believe that at least in regard to the demonstrable22 they had reason either to lie or themselves to be misled. For another, after the jihad the history of Paul begins to coincide with the history of Leto II; and the latter has, of course, been well and often recorded.
[21If, indeed, the historians are to be trusted...—t.d.f.
22What on earth does that mean?—j.b.]
An assassination attempt by a conspiracy of Spacing Guild, House Corrino, and Bene Gesserit confederates was staged in 1020523 Paul survived the attack, but was blinded in it; and, as well he knew, to be a blind Fremen was to be condemned to the desert. Paul, as Emperor, could not be banished into the desert to perish; but he must have sensed that his blindness must inevitably lead to a weakening of his position both in the eyes of his Fremen, to whom blindness is anathema, and in those of his off-world disciples, to whom his blindness must have appeared as proof of his vulnerability. Therefore, shortly after the birth of his twin children, Leto II and Ghanima. Paul voluntarily vanished into the desert where he undoubtedly perished. This disappearance was arguably the masterstroke of Paul Atreides' genius. It precluded the possibility of a witnessed death, and so kept alive the rumor of his immortality and assured the accession of his son.24
[23According to legend, the method of assassination was to have been stoneburner. Obviously Paul could not in actuality have survived such an attack* —t.d.f.
*Nor could Arrakis have... —j.b.
24It also assured the retention of his honor among the Fremen, kept him from becoming merely an object of pity, and staved off the inevitable next attempt on his life.—e.d.]
IV
CONCLUSIONS
Paul Atreides in fact lived. He was charismatic and a military and political genius; whether he might be termed a "Kwisatz Haderach" or a "Muad'Dib" depends on what those terms are assumed to mean25. He was not a deity. He was Fremen, born of desert parents whose identities are now unrecoverable. He saw political advantage in assuming a House Atreides identity, and so he assumed one. After his victory in the Battle of Arrakeen he astutely allowed his Fremen followers to spend their centuries of pent fury on the universe in the Second Jihad, leaving him on Arrakis to rule in relative quiet. An attempt on his life in 10205 resulted in his blindness; he died shortly thereafter, having voluntarily exiled himself into the desert26. For a century or more after Paul's disappearance it was not uncommon for sun-crazed blind Fremen, banished from one sietch or another, to stumble into the city claiming to be the returned Muad'Dib. Some of these "blind seers" even attracted cult followers and had much made of themselves. Such occurrences have grown increasingly rare over the centuries; still, the quickest way for any pitiful desert prophet to gain an appreciative audience even today is to pronounce himself Paul Atreides resurrected.
[25Also on the fervor of the user. —j.b.
26According to Fremen custom. If he had in fact been nobility he would simply have had Tleilaxu eyes installed in his head. That he chose to die instead suggests Fremen, not Atreides instincts.*— t.d.f.
*I'd not thought of that.—j.b.]
D.M.
ATREIDES, PAUL.
"HOW MUAD'DIB GOT HIS NAME"
A FOLKTALE FROM THE ORAL HISTORY
When Usul was still a boy, he became no longer content to stay in the sietch with his mother. He went to her to take leave, but she said, "Usul, your minha, the season for your testing, has not yet come. Stay with me a while." But he said to her, "Every hour seems like a day. I will go forth into the desert, where the time will not pass so slowly, and where I shall see wonders." So he went out of his sietch into the bled, and went on from morn till night, and whichever way his path led him, it was all the same to him.
It came to pass that, as the sun was setting, he saw some little way off a castle made all of sand. The walls were sand, the towers were sand, even the doors were sand. Now Usul was tired from his journey and he longed to lie down, but he thought, "Who knows what will happen if I push one of these doors? The whole place may come down on me." So he readied himself to sleep outside, but as he did so, he saw to one side an open door, and he went in.
Inside the castle was a room, empty but for a table of sand on which stood a jug of liban and a bowl with some apricots. Usul ate and drank, and when he had filled himself, he wrapped his cloak about him and lay down on the floor to sleep. In the middle of the night, there came a great clap of thunder, and a roaring wind filled the room. Usul sprang up, and the thunder became a voice that spoke on every side. "Welcome, little dessert. Dost thou know to which place thou hast invited thyself, and whose guest thou art?"
"No," said Usul, "but I came into the bled to see wonders, and I am ready to pay for them."
"So thou shalt," said the thunder. "This is Kalatorano. the Castle of Sand, and it is my sietch, the sietch of Alhen, Naib of All the Djinn."
"And I am Usul," Usul replied, "and your castle belongs to me, for Dune is my world, and when I am ready, all shall know it." Usul did not know that alhen means death, but he spoke bravely even though he was afraid, for he knew he was a king's son.
The roaring wind sounded like laughter then, and a great marid appeared before him, filling the room. As the demon laughed, his teeth showed like burning coals.
"Well," said the Marid, "empty boasts will not fill my stomach. Thou hast eaten my meal, and now thou must take its place." Usul then remembered what his mother used to say when someone threatened her, so he answered the demon with the words "Jild an havy ma tumal minn-u harakis (Shoes are not made of the hide of a living animal)." With that the demon roared again, and laughed so hard that the whole castle shook. When he stopped, he said to Usul, "Thou art a funny little fellow, and I shall be sorry to eat thee, but no one can come here and leave again. Thou, like all others, must pay the water tribute. But thou seem'st so small, I doubt thou wilt be more than a mouthful for me. Thou wilt be put to better use as a nosebag for one of my donkeys." And with that he grabbed Usul by the hair of his head and threw him into a pit in the center of the castle.
Usul sat at the bottom of the pit and thought that his yearning to see wonders had been satisfied in a way not altogether to his liking. As he thought of his own hearthfire, he heard a small voice near him: "Ya mawta, argab aanina!" He looked in the darkness and saw a small mouse with its head bent low. Usul said to the mouse, "Why do you call me 'mawla'? I am no one's lord. And how can I intercede for you if, like you, I am myself a captive?" "Ya mawla," said the mouse, "my wife has given birth, and my tribe will starve if I cannot get out of this pit I have fallen into. I am everything to them, but to your strength I am nothing. You can throw me out of the pit with ease."
"I will do what I can," said Usul, and lifting up the mouse in his hand, he threw it high overhead out of the pit.
The mouse looked down, bowed its head, and said, "Tija al-sadaqa (The gift will return to the giver)." And with that the mouse departed, and Usul passed the rest of the night alone.
When morning came, the Marid Alhen returned. He reached his arm down into the pit and grabbed Usul by the hair once again. The heat of his breath singed the eyebrows of Usul as the demon said, "I have decided which of my donkeys to give thee to." And he cast Usul into the middle o
f the great desert. As he lay there full of pity for himself and of fear for the next moment, a mouse hopped to his ear and spoke to him. "My name is Muxabbi; watch me and learn from me, for my gift to you is knowledge." The mouse began to sniff the wind and to watch the spray of sand from the dune tops. Usul saw the mouse start to burrow then stop as the sand drifted down. When the mouse found the shadow of the wind, where the burrow did not collapse, it tunneled deeper and curled up inside with its nose deep inside its fur. The wind rose, and small drifts of sand hid the mouse from sight.
The wind rose still more, and the sand scratched at Usul's hands and face. All at once, before him there stood what seemed like a swirl of winds in the shape of a man, and a voice from it said, "I am Azfar, the Yellow Djinni, and thou hast been given me for my breakfast." And the wind howled and clutched at his cloak, it pushed him this way and that, and the sand stung his body. Then Usul thought of the mouse. He found the shadow of the wind on the lee side of a dune and crawled from place to place, testing the sand, as the wind tumbled and tossed at him. When he found what the mouse had taught, he dug into the sand and scooped himself a burrow. He covered himself with his cloak, draping it over his head and knee, tucking it in beneath him. The wind screamed, and with one shriek sand would cover the mouth of Usul's burrow, then with another the sand would be blown away as the gusts eddied and swirled in the shadow of the wind.
The Dune Encyclopedia Page 19
