Dune: The Bene Gesserit Explained - History, Origins and Powers

The upcoming Dune prequel series promises to delve further into the canon, exploring the powers of the Bene Gesserit and where they come from.

The Bjesserit Order is an integral part of Frank Hebert's Dune novels and has appeared in every adaptation of the series to date, notably Denis Villeneuve. Villeneuve's top movies of 2021. Often mistaken for a religious order, the Bene Gesserit (also known as the Sisterhood) is an ancient organization of female spies, theologians, and scientists whose mysterious origins and enhanced physical and mental abilities make their existence indispensable to the social order missing part. Although Villeneuve's Dune introduced the team and clarified their goals, it was only the beginning. Their full scope has yet to be explored as the prequel series Dune: A Sisterhood is in the works.

Herbert's original Dune novels paint a more detailed picture than the Gesserit's enhanced abilities, many of which are assigned specific names in the canon. These range from quirky ways to true knowledge to the Prana-Bindu approach. In addition to their unique powers, understanding their political and social history is just as important to understanding their true motivations. While Paul Atreides and Dune's other main characters seem to be looking for answers to their own quests, it's interesting that the members of Bene Gesserit seem to have The knowledge that could ultimately save humanity.

The Origins Of The Bene Gesserit Explained

The history of the Bene Gesserit is not exhaustively recorded in the Dune series, but appendices to several revised editions of the first novel clarify the exact chronology. The group seems most likely an outgrowth of the chaos wrought by the Butler Crusade, a watershed event in Dune that marked a revolt against computers and thinking machines. Twenty years later, the Bene Gesserit were further shaped as their current hierarchical structure was established around the Battle of Korin. At that point, it was delegated to the Reverend Mother Superior to exercise ultimate control over the other Reverend Mothers.

Before Paul Atreides assumed leadership of House Atreides, the Bene Gesserit began influencing politics behind the scenes. They would rather have been in this role for more than a thousand years. The group managed to have agents at all important courts and courts to oversee major negotiations. However, after the dictatorship of Paul's son Leto Atreides II ended in God Emperor of Dune, the Sisterhood had to step up to fill the resulting power vacuum. This active role in politics Since most of the members think this is the way to protect humanity from tyrants like Leto.

The Hierarchy Of Bene Gesserit

The Bene Gesserit operates on a strict hierarchical basis, with the highest position held by a person known as the Priest Mary. She has inherited the memories of all her female predecessors as part of what is called "Other Memories". It was this repository of knowledge that was passed on to her successors, chosen by the dean before her death. Equally important was the status of the Kwisatz mother, although her role was limited to the breeding program that led to the birth of Kwisatz Haderarch, a "chosen one" who was seen as saving humanity.

Other members of the Beni Gisserit include the Holy Mother, who is responsible for gathering intelligence, establishing diplomatic relations, and raising an heir, among other roles. Truth tellers (like Gaius Helen Mohim in the first Dune movie) are members of the Bene Gesserit who are simply assigned to detect if a person is telling the truth, they accept specific ability training. Proctor Superiors manages the clubhouse. the vast majority of members are Classified as sisters, they double as secret agents, royal concubines and potential wives of the royal family. At the bottom rung of the ladder are newcomers, simply called Initiates.

What Are The Objectives Of The Bene Gesserit?

While the Bene Gesserit have their own set of ritual practices (such as the Gom Jabbar test in the Dune movie), they are very tactical and strategic when it comes to their political goals. A major goal has always been to elevate humans to a highly intelligent and stable level. This was accomplished by securing the birth of Dune's messianic figure, Kwisatz Haderach, a title Paul Atreides received during his lifetime. While the Bene Gesserit's actions were usually calculated, Paul's origin and rise unexpectedly thwarted their plans.

First, Jessica Atreides (planted by the Bene Gesserit in House Atreides) intentionally gave birth to Paul instead of the daughter the Virgins had predicted. The Bene Gesserit's plans were then further thwarted as Paul fathered a child with Charney, a member of the Freeman tribe, and their child had an unpredictable genetic makeup. Sisterhood realizes it must prepare for more unprecedented events Such as the all-female Honored Matre that appeared after the events of Dune Book, Sons of Dune, and God Emperor of Dune. In order to defeat this hostile group, their new goal became to restore the power they once had.

The Bene Gesserit Have Diverse Powers

Regardless of their level in the organizational hierarchy, each member has control over every muscle and fiber of their body, as they are masters in the disciplines of prana (breath) and bindu (muscle). This allows the member to simultaneously remain still and flex the last joint of their little toe and strike with great physical force. Such is their strength that the Bene Gesserit's martial arts don't even center around armed attacks. Instead, they can resort to unarmed strikes, dealing devastating physical blows and moving extremely fast and precisely. This style of fighting is often referred to as the "weird way" in the Dune world.

Sound is another major power that allows the Bene Gesserit to manipulate people by giving orders at specific sound frequencies that only they can resist. Then, members of the Bene Gesserit who are trained as Mantras are especially adept at analyzing people's words and gestures to determine whether They are lying or telling the truth. All sisters have significant and impressive control over their bodies and fertility levels. They are able to alter their metabolism and even render toxic substances harmless. These physical abilities made them an integral part of the family, as poison testers and concubines.

How Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Two Will Explore The Bene Gesserit Further

With the presence of the Bene Gesserit in a pivotal scene in Dune: Part One, the sequel will focus more on the ultimate goal of their breeding program, with Paul Atreides as Kwisatz Haderach of his choice Role. However, since both of Villeneuve's films are based on the first Dune novel, there's no room left to explore the future of the Bene Gesserit, upended by Leto's rise in Sons of Dune The change. The planned prequel series could take inspiration directly from Frank Herbert's eldest son Bruce Herbert's 2012 prequel novel, The Sisterhood of Dune. The book, which recounts the challenges they faced after Butler's jihad, should make for an engrossing screen adaptation.

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