Dune Goddess: Witchcraft and Frank Herbert By Alexandra

22 Pages·2014·0.45 MB·English

by  Alexandra Chauran

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Dune Goddess: Witchcraft and Frank Herbert
By
Alexandra Chauran
Culture of Formal Work Organizations
Dr. Lee Allen
October 3rd, 2013
Valdosta State University

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Introduction
Paul displayed many supernatural talents in Frank Herber’s Dune, many of which
in the storyline were attributed to his parentage and training by a Bene Gesserit witch.
Herbert said that his own mother, Beverly Herbert was a “white witch” or a “good witch”
with the ability to see the future (Loc. 10145-52). This paper will explore the
phenomenon of witchcraft in lore, in order to understand why those seemingly
supernatural characteristics are applied to people. How might the apparently
supernatural characteristics that Paul exhibited by explained or duplicated? Was it his
inhuman talent, exceptional skill, political showmanship, or all of the above?
What are Paul’s apparently supernatural characteristics?
First, Paul’s apparently supernatural characteristics must be catalogued. He
displayed some talents that seemed to be inhuman, but others such as political
showmanship and mental acuity that could have simply been his strengths as an
exceptional human being. Here are some examples of Paul’s talents, and how they
presented in the book.
Inhuman Talent
Paul’s mental powers were stronger than those of other characters in the book,
and presumably other humans outside of the realm of fiction. In order to represent the
average functioning of the human mind, Paul’s mother Jessica recalled a quote by St.
Augustine, “The mind commands the body and it obeys. The mind orders itself and
meets resistance (Herbert 2003, Loc. 1071-77).” Ordinarily, the ability to completely
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control one’s mind is beyond the reach of any one person. However, Paul seemed
throughout the book to have complete control over his mental faculties to a degree that
was unexpected by surrounding characters.
Another smart character, Yueh, was unable to understand Paul’s role in the
world, and seemed to believe that Paul’s understanding was above his own. Yueh
mused that, “for the first time, he was caught up in the thought that he might be part of a
pattern more involuted and complicated than his mind could grasp (Herbert 2003, Loc.
1123-14).” Even though that pattern was beyond normal human understanding, Paul
was able to grasp the ultimate pattern behind it all by the end of the book.
Exceptional Skill
Paul also has skills that are uniquely suited to his challenging lifestyle. Some of
those talents seem to have been his birthright through luck or breeding, and other skills
were developed during years of childhood training. His father observed his son’s
intellectual skills thusly: “The Duke permitted himself a moment of grim satisfaction,
looking at his son and thinking how penetrating, how truly educated that observation
had been (Herbert 2003, Loc. 875-78).” Paul is just plain smart, and that shines through
in everything he does, making otherwise insane endeavors seem to turn out in his favor.
Dr. Kynes describes Paul like this: “He had ‘the questing eyes,’ and the air of
‘reserved candor (Herbert 2003, Loc. 2078-81).’” He has natural talents of openness
and questioning, and these talents combine with his sharp intelligence to create an
unstoppable learning machine.
Political Showmanship
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Halleck mused about Paul’s showmanship. “I’m infected by mood, he thought.
And he began to wonder about Paul, if the boy ever listened fearfully to his pillow
throbbing in the night. ‘If wishes were fishes we’d all cast nets,’ he murmured (Herbert
2003, Loc. 764-66).” Paul’s political showmanship was so effective, that others around
him wondered if he suffered the same human pitfalls of emotion. To them, Paul
seemed to have an air of aloofness and superiority that was untouchable.
Another description in the book shows the seat of power from which Paul’s
political showmanship springs. “Paul studied the man, sensing the aura of power that
radiated from him. He was a leader (Herbert 2003, Loc. 1822-23).” Paul’s social
acumen allowed him to carefully evaluate those around him to decide their place in his
own mental hierarchy, and to respond to them accordingly. These skills served him well
as a leader.
Archetypes
One psychological and sometimes theological construct that gives people power
is the archetypes. Archetypes, in Dune, are symbolic roles that the characters play in
the social structure that take on deeper and greater meanings than the individuals that
fill those roles. Reverend Mother teaches that, “the mystery of life isn’t a problem to
solve, but a reality to experience (Herbert 2003, Loc. 670-72).” Archetypes are an
important part of that reality and a part of the human experience as he or she tries to
understand the world.
Archetypes can be used to understand public administration and management as
a simpler concepts of positive and negative myths (Maidment 2002, 187). One of the
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key archetypes in the book is the archetype of the messiah, which was a central plot
point for Paul. Thought Paul, “They’ve a legend here, a prophecy, that a leader will
come to them, child of a Bene Gesserit, to lead them to true freedom. It follows the
familiar messiah pattern (Herbert 2003, Loc. 1986-88).” The pattern of the messiah
transcends religious denominations, and the power it gives to Paul in society is
immeasurable. But, the Messiah is not the only archetype to appear in the book.
In Dune, Leto speaks of a person who gained so many allies as to become a
local deity (Herbert 2003, Loc. 1675-77). Deities can be understood as archetypes, and
in this case a man became the God of alliances in a sense. He formed so many
alliances that he came to embody the archetypical act of one who forms such a bond
with others.
The Fremen also have an archetype called Old Father Eternity (Herbert 2003,
Loc. 3873-75) and one called Old Father Sun (Herbert 2003, Loc. 6602). In this case,
the two fathers are as Gods. The archetypes of Eternity and Sun can correspond with
many symbolic meanings of each of those things. Whenever a Fremen has need to call
upon the powers of the sun or the powers of Eternity, he or she need only turn to those
archetypes to understand them and to propitiate them in a highly personal way. The
seemingly limitless and uncontrollable powers of time and space suddenly become
personalized father figures, and the Fremen their children.
The Father is another powerful archetype. Princess Irulan wrote, “Many facts
open the way to this Duke: his abiding love for his Bene Gesserit lady; the dreams he
held for his son; the devotion with which men served him. You see him there – a man
snared by Destiny, a lone figure with his light dimmed behind the glory of his son. Still,
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one must ask: What is the son but an extension of the father (Herbert 2003, Loc. 841-
44)?” The son has the father archetype to look up to, and to perhaps someday become.
However, the vision of the archetype can sometimes be eroded, and the
experience can be very disillusioning. Irulan quotes Paul, “There is probably no more
terrible instant of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man
– with human flesh (Herbert 2003, Loc. 2012-14).” In this case, Paul is referring to the
fact that he realized his father was not a deity, an archetypical father God, but just
another man like himself.
Herbert uses classic witch archetypes. In particular, his description of the old
Bene Gesserit Truthsayer witch is a “witch caricature – sunken cheeks and eyes, an
overlong nose, skin mottled and with protruding veins” with clawlike hands who cackles
(Herbert 2003, Loc. 8710-57). The witch archetype doesn’t only appear in Halloween
decorations, but it also appears in lore through human history as a pervading archetype.
More can be said about the relationship between Paul and the archetype of the witch.
Witchcraft and the divine feminine
Witches in myth, and accused witches in history, have traditionally been women
slandered due to their femininity and perhaps age and place in society (de Blecourt
2000, 187). In Scotland, elderly women on the outskirts of society were blamed for
blights on crops and subsequently killed. In Dune, witchcraft is also frequently suspect
whenever people feel that they are being controlled or affected negatively in some way.
Even Paul, raised by a witch, falls prey to this cultural way of thinking in this example:
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“Paul stared at her. She said purpose and he felt the word buffet him, reinfecting
him with terrible purpose. He experienced a sudden anger at her: fatuous old witch with
her mouth full of platitudes. […] What made her so sure (Herbert 2003, Loc. 556-63)?”
In this case, her involvement in witchcraft is turned to as soon as Paul becomes
uncomfortable with what she is saying to him. Paul notes this behavior in others as
well, perhaps paradoxically.
Of Jessica, Paul said, “When my father is bothered by something you’ve done he
says ‘Bene Gesserit!’ like a swear word (Herbert 2003, Loc.1494-95).” Gurney also
uses the swear word “she-witch” in Dune, and calls Jessica evil (Herbert 2003, Loc.
8070-72). It would seem that “witch,” although a normal part of society in Dune, is still
on the outskirts of acceptability, and is easily made into a scapegoat.
Here are a few more examples of witches being blamed for negative
circumstances in Dune. Yueh blamed witchcraft for the fact that his wife never bore him
children (Herbert 2003, Loc. 11211-13). His own wife was eventually killed for being a
Bene Gesserit (Herbert 2003, Loc. 1241-47). The Baron sought to place the blame for
the Duke’s death on Jessica (Herbert 2003, Loc. 4488-89). Even Jessica worried that
her Bene Gesserit training was the reason that she was kept around by her beloved
Duke (Herbert 2003, Loc. 1268-73).
Thufir is more blatant with his hatred of what he calls “Bene Gesserit witches,”
angry that such witches can “look through a man” and make him do things (Herbert
2003, Loc. 3026-36). He suspected Jessica to be a traitor and passed along the
suspicion to the Fremen (Herbert 2003, Loc. 4905-8). In this way, the fear of witchcraft
on Arrakis is cross-cultural, as it is here on earth today.
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Take this powerful exchange for an example of blaming witches: “Jamis roared.
‘There was witch-force at Tuono Basin and I’ll prove it now!’[…] ]Sje tries a spell on me!’
Jamis gasped. He put his clenched fist right beside his ear. ‘I invoke the silence on her!’
‘So be it then,’ Stilgar said. He cast a warning glance at Jessica. ‘If you speak again,
Sayyadina, we’ll know it is your witchcraft and you’ll be forfeit. (Herbert 2003, Loc. 5750-
53).’” This lose-lose situation to silence women is reminiscent of the witch trials in
which witches were thrown bound into the river to see if they floated or drowned. If
they floated and lived, they were immediately killed for witchcraft. If they sank and died,
they were deemed innocent and cleared of their crimes, but were far too dead to enjoy
these privileges.
“He blamed everyone in sight, not excepting even me, for he said I was a witch
like all the others (Herbert 2003, Loc. 3900-3901).” This is Jessica’s sad experience of
being a witch and the subject of such blame. But, what is the source of this powerful
hatred of witches, especially on a planet where men like Paul can seem to gain equally
mystical powers? Witchcraft is tied to the feminine, and as such it is only women in
Dune who are persecuted (Although, it must be said that here on earth male sorcerers
are persecuted in countries like Nigeria and Saudi Arabia).
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The witch archetype is the lowest in African spirit hierarchy (Maidment 2002,
188). She is the evil character in fairy tales read across the United States and makes
frequent appearances in horror movies. In a way, the female is dehumanized when in
her witch archetype. However, she may also be perceived as super human. In Dune,
one clue as to the source of her power is in the divine feminine. Frequent references
are made to an archetypical mother deity.
“I know the Dark Things and the ways of the Great Mother (Herbert 2003, Loc.
1071-77),” Jessica says. In fact, Jessica makes reference to a female deity more times
(Herbert 2003, Loc. 1118-24). Yueh invokes the Great Mother (Herbert 2003, Loc.
1241) as does Gurney (7813). “Merciful Mother (Herbert 2003, Loc. 1467-69)!” “Mother
Goddess (Herbert 2003, Loc. 2078-81).” Great Mother (Herbert 2003, Loc. 4817-18)!”
She describes her feelings upon hearing music in her heart as Pagan (Herbert 2003,
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Loc. 6139).” A little bit of the Neopagan bent of Herbert’s wife may be showing through
here, as there are women who identify as witches who do worship the divine feminine
today in the real world.
The great mother deity archetype in Dune appears to, like many maternal deities,
be associated with creation. Jessica said: “Did you think that I, knowing the mysteries
of the Great Mother, would not know the Maker (Herbert 2003, Loc. 1102-4)?” In doing
so, she both referred to a destructive weapon and a creative archetype.
Dune played with destruction and creation, especially regarding poisonous drugs
such as the spice. “Bene Gesserit training included the taste of many drugs (Herbert
2003, Loc. 6768).” Like shamanic witches in many cultures, the witches in Dune used
entheogens in order to get closer to deity. Jessica even transformed a poisonous drug
into something safe for life with her own body. In this way, she embodied the Goddess
archetype, who brings life into the world from the spirits of the dead through her womb.
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