Dune: The History Of The Bene Gesserit

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• A Brief History Of The Bene Gesserit

• What Is The Goal Of The Bene Gesserit?

• What Powers Do The Bene Gesserit Have?

One of the most expansive science fiction epics of our time began with Frank Herbert’s Dune in 1965. From space faring humans to political rivalries between empires to a God-Emperor guiding the human race, there is quite a bit to unpack in the Dune universe.

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It wouldn’t be a true sci-fi story without some form of secretive society with highly advanced metaphysical powers, right? In Dune, the order of the Bene Gesserit fills that role, working as a religious and political force with a hidden agenda of their own. Here’s a breakdown of who these sisters really are.

A Brief History Of The Bene Gesserit

Thousands of years prior to the event of Dune, the Bene Gesserit originated as loose groups of sorceresses that were practiced in various metaphysical ways. After the Butlerian Jihad, which was a great revolt against intelligent machines and other conscious robots, the Sisterhood of the Bene Gesserit was formed.

From the formation of their order, the group began working from the shadows. Even though they had incredible skills and powers, the Bene Gesserit decided to maintain control from behind the scenes, influencing political empires to fulfill their own whims. To help do this, they ingrained themselves into the culture and political hemispheres surrounding the Imperium.

Inductees into the order undergo extensive and intense training from early childhood. This develops their natural physical and mental abilities to become so skilled that it appears magical to an outsider.

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The matriarchal Bene Gesserit is led by a Reverend Mother Superior, who unilaterally controls the entire order. Multiple lesser Reverend Mothers maintain higher leadership in the order. Then, the majority of Sisters fulfill different roles from concubines to guards to intelligence gathering.

All initiates into the Bene Gesserit have to, at some point, pass the Test of Humanity to make sure that they are capable of controlling themselves. This involves a poisonous gom jabbar and surviving a painful test. Due to the capabilities of those in the Bene Gesserit, those who cannot handle the test are weeded out from the organization.

The Missionaria Protectiva

Throughout the order’s history, they have also worked on the Missionaria Protectiva. This is a branch of the Bene Gesserit that is responsible for planting myths and prophecies in communities across the known galaxy of the Dune universe.

Because the Bene Gesserit know about the myths they create, they manipulate religious ideology when they need to. If need be, they can ‘fulfill’ parts of a prophecy to maintain control or become a leader to a certain group of people.

An example of this is the prophecies of the Lisan al-Gaib that were planted among the Fremen on Arrakis. The Lisan al-Gaib, the voice from the outer world, was a mantle that was assumed to refer to Paul Atreides when he arrived on the planet. The influence of the associated religious sentiment helped Paul and Jessica Atreides in their journey on Dune.

What Is The Goal Of The Bene Gesserit?

The primary inner workings of the Bene Gesserit related to their long-term goals of producing the Kwisatz Haderach. To achieve this goal, they enacted an extensive human breeding program that spanned generation after generation. They would pair up sisters of the Bene Gesserit with certain people in power to control bloodlines through the years.

By the time of the novel Dune, this strategy was supposed to almost come to fruition. Lady Jessica and Duke Leto Atreides were supposed to have a daughter, who would then pair up with a son of House Harkonnen. The male child of this union was anticipated to be the Kwisatz Haderach.

Instead, because Lady Jessica was in love with Leto Atreides, who wanted a son, the two ended up with Paul Atreides as their firstborn.

What Is The Kwisatz Haderach?

The creation of the Kwisatz Haderach, a male Bene Gesserit, is the ultimate goal of the Sisterhood. This person would supposedly be very powerful and lead humanity in the right direction, acting as a Messiah-like figure.

The Kwisatz Haderach would be able to access the genetic memory of both their mother and father’s bloodlines. A wealth of thousands of years of experience, information, and skills would be at their disposal.

“It is said a man will come one day and find in the gift of the drug his inward eye. He will look where we cannot—into both feminine and masculine pasts…the one who can be many places at once: the Kwisatz Haderach."

When Paul’s mother began training him in the ways of the Bene Gesserit, he began to have visions of the future, and exhibit certain characteristics that the order had been planning for their messiah.

Even though he was not completely intended to be the Bene Gesserit’s Kwisatz Haderach, the order prepared the way for him to fulfill that destiny after he passed the Gom Jabbar Test of Humanity.

What Powers Do The Bene Gesserit Have?

From the various types of training a Sister of the Bene Gesserit undergoes, she would have access to numerous unique skills that could be viewed as borderline mystical.

Sisters of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood often acted as Truthsayers, as they could distinguish whether someone was telling the truth by the smallest nuances. There are several other skills they can have as well.

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The Voice

Bene Gesserit are able to use the Voice, or speaking techniques that compel someone who hears them to follow their commands. By focusing on the pitch and tone of one’s voice, a Bene Gesserit can speak to a person’s subconscious.

Since this is a vocal skill, the Voice cannot be used against those who cannot hear. Not everyone reacts in the same way either to the Voice, but a skilled Bene Gesserit will understand where someone’s weaknesses are, and take advantage of that and adapt accordingly.

People can also be trained to resist the Voice. A highly disciplined mind will resist the compulsion of the Voice.

Other Memory

While not all Bene Gesserit will have access to Other Memory, Reverend Mothers will be able to unlock the ego and memory of her feminine ancestors.

Reverend Mothers avoid the knowledge of their masculine ancestors, and cannot access that memory as it instinctually frightens them. This is part of the purpose of the Kwisatz Haderach, who would be able to use both sides of his ancestral memory.

Reverend Mothers can share their Other Memory by touching foreheads with others, and will usually do this before their deaths to continue their legacy and ancestral memories.

Extensive Bodily Control

Via training, a Bene Gesserit would have control over all their muscles and could even influence their internal organs. From breathing, to heart rate, to metabolism, all of these can be controlled by the skilled Sisters.

In terms of combat, this bodily control influences a Bene Gesserit’s physical fighting skills. Their form of combat is called the Weirding Way, and involves great physical dexterity and the ability to increase the amount of force in unarmed attacks.

This extends to mental abilities as well, as those trained in the order had highly advanced analytical skills. They also have high perception, and can detect the tiniest changes in a person’s emotions or body language.

During pregnancy, a Bene Gesserit can even control their child’s sex. This is how the breeding program guaranteed sons or daughters, and why Jessica Atreides was able to bear Paul instead of a daughter.

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