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Denis Villeneuve's Dune adaptation features two memorable litanies, both of which are recited under different circumstances and in different places. The first takes place on the lush ocean planet of Caladan in Castle Caladan. The second litany is recited by a cadaverous priest who presides over the blood rituals of the Sardaukar on Salusa Secundus. The first litany is more of a positive affirmation, while the second is a tedious and undecipherable recital.
Lady Jessica is placed in the royal court of the Atreides as Duke Leto's concubine by the Bene Gesserit of Dune. She is strictly told to bear him only daughters as part of the Order's purposeful breeding program. Lady Jessica, because of her superior biological abilities, exercises control over her child's sex and defies the Bene Gesserit's command. She gives birth to a son, Paul Atreides, who must undergo the painful Bene Gesserit human test. In Frank Herbert's Dune, Paul recalls the Litany Against Fear before the test. In Villeneuve's Dune, Jessica uses it to overcome apprehension and fears.
Dune: Salusa Secundus, Explained
The Imperial Army Planet, Salusa Secundus is quite the opposite of the lush Atreides' planet, Caladan in the Dune universe.
Jessica's Interaction With Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam In Dune
Lady Jessica of the Bene Gesserit interacts with the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam at the beginning of the Dune novel, as well as in the 2021 movie adaptation. In the source material, Gaius Helen Mohiam travels to Caladan to visit Jessica's fifteen-year-old son, Paul. She is let into his room and allowed to examine him while he pretends to be asleep. While Lady Jessica strongly believes Paul is the Kwisatz Haderach, Gaius Helen Mohiam says she must first see whether the boy has the faculties.
The young Paul undergoes this arduous test without knowing its real purpose. The Reverend Mother uses the Voice on Paul and at once he steps forward. He is ordered to place his right hand in a small box, while she holds the Gom Jabbar needle at his neck. The process of "nerve induction" inside the box causes Paul intense pain, but he cannot (and will not) pull away, as the Bene Gesserit woman holds him hostage brandishing the poisoned needle. Gaius Helen Mohiam administers the test on Paul to see whether he lives up to his dual birthright. Not only is Paul the ducal heir, but he is also Jessica's son, who herself is a product of the carefully laid out breeding program.
You've more than one birthright, boy.
The Bene Gesserit are committed to honing human talents, and thus test extensively for humans. "Jessica, you know it must be done," says Gaius Helen Mohiam before the execution of the difficult task. The fact that Paul has been trained in the Way is not enough for her, and he must survive the Gom Jabbar if he is to rule one day. Gaius Helen Mohiam dismisses Jessica, saying, "I enjoin you to practice the meditation of peace." While she does what she's told, her son doesn't miss the look of fear on her face.
What Is The Litany Against Fear In Dune Lore?
As the name suggests, the Litany Against Fear is spoken by the highly educated in Dune during times of distress. The recital helps them overcome worry, anxiety, and stress in their day-to-day life, and keeps them focused. The literary origins of the litany are rather interesting. It comes from William Shakespeare's famous play - The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, which is often abbreviated as Julius Caesar:
A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once. It seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come.
Many variations of the litany exist in the Dune universe. An ancient form was used during the Butlerian Jihad, but the Bene Gesserit use their own mantra for self-preservation and as a guide to remain steadfast. Since Paul is Jessica's son, he uses to the Bene Gesserit version in Dune.
The Litany Against Fear
Frank Herbert's Dune Vs. Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part One
In the novel, Jessica stands guard outside the door, while inside, Gaius Helen Mohiam tells Paul that he should be honored to undergo the test that his mother survived. He recalls the Litany Against Fear from the Bene Gesserit rite:
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
With this recollection, a sense of calm prevails and Paul asks the strange woman to "get on with it."
The movie adapts the Litany Against Fear recital a bit differently. Jessica recalls the response from the Litany Against Fear to get a grip on herself while Paul screams in agony. This litany is modified by a few words here and there:
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little death that brings obliteration.
I will face my fear and I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
Jessica's recital plays against a montage of Paul breathing in gasps, being tested to the limits, all while staring angrily at Gaius Helen Mohiam. By the time Jessica is done, Paul is allowed to withdraw his hand from the box and the Gom Jabbar is pulled away. Paul demands answers, and he is told that "we" (i.e., the Bene Gesserit) sift through people to find humans. Had he failed the test, he would have been killed by the Gom Jabbar.
Gaius Helen Mohiam, impressed with Paul, proceeds to investigate through a series of questions whether he is Kwisatz Haderach. She inquires about the Arrakis dreams that he has been having, while Jessica stands in silence. With that, she wishes him good luck, knowing what's coming for the Atreides on Arrakis. Jessica trails after the Reverand Mother at the end of this poignant scene in Dune.
Dune
Based on the novel by Frank Herbert, Dune follows the story of Paul Atreides played by Timothée Chalamet, whose family take control of a planet that holds the key to faster than light travel, and certain mental powers. This futuristic fantasy world is rife with politics, religion, wars and betrayals, as empires and factions fight for control over the planet.
Dune: The Bene Gesserit, Explained
This order of women holds great power over the major houses of Dune. Just who are the Bene Gesserit "witches?"
