In the Book of Dune: the Bene Gesserit

Frank Hurbert wrote a book called Dune and had it published in the year 1965.

"In the book 'DUNE', what religious faction are called 'witches'?"

My choices were:

The Order of the Concubine

The Reverend Mothers

The Imperium

The Bene Gesserit

The Freman

Let's go over them one by one and how they are connected within the book...

The Order of the Conqubine

This was completely made up by me, but it does have a basis in the book. The women of the Bene Gesserit are often called concubines. They are serving the family they have become bound to in hopes of being able to have female children in the hopes of increasing the numbers of their faction.

In the book, Lady Jessica and Duke Leto did fall in love, and the Duke chose not to have another lover or a wife that was not of Bene Gesserit. However, he longed for a son, and Lady Jessica went against traditions and bore the Duke and heir. (There is more to the plot line on this particular part of the story and does not tie into the reason they are called witches).

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The Reverend Mothers

Yes, they are in the book, but this is more of a title than the name of the religious faction. The Reverend Mothers are the heads of the Bene Gesserit. Only those that have gone through the ceremony and can live through the consumption of what they call 'the water of life', which is poisonous. Only by this method does one become a Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit.

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The Imperium

This faction was comprised of a government that controls all humanity through space. They attempted to control all the ruling houses on different planets. They were said to use the Bene Gesserit to get the control they wanted over humanity. They were the control of the universe, or so they thought. The emperor of the Imperium did use the term 'witch' to describe Bene Gesserit's main Reverend Mother.

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The Freman

These people of the desert planet that many called Dune knew the secrets of the planet and knew some secrets of the Bene Gesserit. They became a force to be reckoned with. They believed in ancient prophecies and understood that whoever controlled the 'spice' production on 'Dune' would control the universe. As much as they were simple people, they did have a Reverend Mother among them who taught them certain secrets of the Bene Gesserit. However, not once did they ever refer to her as a witch. She was treated with great respect.

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The Bene Gesserit

There was one faction within the book that were referred to as "witches." They were the Bene Gesserit.

Here are some quotes from the book:

“The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.” -The Reverend Mother

"I must not fear.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Fear is the

that brings total obliteration.

I will face my fear.

I will permit it to 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."

- the Bene Gesserit litany against fear

Within the book, the Bene Gesserit are shown to have powers vocal commands, the ability to look into the future, to be able to manipulate weak minds. However, the book does not once call it magical. The term witch becomes a derogatory term towards Bene Gesserit from those who either fear them or those who want to make them seem lesser than they were.

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For more I formation or at the least be interested in reading the book DUNE. It's available on many online e sources and in most book stores for purchase.

I do suggest reading the book first before watching one of the four movies named DUNE.

DUNE (1984)

DUNE TV miniseries in 2000

DUNE (2021)

DUNE pt2 (to be released fall of 2023)

All information came from my copy of the book Dune, from the websites Dune Novels, reviews on Goodreads, and several Fandom wiki.

All pictures are public domain courtesy of IMDb and Universal Pictures, and the book cover is seen throughout the public domain online. Unfortunately my front cover of the book is in disrepair.