A pair of prophecies in the Dune universe—the Lisan al Gaib and the Kwisatz Haderach—were alluded to in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part One. By making these prophecies the main subject of the movie, Dune: Part Two delves further into them. Viewers get to see Duke Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, go through a dramatic metamorphosis that almost completely changes who he is from the character in the previous movie.
The story and Lisan al-Gaib’s prophecy are the same, even if there are some obvious variations between the book and movie. The film does its best to clarify the meaning of the predictions, but Villeneuve had a very specific goal, and there was only so much he could fit into the already thick picture without making it too heavy.
What is the Lisan Al Gaib?
There are messianic prophecies among the Fremen of Arrakis, like in practically every other faith and society on Earth. They refer to the coming of their messiah as Lisan al Gaib, which means “The Voice From the Outer World.” The messiah is also referred to by the Fremen as Mahdi, which means “The One Who Will Lead Us To Paradise.” The Chosen One prophecy is the literary term for this motif. In terms of media recognition, Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars is the most recognised example of this. The Lisan al-Gaib was seen by the Fremen as a visitor from another world who would free them from their oppressors and usher in a period of peace.
Paul matches Lisan al-Gaib in many ways. Kynes, the Imperial Planetologist, tells the audience that the messiah will become as adaptable as the Fremen, exactly like one of them. Paul is a great fit for the Lisan al Gaib, who is also said to be the voice-controlling son of a Bene Gesserit.
The Difference in the Novel
Paul might accomplish the prophecy in Frank Herbert’s novel without the aid of outsiders, unlike in Dune: Part Two. Chani (Zendaya) had several character changes throughout the movie, one of which was her inclusion in the Lisan al Gaib prophecy. Sihaya is her Fremen name, which means “Desert Spring.” The movie shows that Chani’s tears, the “tears of the desert spring,” are what may bring Paul back to consciousness after he consumes the Water of Life and goes into a stupor. Despite having the same name as her literary equivalent, the novel does not feature her prophecy.
Where did the prophecy come from?
Not suddenly did the messianic prophecy materialise on Arrakis. More to the point, it wasn’t from the Fremen themselves.One of the numerous tasks that the Bene Gesserit assigns its servants is to get the cosmos ready for the arrival of the Kwisatz Haderach. The Kwisatz Haderach is intended to be an all-powerful being with unparalleled presence, intelligence, and dominance over others. But apart from the Bene Gesserit, the Kwisatz Haderach would have no devoted adherents unless they purposefully made it so.
The Bene Gesserit viewed the Fremen as a strong military force that the Kwisatz Haderach would use to usurp the throne, much as Duke Leto Atreides did. In order to set the stage for their Kwisatz Haderach, the Bene Gesserit’s propaganda branch, the Missionaria Protectiva, disseminated superstition throughout Arrakis.
The Missionaria Protectiva was not just motivated by the Kwisatz Haderach. In order to help their Bene Gesserit sisters in the unlikely event that they became lost and required a safe refuge, they disseminated superstition on primitive worlds. Bene Gesserit, like Paul and Jessica of Arrakis, may use superstition to their advantage and gain acceptance among any indigenous population. Jessica learned how hard life was on Arrakis via the Lisan al-Gaib prophecy’s strong hold on the Fremen.
Paul Wasn’t Always Destined to Be the Lisan Al Gaib
Though Paul’s qualifications for the Lisan al Gaib and, consequently, the Kwisatz Haderach are extensive, he wasn’t always meant to be the chosen one. The Bene Gesserit developed a scheme in which Jessica and Duke Leto Atreides would co-parent a daughter. After that, the daughter was supposed to be paired with a Harkonnen man in order to combine their bloodlines and put an end to the animosity between the two families. The Bene Gesserit intended for their heir to succeed them as the Kwisatz Haderach, bringing peace and knowledge to humanity. But Jessica had different ideas.
Paul’s hesitation to fulfil the prophecy is explored throughout the movie, and Feyd-Rautha is hinted at by the Reverend Mother as someone who is ready to assume the position of the Kwisatz Haderach. If Paul had left it all behind, someone else would have taken his position.
What if Jessica stayed on course?
Jessica’s decision to bear a son instead of a daughter sped up time and negatively altered everything. Had she heeded the Reverend Mother’s instructions and given birth to a daughter, House Atreides most likely would not have been dispatched to Arrakis, and a suitable groom would have been selected from the Harkonnen House. Actually, the two families’ rivalry would have ended much earlier.
Emperor Shaddam IV would not have felt threatened by Duke Leto’s widespread popularity throughout the cosmos, which is what first led the Emperor to abandon House Atreides. Leto’s daughter would have taught her son Bene Gesserit teachings and grown up to be a Bene Gesserit like her mother. Given the merger of the Harkonnen and Atreides Houses and the lack of male heirs for Emperor Shaddam IV, the throne would have been inherited by the fully developed Kwisatz Haderach.
Of course, certain factors may have put a spanner in the works regardless of the plan; for example, the Kwisatz Haderach might not have been as kind-hearted as the Bene Gesserit had planned. That was likely because Harkonnen was in his blood, but there was less danger of a holy war that would kill billions of people.
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