Dune: Prophecy – Is the nightmare shared by the sisters the origin of the litany against fear?

Summary

  • The Litany Against Fear is a powerful tool for controlling emotions and overcoming fear, originating from the Bene Gesserit.
  • The sisters' shared nightmare in Dune: Prophecy suggests a greater threat to the Sisterhood.
  • The sisters will have to overcome their fear and may adopt the Litany Against Fear as a defense mechanism.



In episode four of Dune: Prophecy, In “Twice Born,” acolyte Truthsayer Jen awakens to find her fellow trainees dealing with some sort of shared nightmare. Noticing that his friend Emeline is out of bed, he discovers her sleepwalking just in time to stop her from cutting her throat. What the public sees of the interns' shared vision is certainly disturbing. It appears to include a series of images of the dunes of Arrakis, the gaping jaws of a sandworm, and a pair of disturbingly piercing blue eyes.

Thus begins another of Dune: Prophecy many mysteries. Tula Harkonnen attempts to get to the bottom of what the sisters saw and what could scare them so much. Using Spice-induced hypnotic suggestion, he makes the trainees remember their dreams – and nearly drives them all mad in the process. Although the nature of the vision remains elusive, Tula deduces that fear itself may be the real danger. It seems the Sisterhood may need something to protect them from the destructive power of fear. And that idea is familiar in Dune tradition.


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The one from Dune Litany against fear

Paul Atreides faces Gom Jabbar in Dune (2021)
Warner Bros.

The litany against fear is one of the best known songs Dune ephemeral. It is a mantra used by many, including Paul Atreides, to gain control over their thoughts and not succumb to fear. Its influence has extended beyond the franchise and has become commonly used by fans looking to get some of that Bene Gesserit willpower. For those who don't know, the litany is this:

“I need not fear.

Fear is the killer of the mind.

Fear is the small death that leads to total annihilation.

I will face my fear.

I will allow it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has passed, I will turn my inner eye to see its path.

Where fear has disappeared, there will be nothing. I'll be the only one left.”


While an earlier version of the litany was used during the Butlerian Jihad, the best-known version is believed to be the work of the Bene Gesserit, who used it to control their emotions and keep their minds clear. Taught the litany by his Bene Gesserit mother, Paul Atreides uses it to pass the Test of Humanity, placing his hand in a box that causes excruciating pain, while Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam holds the poisonous Gom Jabbar up to his neck.

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It is clear that the Litany Against Fear is a powerful tool for keeping the mind calm and enduring scary situations. However, throughout the franchise, it's unclear where this mantra comes from. Given that the nightmare shared by the sisters appears to be some sort of fear-based attack, it's possible that this could happen Dune: Prophecy will show the origin of the speech. It may arise as the sisters attempt to gain control over whatever entity is trying to use their fear against them.


Fear of the Sisterhood

Jen wakes up in Dune: Prophecy (2024)
HBO

We still don't know exactly what the sisters' shared vision meant, or whose bright blue eyes dragged them into a cosmic void. The images of Arrakis refer to the blue-eyed Fremen, but the eyes seen in the nightmare are much brighter and scarier than those of the natives of Arrakis. This image, along with a deep, unintelligible voice, seems to indicate some sort of larger threat to the Sisterhood. The eyes appearing from inside a sandworm also suggest a connection to Desmond Hart, a man who somehow survived being swallowed by one, giving him strange powers.


At this point in the series, the Sisterhood is under multiple threats. There's Hart, their main antagonist. There is also the spirit of the former Veridica Dorotea, who was forced to take her own life by Valya Harkonnen 30 years ago. When Tula convinces acolyte Lila to undergo “The Agony”, Dorotea uses Lila's body to threaten revenge for the Harkonnens' deception. It's possible that these visions could be the result of one of these threats, or some as-yet-unseen third option that the series has teased.

Either way, it's clear that the sisters will need powerful tools to defend themselves. During Tula's Spice-induced dream recall session, the sisters are nearly overcome with fear once again, frantically drawing pictures from their dream as Tula helplessly tries to bring their consciousness back into the room. She later admits that it wasn't her that brought them back, but fear itself. The acolytes were so frightened by the images in their dream that their minds forced them to wake up as protection.


Perhaps the most crucial element of Truthsayers' training is their ability to control their own mind. It seems very likely that this harrowing ordeal will push the sisters to want to conquer their fear. Dune: Prophecy is exploring how the Sisterhood becomes the Bene Gesserit, and it's possible that the series will introduce the Litany Against Fear as another weapon in their arsenal very soon. As things continue to heat up, it looks like they'll need all the help they can get to protect themselves from all threats, including those from within.

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