DUNE Lore - Bene Gesserit, Ancient History

An extremely important element in the Dune universe is the organization or sisterhood known as the Bene Gesserit. There is a lot to learn about these mysterious and powerful women, so today we start with their ancient history.
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[@catsareevil101]

A. They went all out with the world building in this series.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Well, it was basically one guy who made it all.

[@ilyac3185]

Would love a whole Bene G series

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

There's gonna be one unless it gets stuck in development hell.

[@HeavyBlasters]

"The Bene Gesserit Witch must leave..."

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

😈

[@HeavyBlasters]

@@GrimDarkNarrator Btw I vote A. Keep the great work GDN!

[@TheCorrodedMan]

Many machines on Ix...

[@jasonulysess3652]

Around minute 15 you mention an Eleanor, she is Eleanor of Aquitaine. Her sons King John and Richard the Lion Hearted are more famous than her. However when she was a teen thanks too French inheritance laws who ever married her would own most of France. The king of France asked her to marry him. They were great patrons of the arts to the point they influenced how you and I listen to music. She went with her husband on Crusade but did not enjoy her self. The second time they went on Crusade she brought 400 women who had been trained and equipped like knights that she controlled. She enjoyed her second and third Crusade much better. She got bored with her husband so got an annulment from the Pope. (You know the thing a certain king of England could not get so he invented the Church of England?) an married the king of England. She got tired of that marriage an got another annulment from the Pope an moved back to France. An personally paid for the war so her sons could over throw there father so that Richard would become king.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Yeah, figured it was that Eleanor, but I couldn't place her historically when I was editing.

[@graceskerp]

Henry and Eleanor's marriage was never annulled. The revolt was started by their eldest son, Henry, the young king, mainly over his perceived lack of power like a territory of his own. Eleanor did encourage their sons, Richard and Geoffrey, to join in. The king of France, Phillip Augustus, also stirred the pot. The revolt fell apart after the young king died. Henry imprisoned Eleanor for the remainder of his life. When he died, of their five sons, only Richard and baby brother, John, were left standing. Richard being an admired and proven warrior had no trouble gaining the throne and immediately headed off on the Third Crusade while Eleanor served as his unofficial regent. When John became king, she tried to guide him, but, John being John, hand waved her away. She returned to the Aquitaine where she put her feet up and micro managed family marriages. She did a good job because by the end of the middle ages every monarch in Western Europe could claim her as an ancestor. For the record, she lived into her eighties, had no recorded bouts of illness, had 10 children, all but one lived into adulthood. She was a power house.

[@jasonulysess3652]

@@graceskerp Thanks for the update an correction I hate when I am the idiot spreading misinformation.

[@graceskerp]

@@jasonulysess3652 Good heavens, Jason, don't call yourself an idiot. And thank you for your gracious thanks.

[@billylyons7212]

If you believe in new age things other memory could be the akashic records. Only difference is both sexes is supposed to be able to access it. Herbert based some of his things on real things so he may be talking about a different version of the records. Even his mentats could be real. You can develop your memory to computer like an through certain meditations you can develop your senses to truth sayer like abilities. You can use certain breathing techniques to gain instant control over your emotions and senses so its like a real version of prana bindu. Sorry for long message Dune is some of my favorite books

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Thanks for the input.

[@kfabulaa]

We

[@yurinuijten8051]

Yes, more lore. thank you also for making this.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

You're welcome.

[@seanmosby7532]

Have you ever thought about doing one on male’s trained in the Bene Gesserit ways? Paul, Leto ll, Miles Teg, Count Fenring, etc etc

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

I might've gotten into those characters, but I moved on from the series. Maybe I'll return to it, possibly when the next movie comes out.

[@cedricthomas4867]

Teg!!!!!

[@graceskerp]

Concerning Voice Claudia. Livia's family or gens name, was Claudia or Claudii. Her first husband was also a Claudian. So, Voice Claudia might well be Livia. Though her son Tiberius, Livia was the great grandmother of the emperor Caligula. The Dune Encyclopedia's article on Bene Gesserit history says he was the Abomination.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

I think history claims that as well, more or less :D

[@graceskerp]

@@GrimDarkNarrator One of the very few things historians agree upon.

[@Concreteowl]

Eleanor is clearly Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Roman male abomination was probably Caligula.

[@jasonulysess3652]

Keep going with the Benegezerite it is too hard to keep straight if we have a few weeks in between.

[@darkroninmarvel]

"The Bene Gesserit looks for a male savior" Nobody tell Tumblr!

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Pretty much what I thought. Except they would probably not notice the fact that the Bene Gesserit's goal was to control that savior.

[@MROJPC]

Keep in mind, yes, one way to look at it and/or they are a matriarchal society exercising a large degree of reproductive autonomy and also a large degree of manipulation of the opposite gender via sex and power/politics. 😲 Why I think the new films or any adaptation of Dune cannot help but step on some controversial topics. Folks that think the movies are trying to make story WOKE or a part of contemporary societies’ war on men really need to go back and read the source material. It’s... 💁‍♂️ .... complicated.

[@matthewwoods6972]

The one cardinal rule of ancient Rome. Do Not Fuck With Octavian.

[@billylyons7212]

Its odd that the sister said they could only access their female memories but Alia Atreides got the Baron memories and got possessed by his personality. Both Ghanima and Leto II Atreides got their fathers memories which should not be possible because females aren't supposed to have access to the male line of memories so somebody messed up did very research or something lol

[@Concreteowl]

Reverend mothers are trained to steer the inrush of other memory. Preborn like Alia have the full choir inflicted upon them without any prior personality or training. To some extent the terror of looking at the place the one will stand informs their fare keeping of other memory. Alia had no terror to act as a filter. She was defenceless.

[@billylyons7212]

@@Concreteowl at least she regained control at the end.

[@nowhere474]

Which produces MEANER NUNS? Bene Gesserits or Adepta Sororitas?

[@FioraVorela]

With out question the bene geserit. They'll pretend to be your friend, lover, mother figure manilpulate your entire life, turn you into what ever kind of puppet they need you to be an get rid of and/or abandon you the moment your usefulness in there eyes is gone. Worst part is you may never know you were merely a puppet for they are that good. With the sisters of battle as long as you truly worship the emperor your good in there eyes.

[@nowhere474]

@@FioraVorela Excellent points.

[@FioraVorela]

@nickyiil yeah in a fight sobs win 99% of the time if there first move doesnt kill the sob. I just took meaner to mean worst people to be around.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

If you're talking about getting punched in the face and then burned to a crisp, then Sororitas wins hands down. If you're talking about being seduced, manipulated and having a kid only for your descendants to find out 500 years later that it was all JUST AS PLANNED, then its the Bene Gesserit.

[@Viv8ldi]

Sir you sound a lot like Borat but I love it

[@shimaalcarrim7949]

My fav subject

[@franksmedley8619]

Hello Grim. A more in-depth look into one of the 'key players' of the Dune Novel, and one that I would like to see more of. But, if the origins of other such 'players' in the Novel are done in such a manner, then perhaps it would be best to start a Round-Robin ( a series of series of a sub group, or subject ), with such 'players' as the various Houses, Governments, Overall History of the Expansion, Rise and Fall of Technologies, etc. One thing for sure. Frank Herbert put a LOT of thought into his novel, along with a LOT of History as well. Leading to a very 'in depth' book that merely scratches what could have occurred within any particular, short term, time period's historical setting. Since the 'current' time period for Dune is sometime in the 10,000 era... things could have been radically different even a couple of millennia before. Example: The House Feud between Harkonnon and Atreides was an on-going affair for at least a few centuries, but before then? The Houses may have been allies. Nobel Houses of the Landstraad (Landed Knights?) would have interbred, with marriages co-mingled alliances for one reason or another. Such alliances and marriages would have been used to turn individually 'weak' Houses into syndicates that would have been much harder to deal with. I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. I would like to see a wider range of the 'players' in the novel, than to go 'in depth' into only one at a time. speaking Frank-ly

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

This video was initially gonna be about the government and great houses. But then i saw I couldn't explain the galactic history without things like the Butlerian Jihad. Then I read a bit about that, and realized how connected it was to the Bene Gesserit. So, early history on the Bene Gesserit it was, lol. But many things are interconnected, so It's hard to pick individual topics with self contained lore.

[@alexandermacdonald912]

I like complete lore chunks rather than them being spread out.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Me too, but it could get boring.

[@cedricthomas4867]

So you use none of Brian Herbert’s writings ?

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

I used his writings almost exclusively, lol. 90% of my Dune videos are from the Dune Encyclopedia.

[@n.k.warner2577]

yes.

[@aldyval]

A

[@videodrom6]

Thoisoi2

[@Da5hau]

A

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Thanks for the vote.

[@jorre82]

A

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Thanks for the vote.

[@rossdiggle]

A

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Thanks for the vote.

[@ArdWulf]

As a deeply woven tapestry of players... I'd suggest A. I learned things from this episode and appreciate that...keep going

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Thanks for the vote!

[@tyreecebaker6600]

A

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Thanks for the vote.

[@jasonulysess3652]

Sand too much sand!

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Never enough sand!

[@GrimThe13]

B. please

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Thanks for the vote.

[@shanenolan8252]

Seriously I think this is the best video of the series ( second time watching) .

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Well, I'm glad you even have a favorite :)

[@AfroChef]

Very interesting to me, I vote A.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Thanks for the vote.

[@mmassie4321]

Cool!

[@snoo333]

wow, what a video. thank you

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

You're very welcome!

[@thatboiyessir4707]

What books is cited for 11:02 plllsssss

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

It's an in-universe book. Taken from the encyclopedia. Doubt there's more than that.

[@thatboiyessir4707]

@@GrimDarkNarrator the dune encyclopedia? Thank you your stuff is great 🤞

[@joncisaunders2240]

bruh; you're even better than Quinn - and that's saying something.

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Thanks.

[@jackieanderson9408]

Quinn is great. Fuck all haters

[@tannerrennat7786]

If the dirty witches get multiple videos, then the chosen, the Bene Tleilax will be expecting our share. And perhaps a few cell samples for our Axlotl tanks, yes? P.S. IDK if you should make a video about Axlotl tanks

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

To be honest, I like the Tleilaxu more than the Bene Gesserit.

[@ffejpsycho]

@@GrimDarkNarrator yeah, they're just the best.... converting all the females in their society into their bio-mechanical birthing atrocities, the "Axlotl tanks"... Who needs women when you can have an infinite succession of Duncan Idaho Gholas... I know you're with me on this one, eh God Emperor?

[@titanscerw]

As tu tleilaxu abominations , every playthrough of Dune I always genocided those first ...

[@uglyweirdo1389]

Algorithm chow

[@Whyred100]

Well done and option B!

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

Thanks for the vote.

[@anarex0929]

Finnish it

[@GrimDarkNarrator]

I'll do my best.