My reading of the Dune series has the BG cultivating the perception of
themselves as witches through what they term the Missionoria Protecteria.
Herbert has them manipulate this image to keep people in awe and fear of
them. I somewhat took it as Herbert sarcastic slap at the whole idea of
witchcraft. It comes off to me as witchcraft is anything you know that the
other person doesn't know or understand.
Sean,
In Heretics of Dune ( hardback p 370) in a conversation between Dar And Tar
(BG Reverend Mothers) on Rakis you are first given the explicit hypothesis
that the axlotl tanks are women acting as surrogate mothers. This is
confirmed later when Tar promises Waff (a Bene Tleilaxu) that they will serve
in all ways save one, they will never agree to become axlotl tanks. His
reaction confirms the hypothesis. Given the information that the BT combine
Hinduism and Islamic belief it seemed not unexpected.
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