Re: Herbet and McCaffrey

From: Sean Johnston (sean-johnston@UIOWA.EDU)
Date: Wed Jun 04 1997 - 14:34:33 PDT


>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.

Barbara,
        I'll finish "Heretics" over the weekend or so and see. Are you
talking about Darwi and Taraza in Taraza's conversation with Sheanna when
Taraza asks Sheanna if she has any more surprises for her? Better, what's
the blurb at the beginning of the chapter you're speaking of?

-Sean



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