TheFremen/ˈfrɛmən/are a group of people in the fictionalDuneuniversecreated byFrank Herbert.First appearing in the 1965 novelDune,the Fremen inhabit thedesert planetArrakis(also known as Dune), which is the sole known source in the universe of the all-important spicemelange.Long overlooked by the rest of the Imperium and considered backward savages, they are an extremely hardy people and exist in large numbers. The Fremen had come to the planet thousands of years before the events of the novel as theZensunniWanderers, a religious sect in retreat. As humansin extremis,over time they adapted their culture and way of life to survive and thrive in the incredibly harsh conditions of Arrakis. The Fremen are distinguished by their fierce fighting abilities and adeptness at survival in these conditions. With water being a rare commodity on the planet, their culture revolves around its preservation and conservation. Herbert based Fremen culture, in part, on the desert-dwellingBedouinandSan People.
| Fremen | |
|---|---|
| Dunefranchise element | |
 | |
| First appearance |
|
| Created by | Frank Herbert |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Human culture |
| Traits and abilities | Desert survival, water conservation, fighting abilities |
| Affiliation | House Atreides Sandworms |
Origins
editDunewas inspired by Herbert's research for a potential article about theUnited States Department of Agriculture's attempt to usepoverty grassesto stabilize theOregon DunesinFlorence, Oregon.[1]Herbert learned that the moving dunes could "swallow whole cities, lakes, rivers, highways."[1]He said that in studying sand dunes, we must analyze the "black foot (people) of theKalahariand how they utilize every drop of water. You can't just stop with the people who are living in this type of environment: you have to go on to how the environment works on the people and how they work on their environment. "[2]Herbert based Fremen culture, in part, on the desert-dwellingBedouinandSan People.[2]
In an early, alternateDuneoutline by Frank Herbert calledSpice Planet,the Fremen are called the "Free Men". The Free Men were convicts who had been transported to "Duneworld" to work for the spice operation of the "Hoskanners" in exchange for a reduction in their sentence.[1]
Plot
editInDune,DukeLeto Atreides,hisBene GesseritconcubineLady Jessica,and their sonPaularrive on Arrakis to take control ofmelangemining operations there. The mysterious Fremen housekeeper at the palace ofArrakeenis known as the Shadout Mapes, and when Paul saves her life from a deadlyhunter-seekerintended to kill him, Mapes warns of a traitor in theAtreideshousehold. She is killed by that same traitor,Suk doctorWellington Yueh,as theHarkonnensattack. Leto is killed, and Paul and Jessica flee into the deep desert and find shelter with the Fremen ofSietch Tabr.Paul is immediately challenged by the Fremen warriorJamis,and when he kills Jamis in a ritual fight to the death, Paul is faced with the Fremen custom of taking responsibility for Jamis's wifeHarahand her children. A key to Fremen survival in the harsh conditions of Arrakis is their ritualistic conservation of water. Paul rises as a leader among the Fremen, learning their ways while he and Jessica train them in the Bene Gesseritweirding wayfighting discipline. Paul also becomes close toChani,the daughter of Imperial PlanetologistLiet-Kynesand his Fremen wife. Harah tries to explain to the superstitious and wary Fremen the unique nature of Paul's younger sisterAlia,who was changed in the womb as Jessica underwent a Fremen/Bene Gesserit ritual to replace the FremenReverend Mother Ramallo.Paul leads the Fremen to take back Arrakis from the Harkonnens andPadishah EmperorShaddam IV,placing himself on the throne.
InDune Messiah(1969), a religion has arisen around Paul, and a jihad is being fought in his name across the universe.Korba,one of theFedaykindeathcommandosinDune,has become one of the chief priests of the religion of Muad'Dib. Another Fedaykin,Farok,is one of many Fremen disillusioned by the changes Paul's regime brings to their culture, and he joins the conspiracy to unseat Paul initiated by theSpacing Guild,Tleilaxu,and Bene Gesserit.Lichna,the daughter of Paul's trusted FedaykinOtheym,is killed and impersonated by the TleilaxuFace DancerScytaleas a means to infiltrate Paul's household, which ultimately fails. Chani dies giving birth to Paul's twin heirs,Leto IIandGhanima,and a blinded Paul follows Fremen tradition and walks into the desert to die.
As regent for Leto II and Ghanima, Alia struggles to control Paul's virtually uncontrollable religion inChildren of Dune(1976). She succumbs to possession by the persona of her grandfather,Baron Vladimir Harkonnen,and Sietch Tabr leaderStilgar,his wife Harah, andPrincess Irulanflee with Leto II and Ghanima to escape Alia's worsening tyranny. Though married toDuncan Idaho,Alia takes Fremen warriorBuer Agarvesas a lover, promising him leadership of Sietch Tabr in return for killing Stilgar. In the clandestine Sietch Fondak,Gurney Halleckfollows what he believes are Jessica's orders, and with the help of FremenNamriadministers an overdose of melange to Leto II as a test of his resistance to the danger ofAbominationthat has taken Alia. Alia, however, is actually behind the plan, and Namri has secretly been instructed by her to kill Leto no matter the result. Leto recognizes a potential mate in the Fondak womanSabiha,but recognizes this as an alternate path he should not take. A blind preacher emerges from the desert, guided by teenageAssan Tariq,son ofMurizfrom a cast out tribe of Fremen.
ByGod Emperor of Dune(1981), taking place 3,500 years afterChildren of Dune,Arrakis has become terraformed into a wet, lush planet. Desert is now limited to the area surrounding Leto II's fortress, and all sandworms other than the God Emperor have died off, thus altering the Fremen culture drastically. Traditions and rituals held by ancient Fremen are maintained and performed by "Museum Fremen", though they have lost their meaning and value. InHeretics of Dune(1984), 1,500 years after the events ofGod Emperor of Dune,Arrakis (now called Rakis) is destroyed by theHonored Matres.This act killed the overwhelming majority of Fremen, apart fromSheeanaand a few Fremen living on other planets.
Characteristics
editIn the series, the "native" Fremen of Arrakis live in communities calledsietches,each with its own leader, called a naib, who has ascended to the position by challenging his predecessor and proving himself the strongest in the tribe. The Fremen system of justice relies primarily ontrial by combat,and individuals may challenge each other hand-to-hand duels to the death over matters of etiquette, law, or honor. The victor of these challenges becomes responsible for the wife, children, and certain possessions of the defeated.[3]The Fremen pay enormous spice bribes to the Spacing Guild to keep orbital space above Arrakis free of spy satellites,[3]and they have a long-term plan toterraformthe planet.[4]
Each sietch also has aSayyadina,a wise woman trained in the spiritual traditions of her people who can serve as a spiritual leader or as an acolyte to a holy woman who is the Fremen version of a Bene GesseritReverend Mother.A significant part of the Fremen mythology has been created by the Bene GesseritMissionaria Protectiva,an arm of the matriarchy which practices "religious engineering" by introducing contrived myths, prophecies and superstition among the populations of the Empire with the intent to later exploit them to the advantage of an individual Bene Gesserit or the entire order. In the case of the Fremen, amessiahlegend has been put in place that is utilized inDuneby Paul Atreides to secure the safety of himself and his mother Jessica. The Fremen have a language unique to them, but also useChakobsafor ritual purposes.[3]
The Fremen worship the giantsandwormsof Arrakis as manifestations of the earth deity they call Shai'Hulud. Though they cross the desert on foot in a specifically nonrhythmic pattern to avoid vibrations that would attract the deadly and destructive creatures, the Fremen are also able to ride the worms by "calling" and mounting them in a ritualized, controlled manner. As part of the sandworm life cycle, the spice drug melange is everywhere on Arrakis, and the Fremen diet is rich with it. Such a level of exposure to the spice tints thesclera,corneaandirisof the user to a dark shade of blue, called "blue-in-blue" or "the Eyes of Ibad".[5]
Water conservation
editHerbert illustrates that living in the desert with no natural sources of water has spurred the Fremen to ritualize and build their society around the collection, storage, and conservative use of all moisture. They conserve the water distilled from their dead, consider spitting a sign of respect, and put a great cultural reverence on tears. Water is collected from the atmosphere inwindtrapsthat condense the humidity and add it to underground water stores in each sietch. Water can also be collected from dead people and animals using adeathstillto remove the water from a corpse for addition to the sietch water store. Personal ownership of moisture is designated by "water rings", which are used as a form of currency. When outside of their sietch, Fremen wear astillsuit,a special body-enclosing suit designed to collect and recycle all the moisture the body releases through perspiration, urine, feces, and even the exhalation ofwater vaporin the breath. The special fabric is a micro-sandwich designed to dissipate heat and filter wastes while reclaiming moisture. The water is then held in catchpockets and made available to drink through a tube. A Fremen in a well-kept suit can survive weeks in the desert without any other source of water.[6]Herbert even suggests inDunethat the Fremen have adapted to the environment physiologically, with their blood able to clot almost instantly in order to prevent water loss.[7]
Combat
edit
The dangerous conditions of Arrakis, which ensure that only the strongest survive, have also forged the Fremen into superior hand-to-hand combatants. InDune,Paul trains his Fremen forces in the use of the "weirding way", the Fremen name for the specialized Bene Gesseritmartial artsthat he learned from his mother. TheMentatassassinThufir Hawatis later shocked to learn that Fremen have not only overcome some of Shaddam IV's fierce and previously unstoppableSardaukarsoldiers, but have done the impossible and captured some as well. Herbert also writes that "Paul recalled the stories of the Fremen—that their children fought as ferociously as the adults." In the novel Shaddam notes, "I only sent in five troop carriers with a light attack force to pick up prisoners for questioning. We barely got away with three prisoners and one carrier. Mind you, Baron, my Sardaukar were almost overwhelmed by a force composed mostly of women, children, and old men."[3]
In Herbert's fictional universe,personal body shieldshave made all forms of projectile weapons semi-obsolete. Only a slow-moving weapon can penetrate a shield, putting knives and similar weapons in common use. The beam of energy weapons calledlasgunsreact violently with a shield, creating an unpredictable explosion comparable to sub-atomicfusionwhich can kill the attacker, shield wearer, and surrounding individuals. Fremen do not use shields because they also attract the native giant sandworms of Arrakis and drive them into a killing frenzy. As a result, the Fremen have the advantage of not being trained to slow their knives when attacking, as those battling a shielded opponent do. Fremen use different archaic weapons such asmaula pistols,lances and crossbows to great effect, but the most deadly and prized possession of a Fremen warrior is thecrysknife.A crysknife is a personally-tuned blade ground from the crystal tooth of a sandworm, and is the formal and sacred weapon of the Fremen. It is a milk-white, double-edged curved knife, the blade about 20 centimetres (8 in) long. The crysknife comes in two forms, fixed and unfixed. Unfixed knives need to be stored in proximity to an electrical field produced by the human body or they will disintegrate after a period of time. Fixed crysknives are put through chemical processes to keep them permanently intact.[8]InChildren of Dune,Leto II notes that "The crysknife dissolves at the death of its owner."[9]All young Fremen must go through aritual confirming their adulthood,which is sealed with the gift of a crysknife to the adolescent warrior. According to the religious beliefs of the Fremen, a drawn crysknife must not be sheathed until it draws blood. The Fremen also forbid outsiders from possessing crysknives, and inDunethe Lady Jessica refers to "the fabled crysknife of Arrakis, the blade that had never been taken off the planet, and was known only by rumor and wild gossip." When the Shadout Mapes gives one to Jessica, the Fremen woman warns, "Who sees that knife must be cleansed or slain!"[3]
In theDunegames
editThe Fremen have been featured in theDuneseries of games,playing a vital role in the plots of nearly all of them. The firstDunegame (1992) andFrank Herbert's Dune(2001) are tied closely to the original book by Frank Herbert, retellingPaul Muad'Dib's rise to becoming the Fremen's Messiah, and leading them against theHarkonnensand thePadishah Emperorunder theAtreidesbanner. InDune II(1992) andDune 2000(1998), the Fremen are special Atreides units, native elite guerillas invoked from the Palace. InEmperor: Battle for Dune(2001) they are one of the five sub-factions.
References
edit- ^abcHerbert, Frank;Brian Herbert,Kevin J. Anderson(September 2005).The Road to Dune.Tor Books.ISBN978-0-7653-1295-2.
- ^abMcNelly, Willis E.(February 3, 1969)."Interview with Frank Herbert and Beverly Herbert".RetrievedDecember 24,2019.
- ^abcdeHerbert, Frank(1965).Dune.
- ^Herbert, Frank (1965).Dune.
We change it...slowly but with certainty...to make it fit for human life. Our generation will not see it, nor our children nor our children's children nor the grandchildren of their children...but it will come...Open water and tall green plants and people walking freely without stillsuits.
- ^Herbert, Frank (1965). "Terminology of the Imperium: Ibad, Eyes of".Dune.
- ^McCoy, Joshua Kristian (June 15, 2023)."Dune:The Stillsuit, Explained ".Game Rant.RetrievedMarch 6,2024.
- ^Herbert, Frank (1965).Dune.
[Jessica] tipped up the point, drew a delicate scratch with the blade's edge above Mapes' left breast. There was a thick welling of blood that stopped almost immediately.Ultrafast coagulation,Jessica thought.A moisture-conserving mutation?
- ^Herbert, Frank (1965). "Terminology of the Imperium: Crysknife".Dune.
- ^Herbert, Frank (1976).Children of Dune.