References in Dune?

[Toby Frost]

Three random thoughts:

Firstly, Melange is a spice that prolongs life. A "melange" is a blend or variety of other things. So, is Herbert making a pun on variety being the spice of life?

Secondly, in his role as desert prophet, Paul surprises his enemies by blowing up a mountain and attacking through it. I always wondered if this was a reference to the old proverb "If the mountain won't come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must come to the mountain", which seems to mean that if one plan won't work, another must be found.

Thirdly, is the cry of the water-seller "Ikhut-eigh!" (etymology uncertain, according to the notes at the back) a different spelling of "Ecouter!", meaning "Listen!" in French?

 

[Danny McG]

 

[Vince W]

While the reference to melange as variety may well be true, but it is also probably a reference to Ras-al-Hanout. Dr. Yueh remarks that melange never tastes the same way twice. Ras-al-Hanout is a blend of spices used in Middle-Eastern cuisine mixed my shopkeepers. No two blends are ever the same although they all rely heavily on cinnamon/cumin/turmeric.

Your second, thought is a good one Toby. It seems logical. I would suggest that it was primarily a way to surprise the Sardaukar and Harkonnen forces by shocking them profoundly using the worms as terror weapons. They could never get the worms close enough without blowing up the Shield Wall. It mimics slightly the surprise the Atreides forces experienced when artillery was used against them by the Harkonnens.

I think you're probably spot on with the third supposition. Herbert used language in very clever ways.

 

[hitmouse]

this is a fun speculation. Alternatively, melange is just the French noun for a mixture, and melanger is the verb to mix.
extending this a bit farther, mela is a Hindi word for a large crowd of people.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

With reference to the second point, I always thought the whole Zensunni thing was pretty daft.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Something that really surprises me if the choice of family name in Dune of Atreides for the protagonists. In Greek Myth this would refer to the sons of a Mycenean king, specifically Agamemnon and Menelaus, major figures in the Iliad. However, I can't see any obvious link between Duke Atriedes/Paul Atreides and the figures from Greek Mythology. Is there meant to be a connection?

 

[Vince W]

I think that's a fairly safe assumption. Even though Frank never stated this overtly, given his level of worldbuilding I think that is precisely the case. I think this may have been mentioned in the Dune Encyclopaedia in one of the articles regarding Leto or Paul, but I don't have it to hand. Even though the DE is not canon, Frank did give it his personal approval on the whole.