Around 2000 years following the events of Frank Herbert's God Emperor of Dune novel,
an intriguing all-female group known as the Honored Matres emerged.
This dark sisterhood quickly rose to a place of power in the Imperium serving as a sinister
mirror of the Bene Gesserit.
This video I’d like to delve into the origins, ideologies, and actions of the Honored Matres,
examining their role in the Dune universe.
Spoiler warning if you are unfamiliar with Frank Herbert’s Dune saga.
The Honored Matres originated in the aftermath of the Scattering, an era triggered by the
death of the God Emperor and marked by mass exploration and colonization endeavors.
Many Bene Gesserit were dispatched in this time, with some successfully surviving and
subsequently growing in numbers and power.
However, their experiences in uncharted space incited profound changes in their beliefs,
customs, and objectives.
The Honored Matres were born from this transformation.
Additionally they were said to have descended from the Fish Speaker warriors of the God
Emperor Leto II.
Another significant part of the Honored Matres' history can be traced back to the Bene Tleilax,
a deeply misogynistic culture that reduced women to mere childbearing vessels.
Upon reaching puberty, Tleilaxu women were rendered brain dead and were transformed into
axlotl tanks for continuous breeding.
Some of these women were saved by the Bene Gesserit, and while a few were so traumatized
they wished for death, others regained consciousness, learned from their saviors, and vowed to avenge
the atrocities committed by the Tleilaxu men.
This traumatic history instilled within the Honored Matres an inborn retributive rage
toward males due to their ancestor’s millennia of suffering as axlotl tanks.
The Honored Matres initially returned to the space inhabited by the Old Atreides Empire
after being hunted relentlessly by mysterious malevolent beings called the Ones of Many
Faces.
After their arrival, they established a base on Gammu which had formerly been called Giedi
Prime, the homeworld of House Harkonnen.
From Gammu, they proceeded to gain control over an increasing number of planets, accelerating
the disintegration of the economic federation led by CHOAM.
The Matres' dominion was characterized by their proclivity for intimidation and violence,
prominently demonstrated through their frequent reliance on assassination as a means of attaining
power.
Their lack of mercy and quickness to anger resulted in frequent acts of excessive violence,
even in response to minor provocations.
Their leadership framework mirrored this ruthlessness, as ascending to power often necessitated the
murder of the preceding leader.
This inherently unstable system fostered a volatile environment, where loyalty proved
fleeting and power remained in a constant state of flux.
While the Bene Gesserit relied on the spice melange, the Honored Matres used an alternative
stimulant that triggered the release of adrenaline and other chemicals typically produced during
painful experiences.
This stimulant heightened the user's senses and reactions, causing the eyes of an agitated
addict to fleck orange or even become completely orange when enraged.
In the time before their arrival to the Old Imperium, their order had incorporated certain
ideologies of the Bene Gesserit while embracing new philosophies, resulting in a profound
divergence from the sisterhood.
In contrast to the Bene Gesserit's employment of subtlety and manipulation to maintain their
power within an established equilibrium, the Honored Matres pursued an aggressively expansionist
agenda, driven by their quest for absolute control over all other factions in the Old
Imperium.
This approach necessitated the subjugation or eradication of any rival power brokers,
driving the Matres to utilize potent control mechanisms.
A distinct method they employed was "sexual enslavement," an art of seductive imprinting
honed to such an extent that it became a narcotic process resulting in the targets of this method
becoming "addicted" to their imprinter.
The origins of this ability are rumored to trace back to both the Bene Gesserit and Leto's
Fish Speakers, each of whom engaged in their own practices of sexual imprinting, albeit
to a much lesser extent.
Through this tactic, the Matres were successful in infiltrating and overpowering the other
factions of the Old Atreides Empire, thus augmenting their military prowess and resource
pool.
The Honored Matres also honed a modified form of the Bene Gesserit's prana-bindu technique,
granting them the ability to move at speeds significantly exceeding their Bene Gesserit
counterparts.
This, coupled with their distinctive fighting style known as Hormu, wherein they skillfully
targeted vulnerable points with kicks, rendered them extraordinarily swift warriors and formidable
adversaries for any Reverend Mother.
Unlike the Bene Gesserit, the Honored Matres lacked mastery over their internal chemistry,
rendering them vulnerable to diseases in ways that the Bene Gesserit had proven immune.
Additionally, they lacked the ability to access the Bene Gesserit's Other Memory.
Instead, they relied on a device called a T-Probe to inflict excruciating pain and directly
imprint knowledge onto their nervous system.
While the Honored Matres had the ability to manipulate language and tone to subconsciously
compel obedience their skills paled in comparison to the classic Bene Gesserit Voice.
Additionally, it was theorized that the Honored Matres might have been driven back from the
Scattering Due to the development of resistance among their subjects against their form of
Voice control, thereby highlighting their inherent limitations when compared to the
capabilities of the Bene Gesserit.
The Honored Matres stood in stark contrast as a twisted reflection of the principles
upheld by the Bene Gesserit and their approach to acquiring power and maintaining control.
While the Bene Gesserit favored clandestine manipulation, discreetly shaping the course
of history without overtly exposing their involvement, the Honored Matres opted for
a direct seizure of power, employing violence and intimidation.
Though their methods proved effective in achieving control, it also brought about their moral
deterioration.
Their aggressive tactics ignited a brutal war between the two factions, resulting in
substantial devastation and upheaval within the Old Empire.
The enslavement techniques of the Honored Matres proved futile against the Bene Gesserit,
thanks to their superior physical and mental training that granted them immunity.
The formidable combination of the Bene Gesserit's strategic planning and tactical expertise
enabled them to mount a robust defense against the Honored Matres' relentless assaults.
Ultimately, the Honored Matres serve as an intriguing testament to the profound effects
of historical trauma, the intoxicating allure of absolute power, and the destructive potential
of unchecked vengeance, making them a compelling subject for analysis within the broader tapestry
of Dune's socio-political landscape.
But I’m curious to know what you think of the Honored Matres.
Is there a particular aspect of their history or element of their order that stands out
to you?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
I hope you enjoyed this video.
Leave a like if you did and be sure to subscribe for more Dune and other sci-fi and fantasy
news and lore.
Thank you all so much for your support and as always have a very nerdy day.