Fremen Humor


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Fremen Humor

Post by Ampoliros »

With the recent departure of St. Sloey of the Useless Interjection, I must beg the question: every board has it's idiot/fool. Of course, i'm pretty sure Fremen society was pretty short on fools. This brings up my main question: What do you think the Fremen sense of humor was like?

I've recently been doing research in Old English; specifically Beowulf, looking for examples of what type of humor existed in that society and it makes me curious as to what a culture as disciplined and militaristic as the Fremen would have held as humorous. Old Norse/Old English humor focused mainly on 'gallows' humor, and laughing at one's enemy was extremely dangerous rather than funny. (It was generally a foreshadowing of impending doom on the laugher, rather than the laughee) Comedic entertainment mostly consisted of using wordplay and understatement: In Beowulf there are several hand-related jokes exemplifying Grendel's arm being ripped off, as well as use of layered positives "The Dragon killed him to death/ He was sneaking with stealth/ The dragon was Hot of mind" etc.

If you can post any examples of Fremen joking or laughing or Frank Herbert talking about this please do, I can't for the life of me remember any.
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Post by Freakzilla »

The Fremen had the Cantu and Respondu, kind of a long-assed knock-knock joke.

I can't think of any actual jokes at the moment.

Jokers on Dune probably got weeded out by natural selection really quickly.
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Post by Ampoliros »

Yes its important to differentiate Joking from Humor.

Practical Jokes such as switching the in and out tubes on someone's stillsuit are probably where the origin of the Amtal rite came from.

I'm more interested in their humor.
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Post by Freakzilla »

:lol:
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Post by Omphalos »

Wasn't there some reference to child humor when FH was discussing how Leto II and Ghanima were not like normal children?
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Re: Fremen Humor

Post by cmsahe »

What about that scene from Dune, when Jessica has just subdued Stilgar and he orders Chani to come out from the shadows:

"I said leave him be, Chani! You spawn of a lizard."
Ampoliros wrote:With the recent departure of St. Sloey of the Useless Interjection, I must beg the question: every board has it's idiot/fool. Of course, i'm pretty sure Fremen society was pretty short on fools. This brings up my main question: What do you think the Fremen sense of humor was like?

I've recently been doing research in Old English; specifically Beowulf, looking for examples of what type of humor existed in that society and it makes me curious as to what a culture as disciplined and militaristic as the Fremen would have held as humorous. Old Norse/Old English humor focused mainly on 'gallows' humor, and laughing at one's enemy was extremely dangerous rather than funny. (It was generally a foreshadowing of impending doom on the laugher, rather than the laughee) Comedic entertainment mostly consisted of using wordplay and understatement: In Beowulf there are several hand-related jokes exemplifying Grendel's arm being ripped off, as well as use of layered positives "The Dragon killed him to death/ He was sneaking with stealth/ The dragon was Hot of mind" etc.

If you can post any examples of Fremen joking or laughing or Frank Herbert talking about this please do, I can't for the life of me remember any.
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Post by Schu »

Freakzilla wrote:The Fremen had the Cantu and Respondu, kind of a long-assed knock-knock joke.

I can't think of any actual jokes at the moment.

Jokers on Dune probably got weeded out by natural selection really quickly.
To me that seemed like a big game of one-upping other people. My kinda game :)
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Post by Freakzilla »

I wonder, is there a joke Leto doesn't know?
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Post by Bijaz »

Freakzilla wrote:I wonder, is there a joke Leto doesn't know?
"How long have you been changing?"
"More than thirty-five hundred years."
"Then what the Theilaxu told me is true."
"They seldom dare to lie anymore."
"That's a very long time."
"Very long."
"The Theilaxu have...copied me many times."
"Many."
It's time to ask how many, Duncan.
"How many of me?"
"I will let you see the records for yourself."
"I'm the replacement, is that right?"
"That's right," Leto said."
Leto waited patiently , wondering how long it would be until the tamed history failed to satisfy this Duncan.
"What do you really look like?" Idaho asked. "What's this thing with the finger the Theilaxu described?"
"Here, pull it."
"Can't we have some light? I'd like to see it."
Leto used the Muad'Dib voice for momentary play: "Pull it, Duncan!"
The voice of Muad'Dib could always be counted on to move Idaho.
BRRRRRRRRRRRT!
An explosion of laughter shook Leto, and Idaho thought it more than the weak jest deserved, but he remained silent.
Idaho glared at Leto.
"You damn Atreides," he muttered. "You'll dare anything!"
Leto noted their was dislike mixed with admiration in Idaho's voice.
They may take yairrrr Frreedom, but they ken nivverrrr take yairrrr Duuuunnne!
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Post by SandChigger »

GODFARTZ! :lol:
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Post by cmsahe »

I remember when Leto II toyed with the idea of putting a fake giant penis in that part of his body that everybody seems to be always looking at, just to shock them.
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Post by orald »

cmsahe wrote:I remember when Leto II toyed with the idea of putting a fake giant penis in that part of his body that everybody seems to be always looking at, just to shock them.
You mean this body part?
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Post by cmsahe »

:)
Yes But Why is Hwi Noree surprised? Is it because she finds him small or big? :)

And a bit of FH's humour:

"He scrambled out of the cleft, followed the swirling of her robe across a tumbled landscape. She moved like a gazelle, dancing over te rocks. Paul felt hot blood in his face, was thankful for the darkness."
Dune. Ace Mass Market paperback edition, p286.
orald wrote:
cmsahe wrote:I remember when Leto II toyed with the idea of putting a fake giant penis in that part of his body that everybody seems to be always looking at, just to shock them.
You mean this body part?
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Post by Redstar »

So does this count as bestiality, or extreme-furry?

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Post by SandChigger »

Depends on whether Hwi shaved it or not, no? :?
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Post by Ampoliros »

Discuss: the irony of a phallic representation on a living, breathing God-Emperor-phallic representation. Amazing that Herbert didn't make any references to Hinduism or Saytrs.
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Post by moreh_yeladim »

Excuse me, but I don't think Leto II should be portrayed as looking like Jabba the Hutt. This man was an Atreides and a Fremen, not some fat Harkonnen swine! ;-)
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Post by DuneFishUK »

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Post by orald »

moreh_yeladim wrote:This man was an Atreides and a Fremen, not some fat Harkonnen swine! ;-)
Hey, hey, it's not the Baron's fault, you know!
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It's the damn taffy! :x
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Post by moreh_yeladim »

Where are you guys getting these Dunesburry things?
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Post by inhuien »

All I know is they were drawn by Lone Star Feydakin and posted on Dreamers of Dune. They may be available on the old Landsraad group.
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Post by orald »

inhuien wrote:All I know is they were drawn by Lone Star Feydakin and posted on Dreamers of Dune. They may be available on the old Landsraad group.
Yep.

Of course I uploaded them ages ago to my photobucket account for easy access and perservation.
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Post by DuneFishUK »

Yeah - they are hidden away at the Landsraad's new location. Everyone should already have them on their HDD/photobucket though :P
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