Jᴀᴄᴜʀᴜᴛᴜ - Tʜᴇ Cᴀsᴛ Oᴜᴛ

Could anyone help me out with something that has bothered me since my first reading of Dune. How could Alia be possessed by her grandfather when she did not have access to the male lineage of her genetic memory? I'm sure this has been explained somewhere in the original books, I just can't seem to find it.

I don't think it has been explained at all. You can deduct for yourself that like her brother she is a (potential ) Kwisatz Haderach and can see where the BG dare not: male OM.

Welcome to Jacurutu btw.

Alia was pre-born due to Jessica changing the Water of Life while pregnant with her. She had no Bene Gesserit training and no prohibitions against male ancestral memory.

Reverend Mothers CAN access male ancestral memories, they just don't out of fear of possession... which is what happened to Alia.

Freakzilla wrote:Alia was pre-born due to Jessica changing the Water of Life while pregnant with her. She had no Bene Gesserit training and no prohibitions against male ancestral memory.

Reverend Mothers CAN access male ancestral memories, they just don't out of fear of possession... which is what happened to Alia.

... and this ^^

Damnit, UH

This "possession" thing bothered me too sometimes. I mean, if it's interpreted strictly, even the memory of a simple (male) peasant might possess a trained RM. I find it somewhat hilarious.

DragEgusku wrote:This "possession" thing bothered me too sometimes. I mean, if it's interpreted strictly, even the memory of a simple (male) peasant might possess a trained RM. I find it somewhat hilarious.

That IS laughable.

The threat came from combined, malignant male ancestors:

"Abomination;" the Lady Jessica had said, "our term for the pre-born, has a
long history of bitter experiences behind it. The way of it seems to be that the
inner lives divide. They split into the benign and the malignant. The benign
remain tractable, useful. The malignant appear to unite in one powerful psyche,
trying to take over the living flesh and its consciousness. The process is known
to take considerable time, but its signs are well known."

~Children of Dune

Right. But I said: "if it's interpreted strictly". It means that the Baron was able to merge all the maligant male ancestors into a single entity and so he managed to corrupt Alia?

DragEgusku wrote:This "possession" thing bothered me too sometimes. I mean, if it's interpreted strictly, even the memory of a simple (male) peasant might possess a trained RM. I find it somewhat hilarious.

Sorry, but than you didn't understand the books.

DragEgusku wrote:Right. But I said: "if it's interpreted strictly". It means that the Baron was able to merge all the maligant male ancestors into a single entity and so he managed to corrupt Alia?

No. He used the threat of the others to convince Alia to let him take over.

You're right. Alia always feared possession and the Baron exploited this fear. I had to reread CoD to refresh my memory.

DragEgusku wrote:You're right. Alia always feared possession and the Baron exploited this fear. I had to reread CoD to refresh my memory.

You can never re-read the enough times.

The Baron kept the other malignant male personas quiet in exchange for Alia letting him possess her body from time to time.