Irulan's writings


Moderators: Freakzilla, ᴶᵛᵀᴬ, Omphalos

Post Reply
User avatar
bgscholar
Posts: 15
Joined: 14 Jun 2009 13:34
Location: Santa Cruz, CA

Irulan's writings

Post by bgscholar »

Let the mining begin... what does everyone think of the significance of Princess Irulan's various writings that begin every chapter of the first novel? Later books use quotes from different people and books, but the first one only uses her writings. What do these epigraphs do to the reader and how do they shape the reader's understanding of the chapter that follows each saying?

For memory refreshing, the various writings (from http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Irulan) include:

* "Manual of Muad'Dib"
* "Muad'Dib, Family Commentaries"
* "A Child's History of Muad'Dib"
* "Dictionary of Muad'Dib"
* "Analysis: The Arrakeen Crisis" (written for Bene Gesserit Circulation only)
* "The Humanity of Muad'Dib"
* "Collected Sayings of Muad'Dib"
* "In My Father's House"
* "Songs of Muad'Dib"
* "Conversations With Muad'Dib"
* "Arrakis Awakening"
* "Private Reflections on Muad'Dib"
* "The Wisdom of Muad'Dib"
* "Muad'Dib, The Man" (with preface by Stilgar)
* "Count Fenring: A Profile"
* "Muad'Dib: The Religious Issues"
* "Muad'Dib: The 99 Wonders of the Universe"
* "Collected Legends Of Arrakis"
"Even Dune's historians were shockingly slow to recognize that the real Dune story is Jessica's."
User avatar
Freakzilla
Lead Singer and Driver of the Winnebego
Posts: 18449
Joined: 05 Feb 2008 01:27
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Contact:

Re: Irulan's writings

Post by Freakzilla »

Sometimes they have something to do with the proceeding chapter, sometimes the preceeding, sometimes they don't seem to relate chronologically. I do believe they were meant to add to the context of the story, allthough I'm not sure there's any significance that they are all by her in Dune other than another point-of-view as the court historian.

They are all included in the Reading Group, by the way. I'd like to encourage members, while reading, to comment on how the epighraphs relate to each chapter or the story in general, if you please.
Image
Paul of Dune was so bad it gave me a seizure that dislocated both of my shoulders and prolapsed my anus.
~Pink Snowman
User avatar
SadisticCynic
Posts: 2053
Joined: 07 Apr 2009 09:28
Location: In Time or in Space?

Re: Irulan's writings

Post by SadisticCynic »

Having Irulan write the epigraphs was probably the logical thing to do; same as having most if not all of the epigraphs in God Emperor of Dune by Leto.
Ah English, the language where pretty much any word can have any meaning! - A Thing of Eternity
User avatar
TheDukester
Posts: 3808
Joined: 20 Jun 2008 13:44
Location: Operation Enduring Bacon

Re: Irulan's writings

Post by TheDukester »

It's also interesting to note that the epigraphs, as written by Frank, are interesting, relevant, and a pleasure to read. I always look forward to them whenever I do a re-reading.

The epigraphs, as attempted by Hacky and BoBo, are shallow, meaningless, and puerile. They are a pathetic attempt at sounding important, and they fail on every level.
"Anything I write will be remembered and listed in bibliographies on Dune for several hundred years ..." — some delusional halfwit troll.
User avatar
mrpsbrk
Posts: 158
Joined: 20 Dec 2008 11:08
Location: Brazil
Contact:

Re: Irulan's writings

Post by mrpsbrk »

Freakzilla wrote:Sometimes they have something to do with the proceeding chapter, sometimes the preceeding, sometimes they don't seem to relate chronologically. I do believe they were meant to add to the context of the story, allthough I'm not sure there's any significance that they are all by her in Dune other than another point-of-view as the court historian.
I think they almost never relate chronologically, instead being a commentary to the matter at hand, not exactly about the actions and happenings on the chapter, but about it's allegorical purport.

(Let me save chigger some effort: he thinks i am over-analysing this.)
Marcio (mrpsbrk) does believe in Lord Leto over all other wills and reasons ;-)
User avatar
SandChigger
KJASF Ground Zero
Posts: 14492
Joined: 08 Feb 2008 22:29
Location: A continuing state of irritation
Contact:

Re: Irulan's writings

Post by SandChigger »

(Hi morpork. Head still up your ass?)
User avatar
Freakzilla
Lead Singer and Driver of the Winnebego
Posts: 18449
Joined: 05 Feb 2008 01:27
Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Contact:

Re: Irulan's writings

Post by Freakzilla »

mrpsbrk wrote:
Freakzilla wrote:Sometimes they have something to do with the proceeding chapter, sometimes the preceeding, sometimes they don't seem to relate chronologically. I do believe they were meant to add to the context of the story, allthough I'm not sure there's any significance that they are all by her in Dune other than another point-of-view as the court historian.
I think they almost never relate chronologically, instead being a commentary to the matter at hand, not exactly about the actions and happenings on the chapter, but about it's allegorical purport.

(Let me save chigger some effort: he thinks i am over-analysing this.)
By chronologically, I meant in order of the chapters, I guess "sequential" would have been a better choice of words.
Image
Paul of Dune was so bad it gave me a seizure that dislocated both of my shoulders and prolapsed my anus.
~Pink Snowman
User avatar
Harkonnen Historian
Posts: 3
Joined: 14 Feb 2018 22:24
Location: Last report: Giedi Prime. Current location unknown.

Re: Irulan's writings

Post by Harkonnen Historian »

I always figured other books and historical figures were used in later books because Messiah gave Irulan a chance for active agency in the plot instead of constantly being present only in her writings as means to put Jessica's final point at the end of Dune more weight: How Chani and Jessica would be seen as wives in history and Irulan only arrived in the plot as a means fo Paul's own ambitions. Apologies if these points have already been mentioned, but I feel her passages were mentioned to make the path of Maid'Dib feel more historically 'real', to give it weight in showing he'd shake the foundation of the universe, along with the added emphasis on Chani's larger historical significance.
"Morality must always be weighed against practicality."
-Genetic Memory of Vladimir Harkonnen
The Seed
Posts: 35
Joined: 08 Dec 2023 16:56

Re: Irulan's writings

Post by The Seed »

Irulan=Athena in Atlantis then Greek mythology.
Post Reply