A Ghola is a creature in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. Gholas are created using a technological process created by Bene Tleilax, but later used by the Bene Gesserit. The fictional Dune universe, or Duniverse, is the political, scientific, and social setting of author Frank Herberts six-book Dune series of science fiction novels. ... Frank Patrick Herbert (October 8, 1920 – February 11, 1986) was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. ... The Bene Tleilax or Tleilaxu are an extremely xenophobic and isolationist society in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ...

Gholas are essentially clones grown in axolotl tanks from genetic material retrieved from the cells of a deceased subject. In some cases, the ghola is a clone recreated from a few cells (such as the Duncan Idaho gholas in God Emperor of Dune), while in other cases the ghola is a resurrection of a dead body (such as the ghola Hayt in Dune Messiah). The Tleilaxu control their creations by forcing them into a hypnotic state with some predefined sound (often a specific humming or whistling noise).^[1][2][3] In the period of Dune, gholas are merely physical copies, but at the end of Dune Messiah, the ghola of Duncan Idaho recovers the memories of the original, essentially becoming a reincarnation of Idaho. Cloning is the process of creating an identical copy of something. ... Axolotl tanks, later known as axlotl tanks, are a technology in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert in the Dune series. ... God Emperor of Dune is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert published in 1981 — the fourth novel in the Dune series. ... Hayt is a fictional character featured in the Dune series by Frank Herbert. ... Dune Messiah Dune Messiah is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the second in a series of six novels. ... Mind control (or thought control) has the premise that an outside source can control an individuals thinking, behavior or consciousness (either directly or more subtly). ... Professor Charcot was well-known for showing, during his lessons at the Salpêtrière hospital, hysterical woman patients – here, his favorite patient, Blanche (Marie) Wittman, supported by Joseph Babiński. ... Dune Messiah Dune Messiah is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the second in a series of six novels. ... James Watson as Duncan Idaho in the Dune miniseries Duncan Idaho is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ...

An important element in the Dune universe is "genetic memory": the ability to recover the memories and egos of one's ancestors. The ghola of Duncan Idaho (given the name 'Hayt' by the Tleilaxu) is programmed to kill Paul Atreides under post-hypnotic suggestion. But the stress of attempting to kill someone who was deeply loved in the ghola's previous incarnation breaks the mental barrier between the ghola's consciousness and the life memories of the original (though not between the subject and his ancestors). The concepts of racial memory and genetic memory refer to related hypotheses that an individual can inherit knowledge, memory, and/or motivational imperatives from his ancestors, even without contact with them. ... Hayt is a fictional character featured in the Dune series by Frank Herbert. ... Paul Atreides, as portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan in David Lynchs Dune (1985), wielding the infamous Weirding Module. Paul Orestes Atreides is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ...

This discovery had tremendous consequences. The Tleilaxu Masters, using the technology of axolotl tanks and the ability of a ghola to recover its memories, grant themselves effective immortality: every Master is "recreated" upon his death, and recovers his genetic memories, accumulating many generations of knowledge and experience, and permitting planning on a timespan of millennia.

In God Emperor of Dune, Leto II has, as constant companions, a series of Duncan Idaho gholas with restored memories of the original Idaho (but not the memories of the previous ghola incarnations). In this novel, the Idaho gholas are perfectly reconstructed incarnations made from 'a few cells', and these can be created in the time span of one to two years. God Emperor of Dune is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert published in 1981 — the fourth novel in the Dune series. ... Leto Atreides II, portrayed by James McAvoy in the Children of Dune miniseries Leto Atreides II is a fictional character in the Dune universe, created by Frank Herbert. ...

This should be compared to the ghola Hayt in Dune Messiah. Here, the ghola is clearly a resurrected Duncan Idaho, complete with the physical evidence of the violence of his death. Thus, the ghola has distinct ominous overtones, and the physical description evokes thoughts of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Hayt also has a very disturbing effect on his surroundings, and is compared to a ghost several times. Hayt is a fictional character featured in the Dune series by Frank Herbert. ... Dune Messiah Dune Messiah is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the second in a series of six novels. ... Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley (30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English romantic/gothic novelist and the author of Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. ... This article is about the 1818 novel. ... An artists interpretation of a ghostly woman on a flight of stairs, based on common descriptions A ghost is usually defined as the apparition of a deceased person, frequently similar in appearance to that person, and encountered in places he or she frequented, or in association with the person...

In Heretics of Dune, the Bene Gesserit become the consumers of Duncan Idaho gholas; significantly, when Idaho recovers his memories, he recovers the memories of all his ghola incarnations, apparently even including previous gholas from whom no cells could be recovered. This suggests a metaphysical commitment that is never explored in the novels. Heretics of Dune is a 1984 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, fifth in a series of six novels. ...

There are also mentions of gholas in the Dune games. In Dune 2000, the Harkonnen mentat was allegedly a ghola cloned from Tleilaxu flesh vats, whereas in Emperor: Battle for Dune, House Ordos constantly deploy their own gholas in assassination and infiltration missions. This was particurlaly effective in tricking the Sardaukar into allying with them as well as the Fremen. On a much larger scale, they plan to use a ghola of the now-deceased Emperor Corrino to claim the Golden Lion Throne, with the Executrix as the true leaders behind the so-called "puppet Emperor". A number of games have been based on Frank Herberts Dune universe: Card games 1997 Dune, Wizards of the Coast/Five Rings Publishing Group/Last Unicorn Games Board games 1979 Avalon Hills Dune, Avalon Hill 1984 Parker Brothers Dune, Parker Brothers - fanpage Role-playing games 2000 Dune: Chronicles... Dune 2000 is a Dune computer game, released by Westwood Studios in 1998. ... Emblem of House Harkonnen from Emperor: Battle for Dune For the novel of the same name, see Dune: House Harkonnen. ... A Mentat is a fictional profession or discipline in Frank Herberts Dune universe. ... House Ordos is an insidious mercantile House in the Dune universe as presented in the Westwood Studios games. ... Emblem of the Imperial Sardaukar from Emperor: Battle for Dune The Sardaukar were a fictional army from Frank Herberts Dune universe, primarily featured in the science fiction novel Dune. ... Spoiler warning: The Fremen are a group of people in the Dune series of science fiction novels by Frank Herbert. ... Emperor Frederick Corrino IV, played by Adrian Sparks, seated on the Golden Lion Throne (as seen in the computer game Dune 2000 by Westwood Studios) For the novel of the same name, see Dune: House Corrino. ...

Possible origins of the term

The term ghola calls to mind both ghoul, golem and ghost. Ghoul originates in Arabic, as do other terms in Dune — such as the Butlerian Jihad and the Fremen designation of Paul as the mahdi— and in modern fiction a ghoul is a creature which arises from a dead person. A golem refers to an artificial person out of Jewish folklore. In Dune Messiah The ghola Hayt is referred to as a 'very unusual ghost with a body and a name' by the Tleilaxu Face Dancer Scytale. A ghoul is a monster from ancient Arabian folklore that dwells in burial grounds and other uninhabited places. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... An artists interpretation of a ghostly woman on a flight of stairs, based on common descriptions A ghost is usually defined as the apparition of a deceased person, frequently similar in appearance to that person, and encountered in places he or she frequented, or in association with the person... The Butlerian Jihad is an epic turning point in the back-story of Frank Herberts fictional Dune universe. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Muhammad al-Mahdi. ... Undead is a collective name for mythological beings that are deceased yet behave as if alive. ... Jewish mythology is the body of mythology of the Jewish people and Judaism as understood by some people. ... Dune Messiah Dune Messiah is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, the second in a series of six novels. ... Hayt is a fictional character featured in the Dune series by Frank Herbert. ... An artists interpretation of a ghostly woman on a flight of stairs, based on common descriptions A ghost is usually defined as the apparition of a deceased person, frequently similar in appearance to that person, and encountered in places he or she frequented, or in association with the person... Scytale is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ...

References