Earth/XD

Mixed Canonicity

This article or section refers to elements from both Original Dune and Expanded Dune.

Planet Earth

Earth was the third planet located in the Sol star system. The human race originated here, and prior to the Butlerian Jihad it was an important location in the known universe.

Enslavement of Earth

After humankind had spread out from their planet of origin, Earth maintained its role as a key member of the Old Empire. However, it later fell under the control of the Titans, and then the Thinking Machines. Subsequently, it became the central world of the Synchronized Worlds, and housed Omnius Prime.

Location of Omnius Prime, Titan monuments, and Erasmus

In the years and months just before the beginning of the Butlerian Jihad, as was said, Earth was the location of Omnius Prime. From here, various controlling aspects of the Synchronized Worlds originated.

For example, Vorian Atreides, a trustee servant of the Thinking Machines, was entrusted to take the semi-regular Omnius Updates, which origniated on Earth from Omnius Prime, around the various planets of the Synchronized Worlds. His journey always began and ended on Earth. Earth was also one of the places that the Cymek Titans, had huge frescoes and large monuments built in their images on the plains of Earth. Human slaves would cease endlessly to ensure that the giant statues were meticulous in their details of the Cymeks.

Erasmus, the independent robot, had his large mansion and macabre laboratory, located in a large complex on Earth. From here, he would conduct his various experiments, and his artistic expressions. It was from here that Erasmus began his wager with Omnius that even loyal humans, especially trustees, could be corrupted, and turned against the Thinking Machines.

Destruction of Life on Earth

Inspired by slave Serena Butler and trustee Iblis Ginjo, enslaved humans revolted on the planet Earth. Omnius ordered the genocide of all humans on all worlds under the Omnius' control and exterminated all humans that lived as slaves on Earth. However, the genocide orders never went beyond Earth because of the arrival of the Army of the Jihad led by Xavier Harkonnen, Vorian Atreides intercepted an Update Ship carrying the Earth-Omnius' copy. Since there were no humans on the planet, they decided a vast atomic strike to exterminate Omnius Prime and all machines. This made Earth barren, and marked the beginning of a Jihad.

The planet remained inhabitable for centuries. The Orange Catholic Bible would be written on Earth millennia later.

When referencing the memories of a Mongol ancestor, Leto Atreides II hinted in his Stolen Journals that the entire planet Earth had been totally destroyed.

Behind the Scenes

In Frank Herbert's original Dune series, Earth is only mentioned briefly, with the suggestion that it no longer exists, or is no longer habitable. It is often referred to as Old Earth in the original series of novels, as well as Old Terra.

References to Earth in the original Dune books include:

• Ghanima and Leto Atreides, in a private moment between them, speak French
• The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood possesses an original Vincent Van Gogh oil painting
• Paul Atreides suggests Stilgar look into historical references of Adolf Hitler as a comparison to Paul
• References to animals and plants taken from Earth and reseeded on other worlds, sometimes genetically modified (such as laza tigers)

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