Planet Earth
Earth also called Old Earth or Old Terra is 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.
As the Capital of the Synchronized Worlds, from Earth, Vorian Atreides, a trustee servant of the Thinking Machines, with his robot co-pilot Seurat, were commissioned to take the Omnius Updates, to the various planets of the Synchronized Worlds. Their journeys always began and ended on Earth, as Earth was the location of Omnius Prime
The planet was also one of the places that the Cymek Titans, had huge frescoes and large monuments built in their images as in the Golden Age Square where the Victory of the Titans were erected. Human slaves under Iblis Ginjo and other trustees would work unendingly to ensure that the giant constructions were meticulous in their details of the cybernetic creatures.
Erasmus, the independent robot, was transferred there to his large mansion and macabre laboratory, located in a large complex on Earth. From here, he would conduct his various experiments, and indulge his various 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.
End of life on Earth
Inspired by slave Serena Butler and trustee Ginjo, enslaved humans revolted. 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 uninhabitable 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.
In the Grand Palais of Ix there were paintings of ancient artists like Claude Monet and Paul Gauguin, with interactive plates that allowed enhancements by Ixian depth artists.
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. 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 possessed what was thought to have been an original Vincent Van Gogh oil painting (in the sequels it is retconned to be an exact reproduction by the independent machine, Erasmus, who destroyed it upon finding it again)
- 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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