House Harkonnen

This article refers to elements from Original Dune
Pages for this subject as it appears in other canons:

House Harkonnen article for Expanded Dune

House Harkonnen article for The Dune Encyclopedia

House Harkonnen (/ˈhɑːrkənən/), also known as the Family Harkonnen, was a Great House of the Landsraad whose capital resided on the heavily industrialized world of Giedi Prime. Historical enemies of House Atreides since the Battle of Corrin, the Harkonnens earned a notorious reputation for underhanded and sinister political tactics fueled by their ambition, malevolence, hatred and brutality.

Typically ruled by a Siridar-Baron, House Harkonnen was essentially annihilated after the Battle of Arrakeen, though its family line continued on Giedi Prime throughout the entire reign of the Atreides Empire.

History[]

Origins[]

The Harkonnen name was believed to originate in what was northern Europe on ancient Earth, and the region of Earth called Suomi, also Finland. It has been suggested that the Harkonnen name comes from Sweden as a derivation of Hakkon - but it is likely that it is indeed from Finland, as Härkönen is a 20th-century Finnish name. Moreover, the family name Härkönen is derived from the Finnish word härkä which means ox.

Emergence as a Great House[]

After many centuries toiling as a House Minor, Harkonnen influence gradually rose within the Landsraad, due mostly to shrewd manipulation of the whale fur market, which was primarily accomplished by Baron Dmitri Harkonnen and his son Vladimir.

House Harkonnen built its power on maximizing production output, and minimizing production expenses by ignoring economically ethical behavior. Indeed, Harkonnen governing was based upon a simple foundation of fear and terror. They were used in governance, in the day-to-day running of the Harkonnen household, and in the controlling the Harkonnen armies. With a social order based on treachery and punishment, soldiers rose through the ranks through deceit, trickery and, if necessary, assassination.

In approximately 10130 AG, House Harkonnen won the siridar fief of Arrakis. Their responsibility was to mine the spice melange and supply it to the universe. Through their persecution of the Fremen, and through the minimisation of outlay on infrastructure and pay, the Harkonnens managed to pay the tithe they owed to the Emperor, as well as keep a substantial amount of melange for themselves. By 10191 AG, the Harkonnens had managed to amass considerable wealth through spice mining.

Demise[]

Despite House Harkonnen's relative power prior to the end of the Corrino Empire, Vladimir Harkonnen desired the ultimate achievement of usurping the Corrinos and forming the Harkonnen Empire. Thus, he secretly plotted against both House Atreides and House Corrino, hoping to destroy the former and overpower the latter through force and marriage.

However, Vladimir Harkonnen's plans were ultimately unravelled by the rise of Paul Atreides on Arrakis. After Vladimir Harkonnen's death at the hands of Paul's younger sister, Alia Atreides in 10193 AG, the title of Baron passed very briefly to his nephew, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, before being killed by Paul Atreides in an act of kanly.

After the ascent of House Atreides, what little remained of House Harkonnen saw its power and resources quickly disappear. Control of Giedi Prime was given to the people of Caladan, and under the direction of Gurney Halleck, once a slave on that world, its machines of industry were dismantled, its name and those of its cities were changed, and its forests and greenery replanted. House Harkonnen essentially ceased to be during the time of Muad'Dib's Jihad. However, the Harkonnen bloodline continued to exist through Bene Gesserit breeding programs for more than 1500 years thereafter, and ultimately through the mingling with the Atreides bloodline, with Paul Atreides being the grandson of Vladimir Harkonnen. Surviving Harkonnen family members continued to live as remnants.

Known members[]

Quotes[]

Dune: Part Two[]

“Filthy water. It's full of...chemicals. But good enough for cooling systems!” - Stilgar on Harkonnen biochemistry
"Under our glorious black sun
we welcome to these special festivities
our beloved leader, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen!

His presence today, watching over
a spectacle of blood and honor
marks the Holy Birthday
of our beloved na-Baron, Feyd-Rautha!"

―Giedi Prime arena announcer (English translation)^[src]

"Ka'laesh ska ila kum!
Kum, kum, ska kum
Vala dra, Harkun dra
Kum, kum, ska kum
Ve'laesh steyom kunz suda
Kum, kum kilz suda
Kilz suda ka'laesh gun!"

―Arena crowd chant (approximate spelling)^[src]

Trivia[]

The rise of House Harkonnen was an example of how the Faufreluches class system allowed even a banished House Minor to become a powerful House Major through the accumulation of wealth.
Frank Herbert got the name Harkonnen from the Finnish Härkönen, found in a California telephone book. He wanted a harsh-sounding name for the villains of his novel, and Harkonnen sounded "Soviet." By his own admission, Herbert did not yet know the name was actually Finnish.
- Herbert stated in later interviews that he modeled the fictional Harkonnens after the Nazi Party. This inspiration is apparent in every adaptation - especially the 2021 film and its sequel - although some Harkonnen character names may originate from Slavic or Eastern European sources.
Within Frank Herbert's continuity, the official seal of House Harkonnen bore the image of a griffin, although this wasn't revealed until 1984's Heretics of Dune. The Dune Encyclopedia - published that same year from a different author - suggested a ram-head insignia subsequently featured in Westwood Studios' video game adaptations. However, both might be true and the Harkonnen griffin is actually ram-headed. In Finnish, Härkönen means “Oxy” or “Ox-like person,” so the Harkonnen connection with horned animals is evident.
- The film series crest differs from both designs and is apparently based on Giedi Prime's black sun. That said, it could still be interpreted as a highly stylized griffin: beaked head on left, feathered wing on right, standing body below.

Portrayals[]

Although this element is absent from Herbert's original books - at least when it comes to Iakin Nefud and Feyd-Rautha - the Harkonnens in David Lynch's film are all fair-skinned redheads, suggesting a draconian ethnostate that favors one skin tone and hair color. Denis Villeneuve takes this oppressive conformity even further by depicting them as hairless and pallid. According to Villeneuve:
“I loved the idea that Harkonnens are a society that doesn’t like hair. They remove everything. They want to be as far away from any part of their past as possible, where they are coming from. There’s a will of purity.”^[1]
How they depilate is never stated - shaving, waxing, laser - but Stilgar's comment about their "filthy water" may imply that they deliberately ingest chemicals to inhibit hair growth at a cellular level (along with melanin production). Another piece of evidence is the hairless hunter-seeker operator sealed into a narrow crawlspace for several weeks where daily grooming would be impractical. However, the appearance of former Harkonnen slave Gurney Halleck suggests that their odd visage is reversible, making laser removal and genetic albinism unlikely.
Harkonnen beauty standards encompass three real-world practices: full-body hair removal, chemical skin whitening, and lacquered teeth blackening.
- A few Harkonnen women are seen with black eyeballs for unknown reasons - possibly Tleilaxu replacements.
- The fact that Harkonnen skin remains ashen and unflushed even in saunas and desert climates suggests an inability to dilate their capillaries and radiate excess heat, making Arrakis even less hospitable to them.
According to the "blood and honor" translation, kum apparently means "blood" - a recurring word in the arena crowd chant. And judging by their slashing arm motions, ska seems to mean "spill."