The Three Martyrs was a collective term to refer to three personalities of the Butlerian Jihad. In the following years they would become an object of veneration. However common knowledge and public opinion was heavily formed due to propaganda and machinations.
The Three Martyrs were:
- Manion the Innocent: Toddler son of Serena Butler who was killed by Erasmus on Earth and caused his mother to physically assault a robot. These events inpired the Rebellion on Earth and the Butlerian Jihad. Manion is considered the first martyr.
- Serena Butler: Later High Priestess of the Holy Jihad, she went to Corrin as an ambassador and was tortured and killed painfully by the machines.
In reality, she went there to make voluntarily a martyr of herself, following Ginjo's advice. When that failed, her first Seraph, Niriem, killed her following orders. - Iblis Ginjo: Grand Patriarch of the Holy Jihad, traitorously assassinated by Xavier Harkonnen.
In reality, villainous Grand Patriarch was responsible for political machinations, assassinations and conspiracies, as well as deaths of thousands for the sake of organ donning. Xavier Harkonnen sacrificed himself to save humanity from him. The true events were known only to Vorian Atreides who thought that Harkonnen should be venerated instead of Ginjo.
After Ginjo's death in 164 BG, the Butlerian Jihad recognized him as well as the other two individuals as "The Three Martyrs". A huge statue complex would adorn Zimia.
The Three Martyrs were revered by religious and devout individuals who would be even fanatic activists. Their followers were known as Martyrists who would throw themselves at Thinking Machines with little more than rocks and clubs.
The Martyrists were quickly absorbed into the Cult of Serena under Rayna Butler.