Fish Speakers
the all-female army of the God Emperor
The Fish Speakers are the all-female army created by God Emperor Leto Atreides II to enforce his rule and protect the Golden Path. Fanatical soldiers and priestesses, they hold his empire through thousands of years of peace and are left to Duncan Idaho and Siona when he dies.
The Fish Speakers are the army raised by God Emperor Leto Atreides II in God Emperor of Dune, and it is made up entirely of women. Men are shut out of its ranks, the one exception being the Duncan Idaho gholas Leto keeps as commanders of his guard. The Fish Speakers are his soldiers, his police and his priesthood, fanatically loyal to the God Emperor they worship. (God Emperor of Dune)
Founding and purpose#
Leto II raised the Fish Speakers to enforce his rule over the known universe in place of the old Fremen and Sardaukar armies, which he had disbanded. In his view a male army is essentially predatory, and once it has no outside enemy it turns on the civilians around it. A female army, he reasoned, would tame and calm the peoples it governed. The Fish Speakers were also his religious arm, enforcing Leto's Peace and keeping the Golden Path on course. (God Emperor of Dune)
The Fish Speakers held Leto's empire through more than three thousand years of peace, a record no earlier army came near. Frank Herbert doesn't explain the name in the novel. The Dune Encyclopedia tells a story of a secret society whose first leader dreamed of a silver fish that grew life-like and spoke to her, warning her to build up military strength for a religious purpose. Its members swore their vows on a silver fish, and the women who later guarded the God-King became known as Fish Speakers. (God Emperor of Dune; The Dune Encyclopedia)
Organization and equipment#
The Fish Speakers are Leto's guard and the backbone of his rule. They stand watch over his Citadel and his processions, carry his orders across the empire, and act as priestesses in his religion. Leto places a Duncan Idaho ghola in command of his guard, and the Fish Speakers' devotion to each new Duncan is one of the ways he binds them to him. (God Emperor of Dune)
Their loyalty has limits that Leto can't see past. The Fish Speaker Nayla, ordered to obey Siona Atreides, uses a lasgun to cut the bridge over the Idaho River while Leto's cart is on it, sending the God Emperor into the water below. (God Emperor of Dune)
Rule after the God Emperor#
With Leto dead, the Fish Speakers are left with the ghola of Duncan Idaho and with Siona Atreides, who now have to rule in his place. The Fish Speakers' devotion to Duncan makes him the one they will follow, and the novel ends with the two of them facing the empire Leto left behind. (God Emperor of Dune)
Frequently asked questions
- What were the Fish Speakers?
- The Fish Speakers are the all-female army of God Emperor Leto Atreides II in God Emperor of Dune. They serve as his soldiers, police and priesthood, with a Duncan Idaho ghola commanding his guard.
- Why did Leto Atreides II create the Fish Speakers?
- Leto II founded the Fish Speakers to enforce his rule over the known universe in place of the old Fremen and Sardaukar armies. He believed male-dominated militaries were predatory and would turn against civilians once no external enemy remained, whereas a female force would tame and calm the peoples it governed, and he also needed a reliable religious organization to enforce Leto's Peace and protect the Golden Path.
- Why were they called Fish Speakers?
- God Emperor of Dune does not explain the name. The Dune Encyclopedia says the order's first leader dreamed of a silver fish that spoke to her, and its members swore their vows on a silver fish.
- What roles did the Fish Speakers serve beyond fighting?
- Besides being soldiers, the Fish Speakers guard Leto's Citadel, carry out his orders across the empire and serve as priestesses of his religion.
- What happened to the Fish Speakers after Leto II died?
- At the end of God Emperor of Dune they are left with Siona Atreides and the ghola of Duncan Idaho, whose hold on the Fish Speakers' devotion makes him the one they will follow.
Gallery
Images via Dune Wiki
Sources
- BookGod Emperor of Dune, Frank Herbert, G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1981
- BookThe Dune Encyclopedia, Willis E. McNelly (ed.), Berkley Books, 1984
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
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