Ghola
A Ghola is a creature in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. Gholas are created using a technological process created by Bene Tleilax, but later used by the Bene Gesserit.
Gholas are essentially clones grown in axlotl tanks from genetic material retrieved from the cells of a deceased subject. In some cases, the ghola is a clone recreated from a few cells (such as the Duncan Idaho gholas in God Emperor of Dune), while in other cases the ghola is a resurrection of a dead body (such as the ghola Hayt in Dune Messiah). The Tleilaxu control their creations by forcing them into a hypnotic state with some predefined sound (often a specific humming or whistling noise).[1][2][3] In the period of Dune, gholas are merely physical copies, but at the end of Dune Messiah, the ghola of Duncan Idaho recovers the memories of the original, essentially becoming a reincarnation of Idaho.
An important element in the Dune universe is "genetic memory": the ability to recover the memories and egos of one's ancestors. The ghola of Duncan Idaho (given the name 'Hayt' by the Tleilaxu) is programmed to kill Paul Atreides under post-hypnotic suggestion. But the stress of attempting to kill someone who was deeply loved in the ghola's previous incarnation breaks the mental barrier between the ghola's consciousness and the life memories of the original (though not between the subject and his ancestors).
This discovery had tremendous consequences. The Tleilaxu Masters, using the technology of axlotl tanks and the ability of a ghola to recover its memories, grant themselves effective immortality: every Master is "recreated" upon his death, and recovers his genetic memories, accumulating many generations of knowledge and experience, and permitting planning on a timespan of millennia.
In God Emperor of Dune, Leto II has, as constant companions, a series of Duncan Idaho gholas with restored memories of the original Idaho (but not the memories of the previous ghola incarnations). In this novel, the Idaho gholas are perfectly reconstructed incarnations made from 'a few cells', and these can be created in the time span of one to two years.
This should be compared to the ghola Hayt in Dune Messiah. Here, the ghola is clearly a resurrected Duncan Idaho, complete with the physical evidence of the violence of his death. Thus, the ghola has distinct ominous overtones, and the physical description evokes thoughts of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Hayt also has a very disturbing effect on his surroundings, and is compared to a ghost several times.
In Heretics of Dune, the Bene Gesserit become the consumers of Duncan Idaho gholas; significantly, when Idaho recovers his memories, he recovers the memories of all his ghola incarnations, apparently even including previous gholas from whom no cells could be recovered. This suggests a metaphysical commitment that is never explored in the novels.
There are also mentions of gholas in the Dune games. In Dune 2000, the Harkonnen mentat was allegedly a ghola cloned from Tleilaxu flesh vats, whereas in Emperor: Battle for Dune, House Ordos constantly deploy their own gholas in assassination and infiltration missions. This was particurlaly effective in tricking the Sardaukar into allying with them as well as the Fremen. On a much larger scale, they plan to use a ghola of the now-deceased Emperor Corrino to claim the Golden Lion Throne, with the Executrix as the true leaders behind the so-called "puppet Emperor".
Possible origins of the term
The term ghola calls to mind both ghoul, golem and ghost. Ghoul originates in Arabic, as do other terms in Dune — such as the Butlerian Jihad and the Fremen designation of Paul as the mahdi— and in modern fiction a ghoul is a creature which arises from a dead person. A golem refers to an artificial person out of Jewish folklore. In Dune Messiah The ghola Hayt is referred to as a 'very unusual ghost with a body and a name' by the Guild Navigator Edric.
References
- ^ In Dune Messiah, the Tleilaxu dwarf Bijaz hums to activate dormant programming in the Duncan Idaho ghola Hayt to induce him to kill Paul Atreides: "He began to hum, a keening, whining monotonous theme, repeated over and over ... Hayt stiffened, experiencing odd pains that played up and down his spine ... The sound made Hayt think of ancient rituals, folk memories, old words and customs, half-forgotten meanings in lost mutterings."
- ^ In Heretics of Dune, Master Waff tries to control his Face Dancer duplicate of Tuek: "Humming sounds like the noises of angry insects came from his mouth, a modulated thing that clearly was some kind of language."
- ^ In Chapterhouse Dune, Scytale sees an opportunity to control/influence the Duncan Idaho ghola and thus effect his escape from the Bene Gesserit when he thinks: Somehow, I must contrive it that Idaho and I meet intimately. There's always the whistling language we impress on every ghola.
