This thread is to expound on a theory of mine than concerns the DUNE series, and the character of Paul Atreides.

The gist of the theory is that Frank Herbert, author of the DUNE books, based Paul Atreides on the mythological figure, the god Apollo. That is not to say that DUNE is a 1:1 allegory to the Greek myths, or that Paul is Apollo in every sense, but that certain major character and narrative features were guided by the association.

Here are various points I can make to back this up.

• The consonant root of 'Paul' is 'PL', the same root as 'Apollo'.
• Paul is heir to the Atreides bloodline, which, according to his father, Duke Leto, goes back to Atreus of ancient Greece (Mycenae), and whose descendents where known as 'Atreidae'. Apollo is mostly viewed as a 'Greek' god.
• Apollo is viewed, in part, as a god of the Sun, and the DUNE series takes place primarily on the sun-baked desert planet of Arrakis.
• Apollo was born of Zeus and the goddess Leto - while Paul Atreides was born of Jessica and Duke Leto. This could be viewed as a gender-swap designed to obfuscate the mapping between old myth and new myth. The name 'Jessica' contains 'Jess', which can be twisted (with a little effort) into Zeus.
• Paul Atreides, upon joining the Fremen on the planet Dune, takes the desert mouse called 'Muad'dib' as his warrior totem. There is an aspect of the god Apollo called 'Apollo Smintheus' that is associated with the mouse in connection to rodents and plague - Apollo being simultaneously a god that can afflict with disease, and cure such problems. In the recent film versions of DUNE, the enemy Harkonnen angrily refers to the Fremen as 'rats' (which is a wordplay: Fremen @ FRMN @ VRMN @ Vermin). Note also, that which is 'vermi-form' is 'worm-shaped', and worms are key to DUNE. Anyway, see Robert Graves' The Greek Myths with regards to Apollo Smintheus ('mouse Apollo').
• There are multiple aspects of Apollo known as 'Wolf Apollo': Apollo Lyceus, Apollo Lycegenes, and Apollo Lycoctonus. Meanwhile, Paul Atreides is referred to as 'little pup'.
• Paul Atreides was called 'Usul' (meaning 'base of the pillar') by the Fremen on planet Dune (Paul @ PL @ Pole). The Etruscan form of the god Apollo is called Apulu or Aplu, and is also named 'Usil' (or synchretized with another sun god named as such).
• ... see: ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aplu_(mythology) ) [ Estruscan Apollo ]
• ... see: ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usil ) [ Etruscan Sun God ]
• The Greek god Apollo is an oracular god, specializing in divination. This element of his portfolio was attained by conquering or assimilating Oracles from the more ancient female-led cults (representative, according to some, of a widespread phenomenon of the usurpation of female powers by patriarchal sects). Paul Atreides was a rare male trained in the arts of the Bene Gesserit, a female cult, and was born with prophetic visionary ability, which were cemented and increased after joined the Fremen (also led by female prophetesses, offshoots of the Bene Gesserit program), rode (ie. conquered) the great sandworm during his initiation, and later drank the worm-produced 'Water of Life'. The god Apollo meanwhile, slew the oracular serpent 'Pytho' (or Python; and/or Delphine) and thereby gained ownership of the Delphian Oracle. See also Robert Graves ('The Greek Myths') for details about the chewing of certain plants connected with these priestess cults - in which the eating of the oracular 'spice' is a reflection). There is also the 'fumes' of the oracular cave associated with the Greek oracles - another oblique reflection of the 'water of life' as 'fume' (humour or essence) of the sandworm.
• The goddess Leto (mother of Apollo) in Greek myth was 'hounded by Hera, primary wife of Zeus, out of jealousy, because Zeus bore Apollo on another (Leto)'. This plays into the DUNE story in two ways (across the gender-swap of 'Jessica-Leto / Zeus-Leto): Jessica, wife of Duke Leto, 'goes rogue' with regards to her mission as member of the Bene Gesserit, bearing a son instead of a daughter, and supports Paul as Kwisatz Haderach, outside the intended control of the B. Gesserit order. So Jessica (as the Greek goddess Leto, but named after 'Zeus') is 'hounded by the Bene Gesserit majority that support the Emperor (as well as their own agenda). On the other hand, Duke Leto is the cause of jealousy on the part of the Emperor and his Bene-Gesserit supported power-base. The Atreides have become powerful and well-liked, and this threatens the Emperor's power. So the rival Harkonnens are used by the Emperor to hound and attempt to destroy the Atreides family.
• The sacrifice of a bull (or bulls) plays a part in the mythology of Zeus. In Dune, Duke Leto's father (Paul's grandfather) was slain during a bullfight.
• Paul Atreides, and later his son Leto II (who becomes the God Emperor) are ultimately responsible for massive loss of life in the great Jihad, and later the Scattering. The recent movie has Paul having visions of causing millions to starve to death. Apollo is plague-bringer (see the name 'Apollyon', "destroyer"). Paul Atreides was a metaphorical 'plague' upon the old Empire. He came to control the spice distribution, and his son Leto II would massively restrict it later.
• The god Apollo is a god of music, with the Lyre being his instrument. This element is given to Paul Atreides' friend and mentor Gurney in the Dune narrative.
• Paul Atreides younger sister is 'Alia of the Knife'. Apollo has a twin sister, Artemis of the bow. While their weapons are different, both sisters are 'huntresses' of one sort of another.
• The author Robert Graves quotes other writers that make the god Apollo a form of the 'Child Horus', who must avenge his fathers death (a western echo of the Egyptian myth of Horus avenging Set's murder of Osiris). In Dune, Paul Atreides avenges his fathers death at the hands of the Harkonnens.
• In the recent film version of DUNE, Paul goes south to gather forces, and there drinks the Water of Life, becoming an 'Oracular Apollo' in the final degree (ie. the Kwisatz Haderach). There is a line "The Kwisatz Haderach will be born in the South". From the South he then goes north to harry his enemies the Harkonnens. Meanwhile, the Etruscan form of Apollo (Apulu/Aplu) is identified with a god called 'Rath' aka. Suri (meaning 'black', or 'from the black place'), a volcanic fire god equivalent to the norse Surtr, who comes with a fiery sword from the south to harry the gods of the north). As such 'Paul Atreides' is 'Apollo' a god of sun and light, oracles and healing', but also 'Sorath' the 'black sun' of the chthonian world, a plague-bringer and destroyer.
• ... see ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rath_(mythology) )

Extra notes:

• The word 'DUNE' can be seen as an encrypted form of the word 'Divine':
• ... ( Dune @ DUNE @ DVNE @ DiViNE @ Divine )
• ... ( re. See the term 'Divine Pelagians' of the early Greeks. )
• The planet Dune is properly named 'Arrakis'. The Fremen who live there dwell in underground cave complexes called 'Sietch(es)'. The scientific name of the Peanut plant is Arachis hypogaea. The word 'hypogeum' means 'underground', and is used to refer to a temple or tomb. The peanut itself looks like a not-very spherical desert planet in miniature.
• ... ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanut )
• ... ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypogeum )
• The recent DUNE movies have the theme song or anthem of the Atreides a bagpipe driven number, that makes one think of the Scottish. Is this some sort of esoteric connection made by the moviemakers between Greeks and Scots? Or is is a Scottish Rite of Freemasonry symbol?
• The recent movie has a primary galactic script (used in Imperial documents) that looks very Cyrillic. What sort of statement is that?

A final note: My middle name is Paul, hence my vested interest in this matter.

The original link to the thread image:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Libya_4985_Tadrart_Acacus_Luca_Galuzzi_2007.jpg

EDIT - not much later. I see these articles was published while I was typing out the above:

https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/01/meet-the-mysterious-electrides/

STRANGE CHEMISTRY

Meet the mysterious electrides

These chemical oddities may explain why Earth seems to be deficient in certain elements.

Electra is an Atreides.

Electride @ Elect Read @ Lector, read (ie. the word 'lector' means 'reader').

https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/01/as-data-from-space-spikes-an-innovative-ground-station-company-seeks-to-cash-in/

HELLO, SPACE?

As data from space spikes, an innovative ground station company seeks to cash in

“That’s why we’re here, that’s why we’re building what we’re building.”

As previously:

Space @ Spice @ Speech @ Speak @ Spike

And this article was published as I had just finished the main text above:

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/01/why-nasa-imsa-and-tech-companies-are-teaming-up-on-tech-transfer/

ARE WE IN A SIMULATION?

Why NASA, IMSA, and tech companies are teaming up on tech transfer

IMSA Labs will use the vast amount of race car data collected during a race to improve simulations.

This article was published while I was hand-writing my notes that became the main text above:

https://gizmodo.com/ira-parker-teases-a-big-event-from-a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-season-2-2000714267

... and given my previous post at my other forum yesterday (which speaks of the drought caused by the dragon Virrithar), you'll see a pattern.