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Ordune This article or section refers to elements from Original Dune
There are separate pages for this subject as it appears in the other canons such as Spacing Guild in Expanded Dune and Spacing Guild in the Dune Encyclopedia

The Spacing Guild, also called the Guild of Navigators on rare occassions, was an interstellar shipping and trade conglomerate during the years of the Corrino Empire and later the Atreides Empire, and one leg of the political tripod maintaining the Great Convention. The Guild was the second mental-physical training school established after the Butlerian Jihad, the first being the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, and the Guild monopoly on space travel and upon international banking was taken as the beginning point of the Imperial Calender.

History[]

Post-Butlerian Jihad[]

After the Bene Gesserit, the Spacing Guild was the second major mental-physical training school established following the Butlerian Jihad which survived into the Corrino Empire. It had already begun to build its monopoly over all interstellar travel shortly after the end of the Jihad when the Orange Catholic Bible was compiled following the leaders of religions meeting to exchange views - a move which had been encouraged by the embryo Guild along with the Bene Gesserit.[1] The genesis of the Guild's eventual monopoly on space travel, transport and interstellar banking was taken as the beginning point of the Imperial Calendar (1 AG). Details of the Guild's emergence were contentious, although it was believed they emerged as a serious political and economic force around the time of the Great Convention in the 1st century AG.

Corrino Empire[]

Arrakis Affair[]

In the year 10191 AG, when the Arrakis Affair boiled up, the Guild made overtures to the Bene Gesserit. The Guild hinted that its Navigators were "bothered about the future" or saw "problems on the horizon." Two years later, the Guild lowered its price so that every Great House's army headed to Arrakis with the Emperor Shaddam IV to stop the rebellious Paul "Muad'Dib" Atreides. However, Paul threatened to destroy the spice if they did not ship all the troops home. They had no choice – their limited powers of prophecy showed Paul was capable of it – and they sent everyone home, yielding to the control of the man who quickly became the new Emperor.

While the exact evolution of the Guild's monopoly on faster-than-light space travel is not given, they do nonetheless wield this formidable power throughout the history of the Corrino Empire, a time known as the Guild Peace. Paul Atreides was the first emperor to check the power of the Guild through control of the spice melange, although they remained a significant political power.

Impact of the God-Emperor[]

New problems for the Spacing Guild were created by the ascendancy of Leto Atreides II to the title of God Emperor. Leto's extremely long lifespan, coupled with his decision to realize the Golden Path strategy, saw him hoard the Spice Melange with no concern for short-term problems.

Thus, over the many centuries of his rule, the Spacing Guild was forced to do his bidding and their unique powerbase of old was significantly diminished.

Post-God-Emperor Role[]

While the Spacing Guild remained a powerful body even after the death of Leto Atreides II, their power gradually eroded over time. By the time of the arrival of the Honored Matres the success of the groups sent out in the Scattering had created new but largely unknown threats to their hegemony. This was because Ixian no-ships, which could perform the same functions of a Guild Navigator, were in common use. As a result, the Guild no longer had a monopoly on space travel.

Structure[]

Hierarchy[]

The Spacing Guild was by its very nature a secretive organization that took up functions previously covered by the Thinking Machines, just as mentats and the Bene Gesserit did. Their very existence rests on the proprietary knowledge they had clung to for thousands of years.

The inner structure of the Guild during and after the time of Paul Atreides was never fully revealed. However, it is known that the role of Guild Navigator was most prestigious, and the ambition of almost all of those who joined the Guild.

Other known Guild roles included the Chief Administrator, the administrative staff, Navigator attendants, Guild ambassadors, and technical support staff.  Members of the Guild commonly wear gray uniforms with the Guild's analemma sigil of infinity emblazoned on the sleeves.

Dependency[]

The Guild Navigators were utterly dependent on the Spice Melange to safely deliver a vessel via the Holtzman Effect. Even a partial restriction on the Guild's spice requirements rendered them powerless, and reduced long distance trade and transport to a snail's pace.

Prior to the discovery of the Spice Melange's prescient powers, the use of the Spacefolder was very dangerous. One in about every eight Spacefolders was destroyed during travel, because of the lack of a viable method for avoiding gravitational hazards.

Images of the Spacing Guild[]

For images of Guild Navigators, please see Guild Navigator or Guild Navigator images.

Videos[]

Video essays[]

Analytical videos on the subject of the Spacing Guild and its role in the Dune universe.

References[]

  1. Dune, Appendix II
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