Glossu Rabban
Encyclopedia
Glossu Rabban is a fictional character
in the science fiction
novel
Dune
by Frank Herbert
.
The Appendix IV: The Almanak of en-Ashraf (Selected Excepts of the Noble Houses in Dune states:
Glossu Rabban was the older nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. He inherited the Harkonnen cruelty and sadism but without the intelligence. He was known to the Fremen
of Dune by the nickname 'Mudir Nahya', which translates as "Demon Ruler" or "King Cobra
". He is best known for his tyrannical and vastly ineffective governance of Arrakis
during the insurgency by the Fremen led by Paul Muad'dib
. He earned the nickname "Beast" when he killed his father, Abulurd Harkonnen II.
The Baron planned to let Glossu rule the planet for a time in the most brutal way possible, so that when the favored nephew, Feyd-Rautha, took over, the new ruler would be welcomed as a hero. Notably, Glossu had told his Uncle on their return to Arrakis (when they had seized it from the Atreides) that he felt the Harkonnens had woefully underestimated both the numbers and threat of the Fremen population, to no avail. He is slain by Paul Muad'Dib's wild Fremen and the very populace of Arrakeen which he had brutalized only recently, when Paul made his move to retake Arrakis and gain the Corrino
throne. In the 1984 film version, The Beast is beheaded by the Sardaukar
when the Emperor decides to eliminate the population of the planet.
"Rabban" is a distaff
name. It is a tradition on Lankiveil that children carry the surname of their mothers.
Rabban was played by Paul L. Smith
in David Lynch
's 1984 film Dune
, and by László I. Kish in the Dune miniseries
(2000).
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Dune
Dune (novel)
Dune is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert, published in 1965. It won the Hugo Award in 1966, and the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel...
by Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
.
The Appendix IV: The Almanak of en-Ashraf (Selected Excepts of the Noble Houses in Dune states:
COUNT GLOSSU RABBAN (10,132--10,193) Glossu Rabban, Count of Lankiveil, was the eldest nephew of Vladimir HarkonnenVladimir HarkonnenThe Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is a fictional character from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the 1965 novel Dune, in which he is the secondary antagonist, and is also a major character in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson...
. Glossu Rabban and Feyd-Rautha RabbanFeyd-RauthaThe na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert.The younger nephew of the cruel, powerful and cunning Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, the dark-haired, 16-year old Feyd is as lean and muscular as the Baron is morbidly...
(who took the name Harkonnen when chosen for the Siridar-Baron's household) were legal sons of the Siridar Baron's youngest demibrother, Abulurd. Abulurd renounced the Harkonnen name and all rights to the title when given the subdistrict governorship of Rabban-Lankiveil. Rabban was a distaff name.
Glossu Rabban was the older nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. He inherited the Harkonnen cruelty and sadism but without the intelligence. He was known to the Fremen
Fremen
The Fremen are a group of people in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. First appearing in the 1965 novel Dune, the Fremen inhabit the desert planet Arrakis and are based on the desert-dwelling Bedouin and Kalahari Bushmen. In Herbert's novels, Arrakis is the sole known source...
of Dune by the nickname 'Mudir Nahya', which translates as "Demon Ruler" or "King Cobra
King Cobra
The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake, with a length up to 5.6 m . This species, which preys chiefly on other snakes, is found predominantly in forests from India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia...
". He is best known for his tyrannical and vastly ineffective governance of Arrakis
Arrakis
Arrakis — informally known as Dune and later called Rakis — is a fictional desert planet featured in the Dune series of novels by Frank Herbert. Herbert's first novel in the series, 1965's Dune, is popularly considered one of the greatest science fiction novels of all time, and it is...
during the insurgency by the Fremen led by Paul Muad'dib
Paul Atreides
Paul Atreides is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. Paul is a prominent character in the first two novels in the series, Dune and Dune Messiah , and returns in Children of Dune . The character is brought back as two different gholas in the Brian Herbert/Kevin J...
. He earned the nickname "Beast" when he killed his father, Abulurd Harkonnen II.
The Baron planned to let Glossu rule the planet for a time in the most brutal way possible, so that when the favored nephew, Feyd-Rautha, took over, the new ruler would be welcomed as a hero. Notably, Glossu had told his Uncle on their return to Arrakis (when they had seized it from the Atreides) that he felt the Harkonnens had woefully underestimated both the numbers and threat of the Fremen population, to no avail. He is slain by Paul Muad'Dib's wild Fremen and the very populace of Arrakeen which he had brutalized only recently, when Paul made his move to retake Arrakis and gain the Corrino
House Corrino
Imperial House Corrino is a fictional noble family from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. The Corrinos come to power after mankind's victory against the thinking machines at the Battle of Corrin , and rule until deposed by Paul Atreides approximately 10,000 years later during the events...
throne. In the 1984 film version, The Beast is beheaded by the Sardaukar
Sardaukar
The Sardaukar are a fictional fanatical army from Frank Herbert's Dune universe, primarily featured in the 1965 science fiction novel Dune, as well as Brian Herbert and Kevin J...
when the Emperor decides to eliminate the population of the planet.
"Rabban" is a distaff
Distaff
As a noun, a distaff is a tool used in spinning. It is designed to hold the unspun fibers, keeping them untangled and thus easing the spinning process. It is most commonly used to hold flax, and sometimes wool, but can be used for any type of fiber. Fiber is wrapped around the distaff, and tied in...
name. It is a tradition on Lankiveil that children carry the surname of their mothers.
Rabban was played by Paul L. Smith
Paul L. Smith
Paul L. Smith is an American character actor. Burly, bearded, and imposing, he has appeared in films and occasionally on TV since the 1970s, generally playing "heavies" and bad guys...
in David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
's 1984 film Dune
Dune (film)
Dune is a 1984 science fiction film written and directed by David Lynch, based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides, and includes an ensemble of well-known American and European actors in supporting roles. It was filmed at the Churubusco...
, and by László I. Kish in the Dune miniseries
Frank Herbert's Dune
Frank Herbert's Dune is a 2001 3D video game based on the 2000 Sci Fi Channel miniseries of the same name. The game was not a commercial or critical success, and was the last product by Cryo Interactive, which went bankrupt shortly after the game's failure.As Paul, the son of the Duke Atreides's...
(2000).