One of the great highlights in the universe of Dune are the giant sandworms that wreak havoc on the planet Arrakis. But they are more than just giant animals, even though that may not be evident in the films. They are essential for the infrastructure of the universe.
When one thinks of Dune, one quickly thinks of the giant sandworms of Arrakis that live in the desert. In the Dune films, they are portrayed as one of the greatest dangers, but also as a religious symbol for the Fremen, who also use the worms as a means of transportation.
However, there is more to the sandworms than the films reveal. They are not just inhabitants of Arrakis; without them, there would be no spice – and without spice, the infrastructure of the universe would collapse. The Spacing Guild could not travel, and thus trade would come to a standstill.
Sandworms are not just born
How do sandworms form? The large sandworms are not born that way; they start as microscopic plankton creatures. They feed on spice and others of their kind until they grow larger and become a kind of larva. These larvae seek water on Arrakis, which they collect beneath the desert. Countless larvae join together to form a kind of dome filled with water.
This is beneficial for the large sandworms because water is toxic to them. In these larval domes, other materials and gases also accumulate along with the water. This creates a pressure that eventually leads to an explosion. Most larvae die, but the survivors repeat the process and over the years become a small sandworm.
When such a sandworm dies, it disintegrates back into small larvae, which repeat the process. The large sandworms then feed on sand, which their bodies convert into energy.
Without sandworms, there is no spice
Why are sandworms so important? The mass that is created by the larvae under the sand is essentially a precursor to the spice. Due to the pressure, this mass explodes and reaches the surface. Due to the heat and conditions of the desert, this precursor then transforms into spice. The empire then harvests the spice at these locations.
During harvesting, one is indeed disturbed by the territorial sandworms, but if one were to kill them, it would endanger the production of spice and thus the entire empire.
For the Fremen, the inhabitants of Arrakis, the sandworms have a religious significance. They are called Shai-Hulud, which can mean Old Man of the Desert
, Old Father Infinity
, or Grandfather of the Desert
.
For the Fremen, the sandworms are a symbol of their faith and a form of their god, who originates from the Zensunni people.
Young sandworms are used for ceremonies, but more importantly is the water of life. Normal water is toxic to sandworms because their metabolism collapses upon intake, causing them to die a painful death. However, this also creates the water of life.
This is used by the Bene Gesserit to create a Reverend Mother
from a member of the order. This grants her access to the genetic memories of her ancestors. The Fremen also use the water of life for rituals.
The end and the return of the sandworms
What happens to the sandworms after the story of Paul Atreides? Years after the events of the films, Paul’s son, Leto II, ruled as God Emperor over the universe. To pave the golden path for humanity
, Leto terraformed Arrakis into a paradise.
Due to the water and the new flora and fauna, the sandworms died out on Arrakis. However, Leto did not allow them to die completely, as he tricked the sandworm larvae into recognizing him as a source of water.
Thus, he transformed into a worm-man. After his death, several larvae emerged from his body, which then inhabited Arrakis again, and the cycle began anew. This took 1,500 years. Soon you will even be able to explore Arrakis yourself: The survival MMO of Dune shows its epic story in the trailer, and with a bit of luck, you might be able to test it for free on Steam soon.
