Dune: Part Two is a movie laden with hidden meanings and intricate details, which includes the face tattoos Lady Jessica sports for much of the film’s runtime. Based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 masterpiece of the same name, the Dune movies explore complex themes of religion, faith, messianism, and destiny through the lens of Paul Attredies (Timothée Chalamet). Symbolism is used in both the novel and its big-screen adaptations to convey many of these ideas, with Lady Jessica’s tattoos being one such example of this.

Played by Rebecca Ferguson, Lady Jessica is Paul’s mother and one of Dune 2‘s main characters. After being introduced in the first film as both a warrior and a member of Dune‘s Bene Gesserit, Lady Jessica undergoes a radical transformation into the Fremen Reverend Mother in the second installment. Along with her new title and status, Lady Jessica also exhibits a face tattoo that has a deeper meaning than many might realize.

Lady Jessica Has The Bene Gesserit’s Litany Against Fear Tattooed On Her Face In Dune 2

The Litany Is One Of The Novel’s Most Famous Passages

Lady Jessica’s transformation in Dune 2 is triggered when she drinks from the Water of Life and inherits the memories of all the past Bene Gesserit Reverand Mothers. She gains the power to communicate with her unborn child, begins donning elegant regalia, and, most importantly, accumulates several tattoos. Lady Jessica’s most prominent tattoo is the one she sports on her face, which is actually a Bene Gesserit litany in written form. Known as the Litany Against Fear, it’s one of the most famous passages in Herbert’s original novel. It reads as follows:

I must not fear.

Fear is the mind-killer.

Fear is the little-death that brings obliteration.

I will face my fear and I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing.

Only I will remain.

The full litany is recited by Lady Jessica during a key scene in 2021’s Dune. When Paul is subjected to pain as a way of testing his presence of mind, Jessica listens to his screams and quotes the Litany Against Fear as a way of comforting herself and strengthening her son. Essentially, the litany is a mantra against fear that is spoken by Lady Jessica, either in part or in full, at various points, particularly in moments of danger. The Litany Against Fear is also shown to be used by the Bene Gesserit to influence the world around them.

How Jessica’s Facial Tattoos Connect To The Lisan Al Gaib Prophecy In Dune 2

They Are Symbolic Of The Character’s Dark Turn

As well as relating to the Bene Gesserit and the Litany Against Fear, Lady Jessica’s facial markings also connect to Dune 2‘s Lisan al Gaib prophecy. In an interview with The New York Times, Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve explained that by tattooing herself, “She’s trying to play on the symbolism that was put in the prophecy,” and that “There’s some kind of madness in writing elements of the prophecies on her face“. The prophecy states that a messiah from another world, known as the Lisan al Gaib, will lead the people of Arakis to salvation.

Many of the Fremen believe Paul to be the Lisan al Gaib, and Dune 2 revolves around Paul and Lady Jessica’s efforts to win more and more of them over. Being a member of the Bene Gesserit, Jessica is cunning and manipulative. Arguably, Jessica is the character with the most influence, pulling the strings from behind the scenes to ensure that the prophecy is fulfilled. The tattoos play a part in this, demonstrating her commitment to the prophecy and serving as a symbol of how it has consumed her.

Source: The New York Times