The Orange Catholic Bible
Author: The Commission of Ecumenical Translators
Publisher: Not known
Source book: Dune by Frank Herbert
The Orange Catholic Bible features largely in all the Dune books. Characters have favourite passages in this slightly improbable merging of (what seem to be) Roman Catholic and Protestant writings. Although, when Dr Wellington Yueh gives a tiny old copy of the Bible to Paul Atreides, he tells Paul to open the book at “four-sixty-seven Kalima”: a reference to Islam.
In one of the appendices to Dune (which not everyone will read), we learn that The Orange Catholic Bible is a religious text produced by the Commission of Ecumenical Translators. It contains elements of most ancient religions, including the Maometh Saari, Mahayana Christianity, Zensunni Catholicism and Buddislamic traditions. It’s supreme commandment is considered to be: “Thou shalt not disfigure the soul.”
Hmmm… Considering how many thousands of years in the future Dune is set, it seems a little surprising that so many recognisable religions should still be featuring so strongly in people’s lives. I mean, two thousand years ago the Greeks and the Egyptians were worshiping Zeus and Osiris; and much more recently the Aztecs were sacrificing children to Tlāloc, their scary-sounding god of rain. Yes, we know about these religions but I don’t know of anyone who subscribes to these religions, or regularly reads religious writings from so long ago unless of course they are students of history or religion.
But, I suppose if you want to include religion, it’s a whole lot easier to include one (or several) that your readers will recognise.
Weirdly, I read that The Orange Catholic Bible is a real book these days. You can buy it on Amazon! Mind you, it only gets three stars so obviously it can’t be the real thing. Of course not. And there’s fan fiction too, all sorts of stuff online.
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| Images borrowed from the internet |
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