What Is The 'Lisan Al-Gaib'? The 'Dune 2 Prophecy' And The Memes About It Explained

The Dune: Part Two film keeps giving new material for netizens to create memes and jokes on the internet. One of the fandom's obsessions is the "Lisan al-Gaib," a promised Messiah in the Dune universe that becomes the pivotal plot engine in Denis Villeneuve's sequel.

As mentioned in a previous explainer, the prophecy was heavily utilized in the Stilgar Stare memes, based on one of Paul Atreides' most loyal and fanatic followers.

Although, the 'Lisan al-Gaib' was already mentioned in 2021's Dune Part One film, the Messiah only grew as a mainstream meme thanks to the new sequel released in late February 2024.

There's a lot of exposition in Frank Herbert's original novel Dune detailing the 'Lisan al-Gaib' and the promised Messiah, but we'll try to explain the term in the most memetic way possible.

What Is The 'Lisan al-Gaib'?

To put it simply, Lisan al-Gaib (Arabic: لسان الغيب) is the term that describes a savior prophesized and adored by the Fremen, the native inhabitants of the desert planet Arrakis. The term is translated as "The Voice from the Outer World," in which the Fremen believe he is a Messiah figure who is supposedly an outsider of their tribe and is slated to become a savior to the millions of Arrakis.

In 2021 Dune Part One, the term is first mentioned when the main character, Paul Atreides, arrives at Arrakis and is welcomed by a large crowd of Fremen, who loudly chant "Lisan al-Gaib." The scene was uploaded on YouTube by user @khaled1240 (shown below).

How Dune Part Two Mentions The 'Lisan Al Gaib Prophecy'?

Moving forward to February 2024, the promised Messiah of Dune: Part Two's world is the center of all the conflicts and machinations planted by the Bene Gesserit, a sisterhood of powerful witch-like beings who aid the noble houses of Dune's universe. Paul's mother, Lady Jessica, is part of the sisterhood and is responsible for augmenting most of the rumors about Paul being the long-awaited Lisan al-Gaib.

The Lisan al Gaib prophecy from the Fremen's perspective states a series of signs and deeds this messianic figure will have to accomplish to prove he is the One. A key aspect of the film that shows this mythos in action is the interactions between Paul Atreides and Stilgar, one of the leaders of the Fremen. Stilgar's adoration and blind faith in his promised Messiah sparked memes en masse, humorously portraying him as amazed by simple feats.

What Are Some Of The Memes About The 'Lisan al-Gaib Prophecy'?

The earliest memetic mention of "Lisan al-Gaib" was posted after the release of Dune Part One, in October 2021. For instance, on October 14th, 2021, X user @thegrlfromperth posted a picture of Paul Atreides (Thimothée Chalamet) paired with the caption "HE IS MUAD'DIB LISAN AL GAIB THE KWITSATZ HADERACH."

The release of Dune Part Two and its focus on religion and the realization of the "Lisan al-Gaib" prophecy sparked more memes and jokes about the term on the internet. For example, For instance, on March 3rd, 2024, TikTok user @sarahhdevito posted a video of a person who looks like actor Thimothée Chalamet doing a Vogue dance and the overlay text "Paul Atreides after learning to walk in the sand like a Fremen as not to alert the sandworm (he is Lisan al-Gaib)." (shown below, left)

On the same day, TIkTok user @moviesandstuff14 posted a video using the Who Is Duffy Grimes sound to create a POV meme of Stilgar talking about the Lisan al-Gaib. (shown below, right)

For the full history of the Lisan al-Gaib, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.