Gom jabbar
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The gom jabbar is a fictional device appearing in Frank Herbert's Dune universe. According to Terminology of the Imperium, the glossary of the novel Dune, the gom jabbar is "The high-handed enemy; that specific poison needle tipped with meta-cyanide used by Bene Gesserit Proctors in the death-alternative test of human awareness."
In Dune, Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam uses a gom jabbar to test Paul Atreides just prior to his departure to Arrakis. This "humanity test" is carried out with a box that produces pain by nerve induction, causing severe pain that is strictly psychological. Only a human is considered to be able to withstand the urge to take the hand out of the box. Any person who does withdraw their hand is stung with the gom jabbar, causing instant death.
Later in the novel, Paul's sister Alia uses the "Atreides gom jabbar" to kill the evil Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.
In the novel's climactic scene, Paul Muad'Dib uses the gom jabbar as a pointed analogy when he tells Reverend Mother Helen Gaius Mohiam, "I remember your gom jabbar, you remember mine. I can kill you with a word."
[edit] Origin of the term
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The phrase appears to be lifted from the Qur'an, verse 5:22, where it appears as قوم جبّار qawm jabbār, literally meaning "a powerful people" or "an oppressive people," referring to the Canaanites whose power daunted the Israelites. In this verse they tell Moses that they will not enter the land as long as the qawm jabbār remains there. The Arabic word jabbār in this verse has been translated variously as "giant," "of exceeding strength," "haughty," "arrogant," or "ferocious." Similarly, Herbert defines his gom jabbar as "the high-handed enemy." In some Arabic dialects, the consonant /q/ may be pronounced [g], and the diphthong /aw/ may be pronounced [o], which accounts for the variations in spelling.
Separately, the first part "gom" may come from the Arabic qaum which can be pronounced in dialects, especially the Egyptian one, as "gom." This means "mass." specifically "a mass of people." In the Egyptian dialect it denotes as well a heap of soil or a mound. Derivatives of the root QWM, can mean something which stands up (qā'im), resistance (muqāwama) or pillar (qiwām). The second part "jabbar" appears to come from the Arabic word jabbār, the one who uses coercion to force something.
[edit] Gom jabbar in popular culture
In the Massive Multiplayer Online Game, World of Warcraft, a trinket named "Jom Gabbar" can be found after killing Ouro the Sandworm in the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj (A 40 man raid instance located in Silithus, a desert region) [1][2]. The device is also referenced to in the The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy episode "My Fair Mandy". In the episode, Mandy's nemesis, Mindy, is subjected to the test as part of a beauty contest that both are taking part in. She claims that "It burns!" and withdraws her hand, only to lose points from the judges. In the webcomic Questionable Content, main character Faye uses the term "Mom Jabbar" to describe the experience of a dinner with her roommate's particularly intimidating mother.[3]
[edit] References
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