I will get to my thoughts later, but first some background on the current going theories about the name of the Emperor's prison planet / Sardaukar farm system.
When searching for info on this I came upon a 2 year old post asking about the name, noting that Secundus is a Latin word for second (as in 2nd) but also having the meaning of favorable, willing, or lucky referring to the state of something.
One user, u/Hadi_Benotto, pointed out that on star maps things are often referred to as *primus* or *secundus* to denote the order of celestial bodies (e.g. 1st and 2nd stars in a constellation, stars in a binary system, or planets in a star system). Geidi Prime I believe is an example of this and it's my understanding that Salusa Secundus is the 3rd planet it it's system, so here it might be referring to Salusa belonging to the second star of its binary system. In any case, this is an interesting in-universe explanation but doesn't get at the reason for the author naming it this, especially considering Herbert clearly put a lot of thought into the naming of characters, locations, languages, etc.
Other respondents, including u/tyrant-leto-2, expanded on the Latin theory suggesting Salusa might be derived from the Latin word *salus* meaning healthy. While the ablative form of salus is actually salute, this is still an interesting wrinkle and they concluded that Herbert could have named it Salusa Secundus to essentially call it "favorable / conducive to health" in Latin, a joke about the planets famously harsh conditions.
Dune wiki acknowledges the Latin noun *salus* theory. It also posits that the name could be derived from the Jewish *Shalish* -- with a variant being *Shalisha* -- their name for the constellation Aries. This idea being that Gamma Arietis, which is a binary star, could be the namesake for the planet. This transforms the name into (Gamma) Shalisha Secundus, with Secundus again simply referring to the second star in the system.
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I want to suggest another possible etymology for Salusa Secundus which notes the obvious Latin "Secundus," but also gives the name a historical grounding much in the way that "Atreides" comes from the famous House of Atreus in Greek myth. My theory is not acknowledged through in-universe cannon like Atreides-Atreus but it is I think a good fit for where Herbert may have gotten the name.
I was reading "A History of the Later Roman Empire" by Stephen Mitchell. I'm at a section describing a succession crisis that mirrors closely how Emperor Diocletian rose to power 80 or so years earlier. The relevant part is that in both instances successors were chosen by a cadre of Roman military officers on campaign. In the second succession crisis the Emperor Julian the Apostate is killed during a military expedition in Mesopotamia (presumably by the Sassanids thought some suspect foul play because of his anti-Christian policies, this was 57 years post-Constantine). There was no Caesar on hand to succeed him.
After the death of Julian, the first man nominated to become Emperor was a Praetorian Prefect of the Orient by the name of **Salutius Secundus**
Obviously, my theory is that Salusa Secundus is named after this notable, but relatively obscure figure. Obscure only because he did not accept the post of Emperor due to age, or he may have been rejected by the officers after further consideration.
Caveat: I'm a Dune noob (first book + movie), but I have never been so invested and engulfed by a work of fiction before.
The litany against fear was used by Paul Atreides when the Reverand Mother tests him with the Gom Jabbar at his neck. "He felt calmness return", it says. Why?
I have an experiential answer to my question. I, myself, have a similar tool - a totem of sorts. It was taught to me by my mother when I was young, perhaps 8 years or so. I was instructed to recite it in times of need, fear, and confusion. It's called the Ram Raksha Stotra (I'm Sanatani/Hindu).
It had a similar effect the way Paul's did. A sense of calm. A return of clarity in a turbulent mind. A feeling of security. A confidence in my abilities.
It was surprisingly effective. Although, I have a hypothesis that it must be learnt and practiced at a young age for it to have the effect it had on me. The young mind is plastic and innocent. It grabs on to hope without need for much evidence, as long as it produces the desired effect.
Do the words even matter? Sure, it's nice to intellectualize the litany, but for me, the mere sound and tonality of my inner voice guiding my mind was enough to bring about a change in personality.
I'd like your thoughts. Why does it work? Is it delusion, or is it belief? Is it reinforcement, or is it just a reminder?
Delusion: Did I fool myself into a fantasy world of safety and protection?
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