Caladan

Caladan is a fictional planet in the "Dune" universe created by Frank Herbert.

Overview

Caladan, the third planet of Delta Pavonis, is the ancestral fiefdom of House Atreides, and Paul Atreides' home for fifteen years. The Atreides family have controlled the fief of Caladan for twenty-six generations, living in the ancient Castle Caladan.

The surface of the planet is predominantly covered with water and the planetary climate is characterised by abundant precipitation and strong winds, yet tolerable enough to make special and expensive weather control measures unnecessary. Habitable land is often characterised by soft meadows, swamps and dense forests. The resource base of Caladan consists mainly of agriculture and biomass, with the locally bred and grown pundi rice being its main export, and fishing a traditional source of sustenance for its people. Other traditional products include wine and various livestock, most prominently cattle. Cuisine on Caladan is rather refined, with most dishes containing meat or sea-products.

Caladan joined the League of Nobles first after the beginning of the Butlerian Jihad, for protection against Omnius. This was the place where the first Atreides, Vorian Atreides, met the love of his life, Leronica Tergiet, who ran a tavern at a port. Vor spent much time on Caladan, and he realised that of all the planets that he had seen during his service to the Army of the Jihad, this was his favorite. Vorian told Leronica that he wanted to build a castle here and rule as a nobleman, something that Leronica laughed at. This comes with some irony, since Caladan would finally end up as the duchy of the Atreides.

House Atreides was given the siridar dukedom of Caladan in 8711 A.G., and became very popular among the population of the planet due to their honourable rule. The Atreides family would rule this planet for twenty-six generations. As written in the novel "", the Duke Paulus Atreides, also known as the 'Old Duke', was greatly loved by his people for his penchants to fight brutal Salusan bulls in great spectacles, and his tendencies for openness. For example, Duke Paulus took in a young Duncan Idaho, who had recently escaped from Giedi Prime, where he would become a main character in the Dune novels.

Caladan has a strong military defense force based on naval and aerial superiority, and the people of Caladan are fiercely loyal to House Atreides. The elite forces of the Atreides army are even said to rival the Emperor's "Sardaukar" in fighting prowess. Due to such military strength, Caladan is considered impregnable, which prompts the conspiracy of House Atreides' enemies to lure them to a more vulnerable position on Arrakis. The dukedom is given to Count Fenring and his wife in the Atreides' absence.

Upon the Atreides ascension to the Imperial Throne at the end of "Dune", Lady Jessica requests, and is granted, the dukedom of Caladan. Except for the events of "Children of Dune", she presumably lived on and ruled Caladan for the remainder of her life.

After the time of the novel "God Emperor of Dune", it simply became known as Dan, a shortened form of the name.