The Starving and The Scattering:

[TMA_1]

Basically this is a pretty simple request. I would like it if people wrote down what they think in detail happened during these two events. Basically I would like to hear peoples opinions on what they think happened at the start of these events, and what happened through them. I cant post on this now, but I will as soon as I am able, probably later tonight. Till then write down the events that were explained from the books, and what you think happened as well from your own assumptions or pieces stuck from the books and from your own intuition.

[Spectral Paladin]

I believe a little bit of chaos since people felt no more restrained by Leto II's enforced peace. Depletion of resources probably led to frequent wars and eventually some groups were forced to seek new homes far away from the Old Empire. That is my impression but it's been a long time since I last read God Emperor of Dune and the last two books, perhaps they provide more clues as to what happened.

[TMA_1]

this is how I saw it from reading the novels.

After Leto II died, and all the changes of power occured, freedom began to sink back into the way of life for people. Maybe not in an instant, but pretty quickly. After the spice hoards were found, and the spacing guild was able to travel with more freedom, as well as when the spice began to be mined and artificial spice came into existance, people could travel much easier. During the transition there was probably much chaos and this bred starvation. After this when things started settling down then people started moving and growing. Because of the forced repression and the extreme (purposeful) stagnation, people felt the great need to grow and expand in this new freedom, and the scattering occured from many people, and different sects as well. Because of the repression, people spread out to find change, and at such a large level that the fear of perminant stagnation would be destroyed for a long long time.

thats what I kinda get at least.

[SpiceGuid]

As always FH says as less as possible so it's basically a question of intuition.

Because, with LetoII death, the extreme pression is relaxed, the vitality explodes and spreads in the universe to the point humans are no more bound by central political and religious powers. Only by repression can he convince people to renunce the intellectual laziness of following a god-leader. 

LetoII body itself is an allegory of the process, he is one (one worm, one deity) so he can become multiple (individualities) but without loosing vitality (because each sandtrout is potentially a worm).

He is in constant struggle between the opposite dangers of fascism and anarchism.

If he dies too soon then vitality will be lost (the worm could not be recreated).

If he dies too late then freedom will be lost (the sandtrouts would not be liberated).

So where and when he dies are the most important things.

Of course these are the only things he can't foresee.

But world is full of indirect means.

Seems to me the body allegory is also linguistic:

worm => whole => single

sandtrout => sand-particle => multiple

So it's equally important LetoII dies before he marries because the worm has to stay "single". Apparently FH amuses himself with words.

[TMA_1]

hmm isnt that overdoing it a bit though spiceguid? I just think it might be a bit too much.

[SpiceGuid]

i concede it's overdoing, but Dune world and LetoII are excessive by nature so the ideas they inspire me are not moderated either. and i like to think everything is purposely in Dune novels. otherwise i am a really moderate guy.

if you ask me more about the specific "historical" details of The Scaterring, well i have no idea. FH does not write about them and that makes them look not so important to me. i concentrate my attention on what seems important to FH. and what seems important to me is the conflict of the people vs. the leader, the humanity vs. the deity, the singular vs. the multitude, the freedom vs. the faith, the body vs. the destiny. then i use these themes to elaborate my personal and contrived interpretation that spans as many themes as possible.

my reader approach is i have read GEoD only 3 times. now i restrain myself from reading it more. i mentally reconstruct characters from memory, because that's what most of the characters do in the novels.

so i am sure you could exhibit many excerpts that prove i am wrong  :-X

but you won't do, you know Dune is just entertainment and you want to share the experience, and you do that pretty well, both strict and tolerant.