Rastafari is taken from Ras Tafari , the pre-regnal title of Haile Selassie I, composed of Amharic Ras (literally “Head,” an Ethiopian title equivalent to Duke ), and Haile Selassie’s pre-regnal given name, Tafari. RasTafari are generally distinguished for asserting the doctrine that Haile Selassie I, the former and final Emperor