Rastafarianism and Their Symbols - Term Paper Rastafarianism and Their Symbols A brief introduction on Rastafarianism The Rastafarian religion was originated in Africa it is not just a religion, but away of life. Rastafarians speak out against poverty, oppression and inequality, not just religion ideas but global problems. For many years Rastafarian continues to grow against the tide of official and social approbation. The early elders were charged with sedition and locked up, while others were declared insane placed in the Jamaican equivalent of Bedlam. Even though Rasta was the poorest and the lowest of all they were secure with great knowledge. This religion is more than a religious gathering, however, since Rasta does not compartmentalize life into spiritual and non-spiritual periods it is an integrated way of living and of thinking of what goes beyond most definitions of religion. In 1933-1934 there was a Rastafarian movement. This movement was led by Haile Selassie I whose previous name was Rastafari Makonnen before he was crowned Emperor under the name of Haile Selassie I in October 1930.

During this movement the Rastafarian take the bible as its sacred text, but interprets it in an Afro-centric because they want to reverse the changes that the “White” that made. The Rastafarian movement was closely linked to the ancient history of the Ethiopian civilization and largely based on the identification which Blacks have made with Ethiopia by virtue of biblical symbolism. In Ethiopia, Haile Selassie was given the title “Lion of the tribe of Judah ", which explains why there is a lion on the Rasta flag. He was also given the title “King of Kings and Lord of Lords ". Even though Haile Selassie I was seem as the leader of Rastafarianism but he is not a Rastafarian himself, he was a devout Christian. The Rastafarians respect him a lot; even when a group of Rasta’s... Rastafarianism - ReligionFacts ReligionFacts Bowker, John (ed.) Rastafarianism A religion with deep political convictions, Rastafarianism began in the slums of Jamaica in the 1920s and 30s.

African religious tradition has heavily influenced the culture of Rastafarianism and biblical themes have heavily influenced the religion's belief system. The most famous Rastafari is arguably Bob Marley, whose reggae music gained the Jamaican movement international recognition. There is no formal, organized leadership in Rastafarianism, creating a wide variety of spiritual and moral variation within the religion. Some Rastafarians see Rasta more as a way of life, and others see it more as a religion. Nevertheless, uniting the diversity within the movement is belief in the divinity and/or messiahship of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, the influence of Jamaican culture, resistance of oppression, and pride in African heritage. The Rastafarian lifestyle usually includes ritual use of marijuana, avoidance of alcohol, the wearing of one's hair in dreadlocks, and vegetarianism. Fast Facts on Rastafarianism Date founded: Generally said to be November 2, 1930, the year Emperor Hailie Selassie I (1892-1975) was crowned, but based in a movement of the 1920s.

Place founded: Jamaica Founder: Marcus Garvey (1887-1940), a black Jamaican who taught in the 1920s and is considered a second John the Baptist. Adherents: The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Ethiopian flag, colors: green, red, yellow Rastafarian religious terminology Followers of the Rastafari movement are known as Rastafarians, Rastafaris, Rastas, or Ras Tafarians. The movement is named for Ras Tafari Makonnen, who was crowned Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia in 1930. Some Rastafaris dislike the term "Rastafarianism" because they reject the "isms and schisms" that characterize oppressive and corrupt white society. The movement is referred to as "the Rastafari movement," "Rasta," or "Rastafari." Rastafari religious beliefs Rastafarians believe in the Judeo-Christian God, whom they call Jah. In general, Rastafarian beliefs are based in Judaism and Christianity, with an emphasis on Old Testament laws and prophecies and the Book of Revelation.

Jah was manifested on earth as Jesus, who Rastas believe was black, and Emperor Haile Selassie. Selassie is referred to as His Imperial Majesty or H.I.M. (pronounced "him") and believed to still be alive - his death was a hoax and he lives in protection awaiting the Day of Judgment. Selassie is worshipped as divine. (Scriptural proof texts include Revelation 5:2-5, 17:14, 19:6, 22:16, Ezekiel 30, Psalm 9, 18, 68, 76, 87:4, Isaiah 9.) Rastafarians also honor Old Testament prophets like Moses and Elijah. Rastafarians do not believe in an afterlife, [5] but instead look to Africa (called "Zion") as a heaven on earth. True Rastas are believed to be immortal, both physically and spiritually, a concept called "everliving." An important Rastafarian concept is "I and I," which is said instead of "you and I." It emphasizes the oneness between humanity and God as well as the equality of all humans.

Another central concept is Babylon, which refers to the white power structure of Europe and the Americas. Rastas seek to resist Babylon, which once cruelly enslaved blacks and still continue to hold them down through poverty, illiteracy, inequality, and trickery. The greed and conceit of Babylon is contrasted with the humble simplicity and naturalness of the Rastas. Rastafari Texts The sacred text of Rastafarians is the Holy Piby, the "Black Man's Bible." It was compiled by Robert Athlyi Rogers of Anguilla from 1913 to 1917 and published in 1924. The Holy Piby is a version of the Christian Bible that has been altered to remove all the deliberate distortions that are believed to have been made by white leaders during its translation into English. The Ethiopian national epic, the Kebra Negast, is also respected by Rastas, but less so than the Bible. Rastafari Sects and Subdivisions There are three main sects or orders of Rastafari today. All agree on the basic principles of the divine status of Haile Selassie and the importance of black images of divinity.

Many Rastafari do not belong to any sect and the movement as a whole is loosely defined and organized. The Nyahbinghi Order The Nyahbinghi Order (a.k.a. Theocratic Priesthood and Livity Order of Nyabinghi) is named for Queen Nyahbinghi of Uganda, who fought against colonialists in the 19th century. This is the oldest of the orders and it focuses mainly on Haile Selassie, Ethiopia, and the eventual return to Africa. It is overseen by an Assembly of Elders. Bobo Shanti Bobo Shanti was founded by Prince Emanuel Charles Edwards in Jamaica in the 1950s. "Bobo" means black and "Shanti" refers to the Ashanti tribe in Ghana, from which this sect believes Jamaican slaves are descended. Members of Bobo Shanti are also known as Bobo Dreads. In belief, Bobo Dreads are distinguished by their worship of Prince Emmanuel (in addition to Haile Selassie) as a reincarnation of Christ and embodiment of Jah; their emphasis on the return to Africa ("repatriation"); and their demands for monetary reimbursement for slavery.

Members of the Bobo Shanti order wear long robes and tightly wrapped turbans around their dreads. They adhere closely to the Jewish Law, including the observance of the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday and hygiene laws for menstruating women. They live separately from Jamaican society and other Rastafarians, growing their own produce and selling straw hats and brooms. They often carry brooms with them to symbolize their cleanliness. The Twelve Tribes of Israel The Twelve Tribes of Israel sect was founded in 1968 by Dr. Vernon "Prophet Gad" Carrington. It is the most liberal of the Rastafarian orders and members are free to worship in a church of their choosing. Each member of this sect belongs to one of the 12 Tribes (or Houses), which is determined by birth month and is represented by a color. 7 References & Sources "Rastafarians." Oxford Concise Dictionary of World Religions "Haile Selassie." Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service (accessed August 2006). "About H.I.M.

Haile Selassie." Jamaicans.com "The Holy Piby: The holy text of the Rastafari" - BobMarley.com "Rasta's Symbolism" - The Afrocentric Experience B. Chevannes, Rastafari and Other African-Caribbean Worldviews (Rutgers University Press, 1998), 17-18. "The Rastafarian Orders/Sects." Jamaicans.com Books - Leonard E. Barrett, Sr., The Rastafarians: Sounds of Cultural Dissonance (Boston: Beacon Press, 1988). Leonard E. Barrett, Sr., The Rastafarians: The Dreadlocks of Jamaica (Kingston: Sangster's Book Stores, 1977). E. Cashmore, The Rastafarians (London: Minority Rights Group, 1984). E. Cashmore, Rastaman: The Rastafarian Movement in England (London: G. Allen and Unwin, 1979). B. Chevannes, Rastafari and Other African-Caribbean Worldviews (New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1998). B.

Chevannes, Rastafari: Roots and Ideology (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1994). P. Clark, Black Paradise: The Rastafarian Movement (San Bernadino: Borgo Press, 1994). G. Hausman, The Kebra Negast: The Book of Rastafarian Wisdom and Faith From Ethiopia and Jamaica (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997). Kelleyana Junique, Rastafari? Rasta for You: Rastafarianism Explained (Athena Press Pub, 2004). W. Lewis, Soul Rebels: The Rastafari (Illinois: Waveland Press, 1997). J. Melton, Encyclopedia of American Religions, 5th Edition (Detroit: Gale Research. 1996). I. Morrish, Obeah, Christ, and Rastaman: Jamaica and its Religion (Cambridge: James Clarke & Co., 1982). Nathaniel Samuel Murrell, ed., Chanting Down Babylon: The Rastafari Reader (Temple University Press, 1998).

J. Owens, Dread: The Rastafarians of Jamaica (London: Heinemann Press, 1979). R. Ringenberg, Rastafarianism, an Expanding Jamaican Cult (Jamaica: Jamaica Theological Seminary, 1978). W. Spencer, Dread Jesus (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1999). BBC - Religions - Rastafari: Rastafari at a glance Rastafari at a glance This page provides an overview of the Rastafari movement including statistics, practices and history. On this page Print this page Rastafari at a glance Rastafari is a young, Africa-centred religion which developed in Jamaica in the 1930s, following the coronation of Haile Selassie I as King of Ethiopia in 1930. Rastafarians believe Haile Selassie is God and that he will return to Africa members of the black community who are living in exile as the result of colonisation and the slave trade. Rastafari theology developed from the ideas of Marcus Garvey , a political activist who wanted to improve the status of fellow blacks.

There are approximately one million world wide adherents of Rastafari as a faith. The 2001 census found 5,000 Rastafarians living in England and Wales. Followers of Rastafari are known by a variety of names: Rastafarians, Rastas, Sufferers, Locksmen, Dreads or Dreadlocks. It spread globally following the success of Bob Marley and his music in the 1970s Rastafarians believe that blacks are the chosen people of God , but that through colonisation and the slave trade their role has been suppressed The movement's greatest concerns are the repatriation of blacks to their homeland, Africa, and the reinstatement of blacks' position in society It is an exocentric religion - as Haile Selassie, whom adherents consider as God, is outside the religion Rastafari religious ceremonies consist of chanting, drumming and meditating in order to reach a state of heightened spirituality Rastafarian religious practice includes the ritual inhalation of marijuana , to increase their spiritual awareness Rastafarians follow strict dietary laws and abstain from alcohol.

Rastafarians follow a number of Old Testament Laws There is a separate code of religious practice for women in Rastafari Rastafarians believe reincarnation follows death and that life is eternal Rastafarians are forbidden to cut their hair; instead, they grow it and twist it into dreadlocks Rastafarians eat clean and natural produce, such as fruit and vegetables Rastafarians try to refrain from the consumption of meat, especially pork Rastafarians are opposed to abortion and contraception Rastafarian colours The Rastafarian colours are red, green and gold. Sometimes black is added. These colours are chosen because: Red signifies the blood of those killed for the cause of the black community, throughout Jamaican history Green represents Jamaica's vegetation and hope for the eradication of suppression Gold symbolises the wealth of Ethiopia Black signifies the colour of the Africans who initiated Rastafari The Rastafarian symbol The lion is the symbol of Rastafari. This lion represents Haile Selassie I, who is referred to as the 'Conquering Lion of Judah'. Rastafarians' dreadlocks represent the lion's mane.

Professor Snider Many people throughout the world have a hard time understanding what it means to be a Rasta. For some their troubles in understanding Rasta�s come because they look as Rastafari as only a religion. When one does this they run into many problems. This is because Rastafari is much more than a religion. It is a way of life, a social movement, as well as a mind set. Another reason why western people have a hard time understanding Rastafari is because the movement lacks the structure that the western world is use to. A lot of people�s understanding of Rasta�s only goes as far as to think that Rasta�s are people that live in Jamaica, smoke weed, and have Dreadlocks. These people do not begin to think what is behind the movement. The idea that Rastafari is strictly Jamaican is also very wrong. Since the origination of Rastafari, the Rasta movement has expanded far beyond the island of Jamaica. Rasta�s now live all over the world. There are Rasta cultures in all parts of Europe, Asia, New Zealand, United States, and especially Africa.

This paper seeks to explain Rastafari and to show it�s expansion by exposing Rasta�s culture from it�s most holy form in Ethiopia to one of it�s least holy in Dallas Texas. The Development of Rastafari The Rastafari movement stems from the teachings of the great Jamaican leader and motivator of masses, Maces Garvey. Garvey told the African people of the world to unite and to return to African, the homeland. Garvey�s vision was for the �Blacks to overcome their feelings of inferiority and build upon their own unique and evolving culture, and ultimately return to Africa to redeem their homeland and to build a future�(Dubb. Pg2) Garvey�s vision and ability to unite people made the Jamaican people enlightened to what was going on in the world. Garvey created the U.N.I.A. and the Negro World newspaper, which helped to inform the Jamaicans of what was going on in the African world. Garvey told his followers, �Look towards Africa for the crowning of a black king - he shall be the redeemer�.

Garvey often used many biblical terms in his teaching to free his movement from the oppression of the �White Man�, whether he meant them to be taken literally is unclear, but what is clear is that many Jamaicans took them literally. An event that would happen in 1930 would be as important to a Rasta's as the birth of Christ is to a Christian. In 1930 a man named Tafari Makonne or Ras Tafari (Ras meaning king) claimed himself Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie I as well as the traditional titles �King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Conquering Lion of the Tribe Judah. To some Jamaican people this meant that Garvey�s prophecy had been fulfilled. These people tuned to the Bible and through literal translation of the documents found much correlation into what had taken place. An important correlation to the Bible is the fact that Selassie claimed to be a direct descendent of King David. By Selassie claming his relation to David, he had made a coalition to Revelation 5:2-5. To some Jamaicans this meant their Messiah had arrived. In Jamaica some people such as Leonard P. Howell, J.N.

Hibert, and Archibald Dunkle, began to spread the word of the Messiah coming to save the African people. To Dunkle Howell, and Hibert Haile, Selassie became their living god. The people who listened to this soon began to call themselves Rastafarians. To these new Rasta�s, Ethiopia became their Zion, and Haile Selassie their Messiah. The Rastafari religion would continue to follow this trend of interpreting the Bible literally which lead to practices that make the Rastafari religion unique from any other. What It Means to be Rasta The beliefs of the Rastafarian are often misunderstood. To many, any one who has dreads, smokes ganja, and plays Reggae music is a Rasta. There is much more than those three elements to being a Rasta. Rastafari is more than just a religion. It is a movement and a way of life. The Rasta life style is one of peace, or at least it seeks to be one of peace. I say this because throughout the world the Rasta are oppressed and harassed and Rasta�s sometimes are forced to turn to violence for survival.

It is important when reading this section of the paper that one understands that the Rastafari has no set book of rules. The Rasta way of life that is laid out here is not true for all Rasta�s. What is said in this section is the basic beliefs of Rasta and not all Rasta�s follow these customs exactly. Ganja Smoking One of the first aspects of Rastafari that come to mind when people hear of Rastafari is their use of marijuana. The smoking Ganja for a Rasta is a special experience. They use the Ganja to help enlighten their mind so they can correctly reason the ways of the world. The Ganja is always smoked in a ritual way. Before smoking the plant the Rasta will say a prayer to Jah (God) or to Haile Selassie I. The Rasta call them reasoning sessions when they use Ganja for Nyabinghi. A Nyabinghi session is much different from a casual marijuana smoking session that western people take part in. People in the west smoke marijuana for social and entertainment reasons. In the west smoking the weed may lead to a silly time of laughing and horse play. This differs greatly from what takes place during a Nyabinghi.

A Nyabinghi is a taken very seriously. Acting silly would be considered disrespectful to a Rasta. Before Rasta smoke the ritual plant, they say a prayer to their god Haile Selassie. Unfortunately for the Rasta, the smoking of Ganja has become one of the Rasta biggest struggles. This is due to the fact that Ganja smoking is illegal in almost every country in the world with the exception of two. Throughout the world, from South Africa to Jamaica the Rasta are constantly at court with the government trying to fight for the legalization of Ganja for religious purposes. In every country that Rasta�s have gone to court to fight for this religious right they have lost. The countries that they have tried to fight for the right to smoke Ganja in include: Great Britain, United States, South African, Jamaica, and more. Many Rasta�s throughout the world have ended up in jail because of the smoking of their religious plant. The Rasta�s use of Ganja stems back to the beginning of Rastarafi in Jamaica. In 1941 one of the early teachers of Rastafari, Leonard P. Howell, set up a Rasta community of sixteen hundred Rasta�s.

This community was named Pinnacle. At Pinnacle, Howell grew Ganja as a cash crop. It was during this time that Rasta discovered the properties of Ganja that helped their reasoning process. The Rasta soon turned to the Bible and found reverence to the use of this holy plant. From this Ganja was born into the Rastafari culture. Dreadlocks. Dreadlocks are another well-known part of Rastafari. The origin of the dreadlock traces back to ancient Africa, originating in eastern Africa, �The hairstyle was worn by warriors in Kenya, and a Hairstyle of ancient Kemet and Nubia. However in Jamaica, in post slavery and Eurocentric culture, the Hairstyle was deemed in the early years as �Dreadful�(Dubb pg.3). The name dreadlock comes from the locks of hair deemed dreadful as Dubb explained. The Rasta�s also believe that they should not put sharp metal objects to their head. This comes again from interpreting the Bible literally. Due to this belief they do not believe it is right to shave or comb their hair. Another belief that led to the dreadlocks among Rasta�s is that the wearing of the Dread resembles the main of a lion.

The lion is significant because the lion is the respected king of the animal kingdom, as well as humble animal. Both of these traits the Rasta believes are divine and important to the �Black Man�. Haile Selassie I also was called �the conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah�, this makes the wearing of the dread connected to the Rasta god. The dreadlock is also a natural state of the African person hair, and by being natural the Rasta feels they are more connected to Jah. The wearing of the dread first appeared in the Rasta Community at the original Rasta community of Pinnacle. At Pinnacle Howell was growing Ganja as a cash crop and the police where constantly raiding the farms. Because of this and other border problems at the Rasta community, Howell was forced to create a group of guards to protect the area. These guards grew their hair long in the form of ancient African warriors and became known as �locksmen�. With this and the reasons given in the previous paragraph, the Dreadlock became the hairstyle of the Rasta. Just like the smoking of Ganja, the dreadlock hairstyle has lead many problems for the Rasta.

In the early days of Rastafari, Rasta who wore their hair in dread form where brutalized by the police for no reason. This pushed many Rasta into the bush of Jamaica so that they could live in peace. Things have not gotten a whole lot better for dreadlocked people. In Jamaica and other parts of the world children who have dreads are not allowed to attend some schools. Just like the Ganja issue the, the dreadlock school issue is constantly being fought in courts throughout the Rasta world. It came up lately in a South African school where a young child was not given the right to go to school because of her dreads and the issue had to be fought in court. The Rasta Diet. The Rastafari diet is something that is often overlooked by many people who do not know a great deal about Rastafari. The Rasta has a very interesting belief in their thoughts about dead beings. The Rasta�s do not like being around any animal that is dead. This idea stems into their diet. The Rasta believes that it is wrong to eat animals that have died because then you are turning your body into a cemetery. This does not mean that a Rasta will not eat dairy products.

Most Rasta�s have no problem with the consumption of milk because it does not come from a dead animal. Although most Rasta�s will not eat animal meat, many Rasta�s will eat fish. However the Rasta will not eat shellfish. This stems from more readings in the Bible. Some but not all Rasta will go as far as to not t eat fruit that has been altered from its original form. This means they would not eat fruit that has been pealed, cut, or smashed. There is also a large number of Rasta that will not eat any processed food. Rasta Dialect The dialect of the Rasta reflects their beliefs in many ways. �If you Really want to know how Rasta�s think, listen to them Talk�(Hicholas pg.37). Rasta�s take their speech very seriously. Rasta�s are often trying to make their speech sound very powerful and grateful. The Rasta�s speech reflects how they often think literally. Their speech uses a literal translation of words, just like their beliefs use a literal translation of biblical readings. Their speech reflects their protest against oppression, as well as their protest against authority.

When the Rasta�s speech is analyzed, it shows how the Rasta�s are always trying to think positively. The Rastafarian rhetoric changes the English language in a way that helps them make more sense of the world, as well as to protest against what the Rasta believe to be unjust. Rasta will often change word from a negative meaning to a positive meaning. The changing of the word understand to �overstand� is an example of this. To �overstand� means to fully and entirely have a grasp of a concept. This Rasta reasoning for this is that something that is under is worse than something that is over it, so they change �under� to �over�. A Rasta might say �I and I, must not just understand but overstand, seen�. A Rasta will almost never use a negative term. They will always replace it with something positive. This is a great reflection on how the Rasta always sees things positively. Another interesting concept of the Rasta�s language is their concept of I and I. The letter �I� is in almost every part of their language. It is in the name of their Religion �Rastafari�, and it is part of their gods title Selassie I.

The Rasta use the word to connect themselves to god, to show that that god is always part of them. A Rasta will never �I am going there� instead it would be �I and I am going there�. The Rasta does this to show that god is part of him, and that he is not separate from any other person. �I� is also used to replace letters of powerful words. This too is reflected in the word �you� not being part of the Rasta language. The Rasta believes that first there was just �I� and then the devil came and created �you�. The Rasta�s Social Thought. The Rasta believes in peace and they are constantly trying to preach down violence. This preaching down of violence is often hard for Rasta�s to do because most Rasta live in poor areas where peace is often unattainable. The Rasta fear world wars, and especially Nuclear war. This want for world peace is heard often in the Rasta�s Reggae music. One of the most important parts of Rasta thought is the protest against authority and structure. The Rasta�s refer to the authorities that rule the world as Babylon.

Babylon is connected to the devil and is ruled by the oppressive �white man�. This rejection of authority can be seen in how Rastafari has no rules like many other religions do. There is not one thing that Rasta has to do to be a Rasta because that would defeat the whole purpose of being a Rasta. The Rasta�s reject the Pope very much. �Burn the Pope. Burn the Pope man�.The Pope is a vampire, wants our blood. Selassie I is the head. The Pope is the devil�(Lewis pg 45). This quote of a Jamaican Rasta is an example of how the Rasta�s feel about organized religion and the Pope. Rasta�s economic beliefs are anti-capitalism. The Rasta�s believe that Capitalism is part of Babylon. Rasta�s believe what is yours is also your neighbors. This does not mean that Rasta�s would approve of Communism. To a Rasta Communism would be too structured. They would also reject the idea of a leader telling them what to do. Most Rasta�s also do not believe in paying taxes. Because of this most Rasta�s do not take part in the formal economy.

Instead they either live in a place where they can survive on what they can grow or they take part in the informal economy and survive through street vending. Some Rasta�s survive by selling Ganja, or other illegal substances. One unfortunate part of Rastafari is their negative attitude toward females. Most Rasta�s believe that females are not equal to men. They believe that a good woman must always respect men and do what they ask. This is very contrary to much of their other beliefs about people being equal. Rasta men often beat their wives for being lazy. Rasta men believe that being naked is good because you are closer to god in your natural state. However Rasta�s believe that women should not show off their bodies. Rasta�s belief of sexual contact also differs from men to women. Rasta men often have many different partners, while it is wrong for Rasta women to give more than a hand shake to more than one man. Rastafari in Ethiopia. For many Rasta�s moving back to Ethiopia is their dream. Fortunately for some this dream has come true. In 1963 Emperor Haile Selassie I gave 500 hectares of land to any African that wished to return to Ethiopia.

The land that was given is located in the small southern Ethiopian town of Shasemene. The small town of Shasemene has a population of 13,000. The people living in this town are 90% Christian and 10% Muslim. The town has many visitors because it is a cross roads of the three largest Ethiopian cities. Prostitution is very common in this town and many women make good money through this business. Other than prostitution there is little contact between the sexes. The town�s economic base is in trade and farming. The staple crops are maize, beans, potatoes, wheat, barley and injera (a local grain used in traditional Ethiopian breads). Separate from this economy the Rasta�s have set up a commune that lies three miles outside of the main market of Shashemene. The town has grown from the original 12 Rasta�s to two hundred families. Almost all of the Rasta�s living in the town have come from Jamaica. For the most part the only ones who have not are Ethiopian woman who have intermarried with the Rasta�s. The Rasta�s who live here are members of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

The Twelve Tribes is the most organized form of Rastafari that there is. The origin of the group is in Jamaica and has branches in Brooklyn, NY. The Twelve Tribes tend to be more radical in their beliefs than other Rasta�s. They believe strongly in the return of all Rasta�s to Africa. The Rasta�s compound is made up of houses that are made out of mud, straw, clay and loose concrete mix. The structure of these houses is very strong, but none of the houses are more than one story. This is because the Rasta�s of this area believe that building their houses over one story would be invading Gods area. The walls of these houses are also very porous because the Rasta�s say that is so they can breath while inside. The Rasta�s that live in the compound at Shashemene are able to live without being controlled by any kind of state. Their economy is completely informal. This is able to work because the land is very fertile and they can grow almost all they need to survive. What they can�t grow they get from the trading at the market and other funding that comes from Jamaica and other organizations.

Because of this the people of the compound are completely free and truly live with no other person governing their actions. There is no class order in the compound. Work projects are done by the most skilled person in that field, being in charge of the project. Life for women in the Rasta compound at Shashemene is not great. In fact it is more oppressive than in other areas of Rastafari culture. Women are often severely beaten for taking too long to go to the market. The men often time how long it takes to go to the market and come back with out wasting time to talk or any other pleasure. If the woman does not return in this pre planed time they are often beaten. �She showed me scars she bore from such a beating when she was punished for lingering too long in the daily market. Her husband had carefully timed her trips to the market and lateness aroused suspicions of infidelity�(Lewis pg 112) This is grossly unfair for when men go to the market they spend much time lingering around, smoking Ganja, listening to the BBC to see what is happening in the world as well as discussing their view of world politics of other Rasta�s.

The daily life for a man living in the Twelve Tribe compound is much different than that of the women. The men spend most of their time involved in activities that are not related to work. They will spend much of their time smoking and discussing Rasta world views, as well painting pictures of Haile Selasie I. Most Rasta�s living on the compound do not do much work in the fields. Newcomers to the compound do most of the work that is done in the field. Most of these new comers do not stay long in the community because they are worked too hard by the older members. A Ethiopian women who lived in the compound for a while claims: The newcomers, she claimed, are exploited and overworked through a process which the brethren call education. If they do remain it is because the brethren put fear in their hearts that the Twelve Tribes in Jamaica will shoot them should they leave. To return to Babylon is forbidden and sacrilegious (Lewis 112). Most of the money that the members of the compound receive comes from the money that has been donated by people who live in Jamaica. Different people that live in Shashemene perceive the Rasta�s differently.

Some people reject the Rasta�s because their way of life is in conflict with the rest of the community, while others find the Rasta�s to be a harmless group that does nothing to hurt the community. However, there are very few among the villagers that feel that the Rasta�s do anything positive for the struggling town. There are a few reasons that some people in the town do not like the Rasta�s. One of these is that even though the Rasta�s preach anti-violence, people in the village claim that they are very quick to pull out a knife when they disagree with each other. A second complaint about the Rasta�s is that they are lazy and sell cloth at the market that was given to them as charity. A third complaint about the Rasta�s is one that is universal throughout every place that Rasta live. This is the complaint about their use of Ganja. �All they do is smoke marijuana, which the Ethiopian farmers here grow for them. Some people in the town don't like this, as our children have also started to use this drug.

We like them as they integrate and there is a lot of inter-marriage, but the marijuana has to stop," says 27-year-old mechanic Adbul Onduka.(Bhalla). A fourth complaint out Rasta�s is simply that their religious beliefs clash with those of other Muslim and Christian beliefs. The Rasta�s that are currently living in Shashemene welcome any African that wants to come to live in their community to come. They say their community can handle any amount of people that want to come back to African. The Rasta�s believe that they will some day turn the town of Shashemene into the most important city in Africa. They claim that some day it will be a thriving African city that will be able to defeat the oppression of the �White Man�. As of now the Rasta�s have done little to nothing to improve Shashemene. Rastafari in the United States. Rastafari has ventured out of Jamaica and Africa to the United States. The center of Rastafari in the United States is by far New York City, but Rastafari is not limited to New York City at all. There are large populations of Rasta�s living all over the U.S.

from California to the Methodist dominated Texas. It seem wherever there are people of African decent that have been or are being oppressed by the �White Man� Rasta�s will emerge. Dallas Texas One of the more interesting places that Rasta �s have emerged is Dallas Texas. Texas is one of the most religious areas in the western world. Texas is a place where Christianity dominates the social life a great number of people. Texas is also a place that has a great amount of discrimination of African people and this is probably one of the reasons that Rastafari has emerged in this area. Rastafari first came to Dallas 20 years ago. Most of the first exposure to Rastafari came from Reggae music that became popular in that era. It is not know how many Rasta�s are living in the area, but at a recent Rasta event to celebrate the birthday of Haile Selassie I over 500 Rasta�s showed up. Most of the Rasta community in Dallas is African Americans who looked for answers through the Black Panther movement, or Nation of Islam, and other African churches, and were left felling empty. A Rasta by the name of Moore is a good example of this.

Moore spent much of his life looking for answers. He turned to the Nation of Islam and felt more oppressed than before. Moore is now a Rasta and his outlook on life has improved very much for him. �It been a rough life, but as Rasta, we�ve got to keep on�(Jones pg. 4). This quote of Moore shows how Rastafari helps him get through his hard day-to-day life. Rasta�s in Dallas face many of the same problems that other Rasta�s face. Like most other Rasta�s living throughout the world, they face the problem of smoking their religious herb, Ganja. Despite this the Rasta�s in Dallas hold Nyabinghi rituals on every full moon in the Dallas area. The Rasta�s in Dallas try to help their issue of Ganja use by helping the community fight other drug problems in the city. Rasta�s come to the anti drug rallies that the Muslims of the area held and by doing this the Rasta�s hoped to show that they where not pro drug. By showing that they wanted to help the drug problems the Rasta�s hoped it would help them to legitimizes their ritual use of Ganja.

Rasta�s also face discrimination of their religious style in Dallas. The son of Rasta Moore, Jameel Moore was suspended from his school for wearing his crown in his sixth grade elementary school. The school officials suspended Jameel because they said he was violating the school rules that prohibit the wearing of hats. The Moores disputed the ruling arguing that the crown was not a hat but a �Cultural Headdress�, just like the yarmulkes is to a Jew, and a turban is to a Hindu. The issue was dropped when the school scared young Jameel so much that he had to swallow his pride and agree not to show his faith and not where the crown. Another case of Rasta�s harassment by authorities is the case of Carols and Dana Jackson. The Jackson are a Rasta couple that tried to improve their run down West Dallas neighborhood. The couple bought up run down homes in their neighborhood and renovated them. During the renovation of the homes they painted pictures of Marcus Garvey and Haile Selassie on the walls of the homes. They grew vegetables and purchased animal to be raised on the area for means of self-sufficient survival.

When the couple began to hold Nyabinghi sessions they where sighted for code violations and eventually arrested for possession of marijuana. The women in this Rasta community of Dallas Texas seem to be treated much better than Rasta Women throughout of the rest of the Rasta world. Although they are not seen as equals, they are part of the Ganja smoking rituals and are not forced to stay at home like many other Rasta women are throughout the world. This is probably a reflection of the low intensity of the Rasta community of Dallas. It is also mostly a result of the surrounding that the Rasta woman are in. The way in which woman are treated in Dallas Texas is much better than how women are treated in Jamaica or Ethiopia as a whole. In general, Rastafari culture in Dallas Texas is much less intense than it is in most other parts of the world. These Dallas Rastas do not seem to have the desire of rebellion that most other Rasta feel. Many of the Rasta�s are part of the legitimate economy, pay taxes and have legitimate jobs. This is partly because it is very hard for the Rasta to survive in the informal economy in Dallas.

The Dallas Rasta seems to be one of the most relaxed, least rebellious, and least motivated to help bring Babylon down. The reason for this is most likely the level of oppression in the area is much less intense than it is other places. Another reason for the lower level of intensity is the large separation that Texas has from the African world. Texas does have a large population of people of African decent, but these people do not feel the same oppression that black people feel in other places such as Jamaica. A third reason for the low intensity is that there is not a large following of Rasta�s in the area, which would effect how intense their lifestyle can be. Rastafari in Dallas is more of religious movement than it is a social or cultural movement. In both Jamaica and in Ethiopia it is a major cultural movement. The Dallas Rasta is much less intense than the Rasta�s of Ethiopia. This does not mean that the Rasta�s of Dallas are not Rasta�s. What it does show is how Rasta�s can differ throughout the world. This is not different from people of other faiths. Every religion has people that believe in the religion at different levels. A good example of this is in the Jewish faith.

There are Jews such as the Orthodox Jews that believe in the religion to a very strong degree and then there are people of Jewish faith, such as the Reform Jews that follow the religion to lowest degree. Therefore the Twelve Tribe Rasta�s of Ethiopia could be compared to the Orthodox Jews, and the Rasta�s of Dallas could be compared to the Reform Jew�s. Despite the differences that these two Rasta�s cultures have they still share the basic principles of Rastafari. The first and most important of these principles is their love and worship of Haile Selassi I. Second, they want to fight the oppression of the black man. Third, their hatred of authority and preaching down of Babylon (although this is felt to a lesser degree by the Dallas Rastas). Fourth, their ritual use of Ganja to reach clear thought and to connect to God. A fifth connection is their appearance wearing their hair in dread locks and having unshaven faces. The last and most important connection is their love for the world, and their desire for the unity of man. The purpose of this paper in discussing Rasta�s in very separate environments was to show Rastafari in way that shows how broad the faith is.

By showing Rasta�s in the their most extreme form, the Twelve Tribes that live in Ethiopia, I was able to show how serious Rasta�s can be. On the other hand by showing Rasta�s in the much less intense culture of Dallas I was able to show that the religion is not always so radical. The paper also showed that Rasta�s exist all over the world, from Africa to Dallas. The point is Rastafari is everywhere, just like oppression is everywhere. There is always positive thought (Rasta) where there is negative thought (oppression). The Rastafarian Movement The Rastafarian Movement Written by Vanina Abram& Ingrid Hamann Map of Jamaica INTRODUCTION Rastafari (or Rastafarianism) is an indigenous African-based religion and a political protest which, in the beginning, was closely associated with Jamaica only. However, with time, it has gained supporters in other countries. The original inhabitants of Jamaïca are believed to be the Arawaks who came from South America 2500 years ago. Much later, Christopher Columbus discovered the island in 1492 and claimed it for Spain.

But, the Spaniards were disappointed that there was no gold on the island and did little to develop it. In 1655, a British expedition took Jamaïca, but only as a consolation prize because it failed to conquer Santo Domingo. Then, because England was continually at war with France or Spain, and because the Royal Navy could not patrol the entire Carribean, the Crown decided to authorize " buccaneers " to capture and plunder ennemy vessels. Actually, one of these former buccanees, Henry Morgan, became Lieutenant Governor of Jamaïca in 1674. Jamaïca is now the largest English speaking island in the Carribbean. SLAVERY During the eighteenth century, British landowners who needed many labourers, a large labour force for their sugar plantations - sugar had been brought to the New World by Columbus -, imported great numbers of African slaves. Over a million slaves were brought to Jamaica during the period of slavery ; two hundred thousand of them were re-exported. Therefore, Jamaica was not only a plantation colony but it was also a distribution center for other British and Spanish colonies in the New World.

So, there were a continuous flow of new slaves to Jamaica which explains that African traditions were never lost. Indeed, there was always a large proportion of slaves who remembered Africa - and were highly respected for that -, especially those with a knowledge of African medicinal practices and religious rites, who transmitted orally what they knew and restored African beliefs to slaves who were becoming creolised, that is to say Jamaican born. It became the basis of a culture of resistance : in every sphere of life, the slave sought to preserve his dignity as an African person ; they were deeply convinced that, even after death, the spirit would return to Africa. Actually, Jamaica was the most prosperous of the British colonies and also the area of the most slave revolts in the New World, and, at the end of the slavery period, there were only three hundred and twenty three thousand slaves who survived. And this struggle between Whites (Europeans) and Blacks (Africans) did not stop with the abolition of slavery in 1838, because the Blacks who were fortunate enough to go to school were taught that the heroes of the society were British : Columbus, Drake, Hawkins or the pirate Captain Morgan.

Thus, the Blacks were forced to deny their African origin, to detest their colour, their culture, in order to be ashamed to admit that they were from Africa. And the result, in fact, was exactly the opposite : to reply to this white domination, black Jamaican people developped original protests, some kinds of religious and magical cults. MAGICAL AND RELIGIOUS ORIGINS Since the late 18th century, some Jamaican slaves have been noted for their practice of obeah (basically, black magic). Indeed, obeah men were believed to be capable of poisoning people and of dominating them by catching their shadows. From the middle of the 19th century, the British promulgated a series of acts outlawing obeah. Equally well known in the first half of the 19th century was an initiatory society called MyalMyalist meetings involved singing, dancing in a circle under one leader's direction, and, most importantly, being filled with the Holy Spirit. The leaders of Myalism seem to have played a major role in slave revolts.

Thus, the article " Myalism and the African Religious Tradition in Jamaica " by Monica Schuler, discussed the importance of Myalism in the life of the slaves in Jamaica. She writes that this religion enabled to form a strong national identity because it united all the different types of slaves, enabling for rebellions and revolts : " The Myal tradition formed the core of a strong and self confident counter-culture ". In fact, the apparent opposition between myal practices, thought to be " white magic " and the obeah practices, considered to be " black magic ", was not altogether the case. Indeed, the obeah man was a private practitioner, hired by his client for a specific purpose, while the myal man was the leader of a cult group devoted to religious activity. Like the obeah man, he tried to control the supernatural world of shadows, but protection from obeah Be that as it may, these magical practices were so disturbing for the British government that a 1760 law prescribed death for any slave who should pretend to have any supernatural power. In fact, slavery in the West Indies was justified by the theory of racial inferiority - an idea which was incompatible with these practices.

In a certain way, Christianity taught that all men were the children of God and were equal before God, and therefore, this doctrine created conflict between the planters and the clergymen. But, this conflict did not really become serious until the non-conformist religious men arrived : generally, European missionaries were determined to eradicate what they regarded as African superstitious and pagan beliefs and practices. For example, the Church of England denied membership to Afro-Jamaicans until 1834. Actually, Afro-Jamaicans often found other confessions more supportive of their interests. Methodists, for example, supported the cause of the slaves, leading many Myal-men later to become Methodists as well. But, the predominant influence was that of the Native (originally Ethiopian) Baptist Church, which started in 1783 with George Lisle and Moses Baker, two American slaves from the United States. Baptism was characterized in 1873 as an unstable mix of Myalism and Christianity. Indeed, the Jamaican Baptists fought arduously for the abolition of slavery and, even after emancipation, the planters viewed with hostility the attempts made by the Baptist missionaries to provide schooling for the blacks.

Ethiopian Baptist Church All these religious and magical movements contributed to the birth of the Rastafarian Movement. POLITICAL AND SYMBOLIC ORIGINS The creation of the Rastafarian Movement was greatly inspired by the teachings of Marcus Garvey. The latter was a Jamaïcan journalist exiled in the United States and founder of the United Negro Improvement Association (U.N.I.A.) in 1914. This association was aiming at creating a worldwide confraternity of the Black race and at promoting the development of Africa into a continent of which all Blacks could be proud and eventually wished to return to. It is said that Garvey, in 1916, told his people to " look to Africa, when a black king shall be crowned for the day of deliverance is near ". (white magic), devoted to protecting its members from obeah. was only incidental to his work. Marcus Garvey Haile Selassie I The Rasta Flag Indeed, shortly after Garvey's prophecy, in October 1930, the prince regent of Ethiopia, Ras Tafari Makonnen was crowned Emperor under the name of Haile Selassie I.

In Ethiopia, he was given the title of " Lion of the tribe of Juda ", which explains why there is a lion on the Rasta flag. He was also given the title " King of Kings and Lord of Lords ". In Jamaïca, he was considered a divine being, the Black Christ, an incarnation of God : his name is Jah, a contraction of Yavhé or Jehovah. As a matter of fact, he was considered to be the only ruler of the Black people. In fact, in his ancient name, Rastafari : " Ras " means " Prince " " Tafari " means " Creator " And Haile Selassie, his new name, means : " Power of the Trinity ". Thus the Rastafarian movement really started, in 1933-1934, as a movement closely linked to the ancient history of the Ethiopian civilization and largely based on the identification which Blacks have made with Ethiopia by virtue of biblical symbolism. This is summarized in Psalm 38, often repeated by Rastafarians: " Princes shall come out of Egypt ; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.

" While the appeal of Ethiopian consciousness developped, Leonard Howell, a Jamaican who had lived in the United States for many years and also an active member of the United Negro Improvement Association, returned to the island. He has been described as " the first man who came to Jamaica and introduced his Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie as Rastafari the creator of heaven and earth. " Then, the first Rastafarian communities began to be created by persons like Leonard Howell, Joseph Hibbert or Archibald Dunkley. The earliest Rastafarian communities, which were established in West Kingston in the late 1930's and early 1940's and almost immediately thereafter persecuted by local authorities, retreated to the serenity of the Blue Mountains - which had always been a place of refuge - with their Bibles and farming equipment. Leonard Howell led the Movement to take on a radical revolutionary stance and in 1933 he was arrested for having publicly called for revenge on Whites for their wickedness. After his release from prison, Howell organized the " Ethiopian Salvation Society ".

He recruited a large following and by 1940 he was the leader of a cult commune deep in the hills of St Catherine, in the Blue Mountains. The commune was called Pinnacle. The police was soon tipped about the Rastafarians' existence and, in July 1941, policemen raided the commune and arrested seventy Rastas, charging them for acts of violence and for the cultivation of a dangerous drug, marijuana. The Pinnacle commune was an important phase in the early development of the Rastafarians. It established several facets of the Movement : it began the communal pattern of living which has continued among a large segment of Rastas ; the use of marijuana was also adopted as a ritual practice in the hills. The Pinnacle, however, was again raided and destroyed once and for all in the 1950's, ending an important era in the Rastafarian movement. Thus, Rastafari gained numerous supporters - mainly the dispossessed - who established several small camps in what became known as Shanty-Town. Rastafarians grew more popular all over the island and so decided to assess their strength and unity, forming an organised whole.

This led to the calling of a " universal convention " in March 1958 - the Rastafarians called it " Grounation " - which gave the Rastas both positive and negative publicity in the eyes of the government and the public. Moreover, Haile Selassie was at the origin of the OUA (Organization for the Unity of Africa) which contributed to emphasize the political role of Africa. EXODUS AND FIGHT AGAINST BABYLON As we saw, there is a real link between the Rastafarian Movement and the Bible because this was the only source of reading for the Blacks who could read. The Rastas interpret the Old Testament as the history of the black people. According to them, the Blacks are the true Jews, subjected to the evil White race in divine punishment for their sins. But they can be redeemed by repatriation to Africa, their true home and heaven on Earth. Paradoxically, at the beginning, this idea of repatriation and Marcus Garvey himself was supported by the Ku Klux Klan because they were favorable to a removal of all the Blacks from America. But this attitude quickly changed because the Rastafarian Movement cannot be reduced to repatriation.

Moreover, this project of Repatriation never really came true - even if some black people have resettled in Ethiopia, Ghana, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo - because Haile Selassie declared in 1966 that, before repatriation, Rastafarians had to fight against " Babylon ". So, what is Babylon ? Babylon is a city of ancient Mesopotamia which is used in the Bible as the image of sin and corruption. Rastafarians often allude to Babylon, when referring to non-believers, especially white men. In fact, in the Rastafari, there is a hatred for the white race based on the belief in the complete superiority of the Black race. For them, all this justifies a doctrine of revenge on Whites for their wickedness and a negation and persecution of the government and legal bodies of Jamaica. For publicly maintaining such ideas, Howell was arrested by the police in 1933. Actually, Babylon represents all the White-European colonial and imperialist power structure which has oppressed and still oppresses Blacks and other people of color.

They consider that for the Blacks, in the past, the shackles were those of slavery, and that nowadays, poverty, illiteracy, inequality and trickery by the white man are their new shackles. Thus, Michelle Cliff, a specialist of Jamaican history, writes : " All the forces which worked to keep these men slaves now worked to keep them poor. And poor most of them remained ". Consequently, Rastas reject the police and all political institutions, as well as medical treatments, contraception or marriage. The death of Haile Selassie in 1975 meant the break up of a certain idea of Rastafari, because the Emperor of Ethiopia was thought to be immortal. Today, if the fight is less strong, the symbols and social ideas still exist. SOCIAL IDEAS AND SYMBOLS OF RASTAFARI The Rastafarian movement is an apolitical one : its members refuse to vote (vote is an institution of Babylon). It is a "democratic" movement. Rastafarians are attached to the ideas of tolerance, justice and equal rights.

Actually, Rastafari is not a passive theology, a theology of submissiveness : Rastafarians have a God but no chief ; consequently, there is individual respect, every Rasta is allowed to express his opinion. It is a non-violent movement : indeed, war is totally useless because Jah/God has his own solutions to solve the problems. Some elements appear to be very important for Rastafarians : The use of Ganjah (marijuana), nicknamed " friend of the Poor " or " Grass of Wisdom " has two uses for the Rastas : - it can be used as a sacrament, like the incense in Christian churches, that is to say, as a religious rite, an aid to meditation, to bring divine inspiration. - or it can be used to cure diseases of the body or of the mind and to enhance one's strength. Their diet is extremely rigid : Rasta men try to eat saltless - with few condiments - vegetarian food, " I-tal " food, as they call it ( " I-tal " comes from " vital ").

Most of the time, they do not eat animal flesh at all and, above all, not pigs, because, for Rastas, as it is said in the Bible, pigs are scavengers of the earth. They can eat small fishes - not more than twelve inches long - but no crabs, lobsters nor shrimps, considered to be the scavengers of the sea. So, they try to never eat any chemically prepared or unnatural meals and they drink only herbal drinks, like tea for example. The flag of the Rastafarian movement contains three colors : red, the color of the church of Rastafarians and also the symbol of the blood that martyrs have shed in the history of the Rastas, yellow, representing the wealth of Rastas' homeland, and green, the symbol of the beautiful nature of the promised land of Ethiopia. Rastas men have rules of behavior : they do not shave, they cannot be amputated of any part of their bodies. Indeed, one of the most popular signs of a true Rastafarian is the way he wears his hair.

It is believed that this wild appearance, dreadlocks, came from the mountain experience of the cult - a time when it was impossible to cut their hair. It is also believed that it was an imitation of Ethiopian tribal warriors. However, Rastafarians themselves claim that the symbol is religious, commemorating the Lion of Judah's mane as well as the strength of Samson. Thus, they quote the Bible: " They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in the flesh ". (Leviticus, 21, 5) SOME RASTAFARIAN EXPRESSIONS The Rastafarian speech has been labelled " soul language ", " ghetto language ", and " Dread talk ". Here are some kinds of expressions of the Rastas. The Rastafarians often use the letter " I ", with reference to the Roman numeral " I " in the name of Haile Selassie I. Thus, they employ expressions like " I-man ", meaning " I " or " myself ", or " I-dren ", meaning " children " or " brethren ". It is used to denote a close contact with the divine.

To express the plural, instead of " we " or " they ", they use the expression " I and I ". Likewise, they often say " Man " or " this/that man ", referring to the Bible where these terms are often used. To the contrary, the word " Men " is usually never used and above all refers to the police, hostile to the Rastas. Like for the word " Man ", the word " beloved ", is often used in the Bible and by the Rastas. Rastas usually shout " Rastafari ! " when they see a flash of lightning in the sky, a rainbow, a rainfall, and even if there is a flood or an earthquake, because these natural phenomena are considered expressions of God himself and cannot be bad. Finally, we can note the famous Rasta greeting " Peace and Love ", increasingly replaced by the expression " Respect due ". REGGAE, BOB MARLEY AND THE INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION OF RASTAFARI Reggae is a Jamaican form of music that developed at the end of the 1960's in Kingston, originally among poor and working-class people.

In the beginning, as a popular music - whose roots are in black American sounds (rhyth'm blues, ska, rock steady...) and in African traditional music -, whose lyrics were mainly focused on Rastafari. On 21 April 1966, an event of extraordinary significance for all the followers of Rastafari occurred. Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia, arrived at Kingston airport. And, in 1967, Bob Marley joined the Rastafarian Movement, contributing, with other singers like Peter Tosh, Burning Spear or Jimmy Cliff, to broadcast the Rastafarian message. But, it was above all to be in the 1970's and after 1975, with the success of Bob Marley, that Reggae and Rastafarianism became really well known all over the world. With his group, the Wailers, and even when Bob Marley sang about the " rude boys " of the Jamaican slums or composed love ballads, the basic message of his work was political: an end to racial oppression, and a turning toward a black-centered Christianity that would make all blacks free.

More widely, it is a conscious music aiming at uniting all ages, ethnic groups and backgrounds. That is why reggae concerts are always peaceful, because the music is always peaceful, representing love and unity. Bob Marley At the beginning of the year 1976, the reggae-mania boomed in the States and Rolling Stone Magazine named Bob Marley & The Wailers " Band of the Year ". Peter Tosh Lion of Judah Subscribe Lion of Judah In the Rastafarian religion, the Lion of Judah is an emblem of Ras Tafari, otherwise known as former Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie. According to Rastafarian belief, Selassie was the Messiah, the second coming of Christ referenced in the Book of Revelation: “the hair of whose head was like wool, whose feet were like unto burning brass.” Taken from the heraldic symbol of the biblical Tribe of Judah (from which Selassie is believed to have descended), the lion represents to Rastafarians Selassie as the “King of Kings,” as the lion is King; representing the lineage of the King from the Tribes of Israel. The emblem was once worn by the Emperor as a signet.

The standard carried in the lion’s mouth is the flag of Ethiopia, the crown that of the Emperor. Lion of Judah Mar Lion of Judah Lion of Judah in the Rastafarian livity is the emblem or symbol of Ras Tafari, otherwise known as former Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie . According to Rastafarian way, Selassie was the Messiah, the second coming of Christ referenced in the Book of Revelation : “the hair of whose head was like wool, whose feet were like unto burning brass. “ Taken from the heraldic symbol of the biblical Tribe of Judah (from which Selassie is believed to have descended), the lion represents to Rastafarians Selassie as the “King of Kings,” as the lion is King; representing the lineage of the King from the Tribes of Israel. The emblem was once worn by the Emperor as a signet. The standard carried in the lion’s mouth is the flag of Ethiopia, the crown that of the Emperor. King Selassie I is the three hundred and thirteen king of all the kings of Ethiopia and the one hundred and thirteenth king of the christian empire.

He is also the 225th in a direct bloodline of the Ethiopian monarch, Menelik being the first. Menelik was the son of Queen of Sheba and king Solomon who is the son of David king of Israel. “Prince shall come out of Egypt, and Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hand unto JAH” (psalm 68.vrs:31) “And one of the elder said unto me, weep not, behold the LION of the tribe of judah, the root of king David hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof” (rev. 5 ver:5). Rastafarians accept some portions of the Hebrew and Christian bibles- an edited Bible, the “ Holy Piby ,” written in 1913, is often cited as the Rastafarian scripture. The Kebra Negast, a book purporting to outline the lineage of Kings from Solomon, is also important in establishing the lineage of Emperor Selassie. Rastas avoid what they view as the materialistic and corrupt (white) culture, which is called “Babylon,” a world of illusion similar to the Buddhist concept of Maya.

Rastafarian theology emphasises individual apprehension of God (called Jah), and one who is “dread,” that is, God-fearing, an approach to spirituality that is referred to theologically as theosis, or God-becoming. Rastas have also adopted a form of the Hindu belief in Avatars , holding that Haile Selassie was the last of four incarnations of God which includes Moses, the Hebrew Prophet Elija, and Jesus. Ras Tafari (Selassie) is believed to come from the unbroken line of Kings going back to the biblical Solomon, and is widely perceived as the second coming of Christ. Rasta faithful revere Ganja (marijuana) as a sacrament that aids in the discovery of the “I in I,” the true form/will of Jah. Followers are expected to live as pure a lifestyle as possible, avoiding vice an materialistic desires. Among the prophecies is the expected exodus known as “Back to Africa,” when Jah will give the signal for Rastafarians to ‘return’ to Ethiopia.

there are three sects of Rastafarianism: Bobo Shanti (a seperatist order who ahere to Old Testament law), (the oldest sect, named for Queen Nyahbinghi of Uganda), and Twelve Tribes, who believe themselves descendents of the twelve tribes of David. Spiritual kinsmenHaile Selassie Knowing that material and spiritual progress are essential to man, we must ceaselessly work for the equal attainment of both. Only then shall We be able to acquire that absolute inner-calm, so necessary to our well-being. Whenever conflict arises between material and spiritual values, the conscience plays an important role and anyone who suffers from a guilty conscience is never really free from this problem until he makes peace with himself and his conscience. Discipline of the mind is the basic ingredient of genuine morality and therefore spiritual strength. Spiritual power is the eternal guide, in this life and the life after, for man can reach the summit destined for him by the Great Creator. Since nobody can interfere in the realm of God we should tolerate and live side by side with people of different faiths, In the mystic tradition of the different religions we have a remarkable Unity of Spirit.

Whatever religion they may profess, they are Spiritual Kinsmen. While the different religions in their historic forms bind us to limited groups and militate against the development of loyalty to the world community, the Mystics have already stood for the fellowship of humanity … in harmony with the spirit of the mystics of ages gone by. No one should question the faith of others, for no human being can judge the ways of God. With the raising of all men to their rightful dignity and honor as individuals, they will be able to regard their fellows, of whatever nation, of whatever race, of whatever religious, linguistic or historic tradition, as equals, without jealousy, without fear fear, without undue pride. Until bigotry and prejudice and malicious and inhuman self interest have been replaced by understanding and tolerance and good-will.. Metaphysical Interpretations of the Bible Courage, fearlessness, initiative, life.We must have the courage to enter fearlessly into the overcoming life and into the understanding of things.But courage alone will not do.We must have reverence of spiritual things, a devotional attitude-in order to receive spiritual inspiration. The phrase, of the Tribe of Judah bespeaks this reverential nature attitude.

Jesus Christ purified his substances and his life and lifted them up until his life became a pure stream of divine life to cleanse us. The 4th Chapter of Revelation reveals the full inner meaning of the atonement of Jesus Christ’s redeeming work on earth. If we understand it fully we shall understand the inner working of the divine principal in its redeeming work in our whole being. The real spiritual life in race consciousness has been disregarded put out of substance, so this lamb of God- the original pure life and substance appears to e slain in so far as the animal consciousness of man is concerned. But to our awakened and illuminated thoughts, activities and faculties it is the lion that is of the Tribe of Judah, a source of new life and substance, which we continually worship praise and love until we realize this new all conquering life more and more fully and perfectly. The Root of David has reference to the love quality in its original purity.This is needed also. We must be rooted in love. The Lions of Daniel 6 10 23 represent the savage thoughts that arise in us when we are accused wrongfully and know that we are innocent.

Browse Genuine Ethiopian Coptic Cross Rastafarian Customs: Important Symbols Rastafarian Customs jueves, 9 de septiembre de 2010 Important Symbols THE FLAG The flag with the red, gold and green is the state banner erected by Marcus Garvey and are often seen in clothes, design graphics and other decorations. Red represents the blood of the martyrs. Yellow wealth and prosperity Africa has to offer. The green land and vegetation of Zion. Red always goes up, because it represents blood. When blood is below the ground (green) means "death." THE LION The Conquering Lion is also important Rastafarian symbol, symbolizing both Africa and the Emperor Haile Selassie, Jah or himself. It also represents strength and struggle against oppression and injustice applied to the African people. DREADLOCKS The braids, dreadlocks are supported by Rastafarianism from the following verse from the Book of Leviticus: "Do not show on their heads bald, or shaved the ends of their beards, nor make any cuttings in your flesh" 21:5 The dreadlocks have come to symbolize the mane of the Lion of Judah and rebellion against Babylon.

Question: Which animal is the symbol of the Rastafarian religion?
Answer: Lion