Research Paper Sample: Rastafari Culture

Introduction The word ‘Rastafarians’ is mostly associated with Jamaican people who highly advocate for marijuana smoking. Most people think of Rastafari as being just a Jamaican culture where people smoke a lot of marijuana, twist their hair into dreadlocks, and listen to reggae music. Well, this is not the case. Rastafari is a mindset, a religious movement, a social movement, as well as a way of life. It is a serious philosophy that borrows a lot from the Bible. In as much as some people join this culture as an excuse for doing drugs, most of its followers are true believers who often are highly misunderstood. The Rastafari culture has grown over the years and is now widespread all over the world, attracting more than one million followers. This piece provides a comprehensive anthropological survey of Rastafarianism as a culture, religion, and way of life for multiple people across the globe. Origin of Rastafari Culture Rastafari is a newly founded religious movement that originated in the 1930s in Jamaica after Haile Selassie I’s coronation as the emperor of Ethiopia from the year 1930 to 1974. According to Rastafarians, Haile Selassie was a manifestation of God, and therefore, regard him as God. He was to deliver the black man from exile after many years of slave trade and colonization by the Babylonians, who are the whites, and take them to the promised land Ethiopia, which is known as their Zion (McKeon, 2017). The religion developed from Marcus Garvey’s ideas, who was a political activist whose goal was to improve the lives of his fellow black people (Grant, 2002). Marcus Garvey had prophesied that a black king who would reign in Africa was Messiah’s second coming and he was going to save them from exile. The culture’s Afrocentric ideology was influenced by Jamaica’s rebellion against the British colonial culture. The reaction was highly influenced by Back-to-Africa and Ethiopianism as promoted by activists such as Marcus Garvey. Rastafari movement was officially started when some Christian clergymen, such as Leonard Howell, started proclaiming that Haile Selassie’s crowning as Emperor was a fulfillment of a Biblical prophecy (McKeon, 2017). The movement started growing from the 1930s and by the 1950s, there were conflicts between it and the rest of Jamaican community and this resulted in clashes with the law enforcement. It gained more fame in 1960s and 1970s especially due to Bob Marley’s influence through his inspirational music as well as other musicians. Despite its popularity, Rastafaris enthusiasm decreased in the 1980s after the death of Bob Marley and Haile Selassie. However, the movement is still active and has continued to gain popularity in not only Jamaica, but also the rest of the world. The majority of its followers are blacks although there are some people from other races such as Asians and Europeans (Beyer, 2017). Beliefs Haile Selassie 1 The word Rastafari was coined from Haile Selassie’s pre-regnal title, Ras, which means prince, and his name which was “Tafari Makonnen”. The Rastafari have different perceptions on the role Haile Selassie plays in their faith. However, one thing that is common to them all is that he is a central symbolic figure in their ideology. The Makonnen dynasty, where Selassie came from, claimed to be descendants of Queen of Sheba and Solomon from the Bible (Edmonds, 2012). Many Rastas believe that Haile Selassie was the Second Coming of Jesus. They see him as the Messiah that had been prophesied in the Old Testament of the Bible. This lot also believe that he is God’s manifestation and part of the holy trinity together with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Haile Selassie together with Jesus are believed to be descendants of David (Beyer, 2017). Other Rastas believe that Haile Selassie is not a reincarnation of Jesus but a person who embodied the teachings of Jesus. He is perceived as God’s messenger especially by African Rastas who know the political challenges they face in the continent. These Rastas think that perceiving Haile Selassie as God is naive and ignorant. In the 1960s the Rasta community had a firm belief that Haile Selassie would never die. Unfortunately, in 1974, Haile Selassie was overthrown by the military and he later died in 1975 (Beyer, 2017). This was a crisis for the Rasta community. Some of his followers that thought he would never die left the movement. People came up with all types of stories to explain the situation. Some said that the Western were providing misinformation about Haile Selassie’s death, especially because there was no body for proof. The body of Haile Selassie had been buried under his toilet in his palace. It was discovered in 1992. Some Rastas claimed that Haile went undercover and was now referred to Abba Keddus Keddus Keddus. Others believed that for sure his body had perished but he now lived as a spirit (Spencer, 1998). When arrive, Haile Selassie had declared that he was a staunch Christian (Edmonds, 2012). He acknowledged knowing about the Rastafari movement. In an interview, he stated, “I also met certain Rastafarians. I told them clearly that I am a man, that I am mortal, and that I will be replaced by the oncoming generation, and that they should never make a mistake in assuming or pretending that a human being is emanated from a deity." He did not encourage this movement, but he respected their beliefs. Some Rastas claim that his denial of being God was just proof that he was indeed God. However, history depicts Haile Selassie as a mere human being (Spencer, 1998). Grounding According to Rastafari, grounding means establishing a connection between people who think the same. It involves a ritual ceremony that takes place in a yard and is usually presided over by elders. Some of the activities that take place in the grounding ceremony include drumming, chanting, dancing, singing, and smoking ganja. Only men can attend grounding circles. Rasta men also get involved in reasoning where they discuss about issues that affect their culture. Grounding is essential for Rasta men as it strengthens their faith (Clarke, 1986). Morality The Rastafari community believes that they are descendants of Israelites and adhere to most of the moral code that has been stipulated in the old testament. Their greatest rule is love for all mankind. They condemn vices such as envy, jealousy, deceit and treachery. They also believe in giving more than they receive as this leaves room for more blessings from Jah. They are opposed to the pleasures of the world especially those involving getting drunk and acting disorderly. They worship one God, Jah, and Haile Selassie is a central part of that worship as he is also recognized as God’s reincarnation. They believe in living in peace, even with their enemies. To them, a morally upright man shall never die but will only be reincarnated to this earth as another form when their body perishes. Women Women in Rastafari culture are called queens. A woman's main role is to take good care of her king. They are also supposed to bear children and keep the home clean and organized. As a queen, a woman should not dress promiscuously, wear any makeup, or apply chemical to her hair. She is also required to cover her hair during prayers and acknowledge that she comes second to her husband. A Rasta woman should never be unfaithful to her husband and she should be very choosy with her words when addressing her man as he is a king to her. Utmost respect is expected of her towards her husband. In addition to that, women should not abort as this is considered as murder and they should not use contraception as it is a Babylonian's way to suppress the black man. The culture does not also allow women to be leaders. These rules were usually strictly followed by earlier Rastafari. However, nowadays women Rastas do not follow all the rules but live with what works for them (BBC, 2009). Language and Symbolism Rastafarians tend to avoid a language that objectify or degrade a person. They particularly use ‘I’ a lot to signify that self is divine. They use ‘I’ instead of me, and ‘I and I’ instead of we. It reminds them that they are human beings with worth, value, and dignity. They call their ways levity and encourage activities that make one feel alive and motivated. The Rasta colors are red, gold, green and sometimes black. According to Marcus Garvey, black symbolizes the black man, green symbolizes nature, red symbolizes martyrs’ blood, while gold is a symbol of wealth. The four colors are usually used together with a lion’s image to symbolize Haile Selassie (Edmonds, 2012). Music Rastafari music is known as Reggae and is characterized by chanting, drumming as well as dancing. Reggae music is mostly about praising Jah, preaching love and peace, and rejecting the Babylonians’ ways. Reggae music has been the most popular way of teaching the Rastafari culture. Rasta ritual rhythms are normally incorporated by reggae musicians. The songs also adopt the Rasta patois language, chants as well as motifs. Rasta culture also encourages positivity vibrations. In the 1970s, Bob Marley was the biggest influencer of the Rastafari culture. He was widely known as an innovative musician who was highly devoted to his faith. His album, Legend, had sold over 20 million copies in the year 2004 worldwide and currently over 11.5 million copies in the United States alone (Edmonds, 2012). Cannabis Smoking Marijuana forms a central part of being a Rastafari. It is considered a holy herb and is normally used for ritual exercise during groundings (Grant, 2002). Rastas do not only smoke marijuana. They also ingest it through tea and use it as a spice in food. It is also used for medicinal purposes. Some smoke it all the time, some use it sometimes, and other Rastas do not smoke it at all. They claim that they have already achieved a deeper consciousness level and so they do not need it. Rastas claim that using ganja is encouraged in the Bible particularly in the books of Revelation 22:2, Psalms 18.8, and Genesis 1.29. Rastas perceive marijuana as a supreme herb with healing properties and ability to induce feelings of love and peace. It allows one to be more aware of their inner consciousness and see life in a different perspective (Edmonds, 2012). Dreadlocks Another distinguishing aspect of the Rasta people is twisting of hair into dreadlocks. Apparently, Rastas believe that not shaving their hair is making a covenant with God. Unshaved hair has biblical significance as it symbolizes strength like that of Samson. The dreadlocked hair is inspired by a lion’s mane which is symbolic to Haile Selassie who is also called “the Conquering Lion of Judah”. Twisting hair into dreadlocks is going against the Babylonians, whose standards of good grooming is keeping one’s hair short. Dreadlocks also symbolize naturalness which is a core aspect of Rastas livelihood. In a social perspective, people with dreadlocks are usually marginalized as they are associated with being primitive and having mental disorders. This does not bother the Rastafari at all. They take pride in their hair as it signifies the Africanism in them (Edmonds, 2012). Diet Rastas believe in producing as well as consuming natural foods, which they refer to as ital (Myers, 2014). Processed foods are associated with Babylonians. Most Rasta men stick to the Old Testament laws about diet, and therefore, keep off pork. Others refrain from meat completely. Rasta men also do not eat food that has been prepared by a woman while on her periods. Other things that they do not consume include alcohol, cigarettes, and hard drugs. Conclusion Rastafari is a culture that borrows a lot from the Bible’s Old Testament. The followers believe that they are Israelites and live according to the way the children of Israel used to live in the Bible. They highly promote Africa’s way of life as the continent is where they came from. They hope to return there someday and live in love, peace and unity without an interruptions from their colonizers, the white people, who they call the Babylonians. Over the years, the culture has become more popular over the world but most followers do not adhere to all the rules and regulations that had been set when it was started. With rising popularity, the Rastafari culture does not seem to be becoming extinct any time soon and it is a great way to promote the African way of life. References BBC, 2009.The Role of Women in Rastafari. BBC Religions. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/rastafari/beliefs/women.shtml Clarke, B. (1986). Black Paradise: The Rastafarian Movement. New Religious Movements Series. Wellingborough: The Aquarian Press Edmonds, B. (2012). Rastafari: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. Grant, W. (2002). Rastafari Culture. Dread Library. Retrieved from https://debate.uvm.edu/dreadlibrary/grant02.htm Myers, G. (2014). 10 Things to know about the Rastafari Beliefs. Listverse. Retrieved from https://listverse.com/2014/01/06/10-things-to-know-about-rastafari-beliefs/ McKeon, L. (2017). The True Story of Rastafari. The New York Review of Books. Retrieved from https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2017/01/06/the-true-story-of-rastafari/ Spencer, W. (1998). Dread Jesus. SPCK Publishing.