Rastafarianism
Eric DiCapua 10/27/03 ANTH 116 Rastafari: Its Connections With The Lyrics of Bob Marley, The Dogon, & Great Thinkers Throughout Time When the Rastafarian movement first solidified, it was looked at not only in a bad light, but as being something foreign and strange by the minds of not only the United States but most of western society. These societies were in fact being quite hypocritical because world renowned singer, songwriter, and musician Bob Marley’s lyrics and unique sound were becoming very popular even in these areas. One may not think just because his religious preference was misunderstood by these cultures this does not mean they are being hypocritical by enjoying his music, but a statement like that truly does not understand the Rastafarian following. You do not become Rasta, you cannot simply one day switch from Rasta. You are Rasta. It is as simple as that. This is why it is only natural that Bob Marley’s music and the ideologies of the Rastafarians go hand in hand. Another way that these societies are proving to be hypocritical by the rejection of these ideas are precedents set by great thinkers of the past. The ideas of the Rastafarians when looked at from an extraneous perspective correlate with the ideas that were readily accepted by the same societies when proposed by philosophers from different times and places, as well as races for that matter. The Rastafarian people live by a certain set of standards which have become a part of the culture of Jamaica, as well as many specifics which separates them from the culture of Jamaica and the rest of the world. Although many consider the begining of this movement in the 1930's, the roots of Rastafarianism can be traced back to Jamaica's earliest freedom fighters against colonialism. Jamaica’s African population suffered the most frustrating and oppressive slavery ever experienced in a British colony. Under such complete domination two reactions were provoked: fight and flight. The Jamaican Maroons, or African slaves, escaped to the mountains waged guerrilla warfare against the British colonizers. In 1738 the British were compelled to grant them a limited freedom, and Maroons were allowed their own lands and leaders. (Barrett, 1997) In 1914 the Jamaican worker Marcus Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Garvey's Pan-Africanist philosophy, which established a sense of national identity based on race, instilled in many blacks worldwide the belief that their economic and political liberation could ultimately be found in a strong and unified Africa. After spending a decade in Great Britain and the United States, in 1927 Garvey returned to Jamaica, where he spread his political views among black workers and farmers. He told blacks to look to Africa for the crowning of a new king. The crowning of this king came three years after. In 1930 Prince Tafari Makonnen was crowned the new Emperor of Ethiopia as Haile Selassie I, meaning the power of the trinity. Many saw this day as the fulfillment of Garvey’s prophecy. Thus the Rastafarian following commenced. The name Rastafari is taken from Ras, meaning prince in the Amharic language, and Tafari, the name of the emperor of Ethiopia. The earliest preachers of the Rastafarian world-view were the Jamaican workers Leonard Howell, Archibald Dunkley, and Joseph Hibbert. These leaders are what led the Rastas to having their rebellious reputation and all of the following leaders proceeded in the same manner. Two major rituals that take place are reasonings and binghi. At reasonings, Rastafari members gather informally to offers prayers and smoke ganja , or marijuana, considered a holy weed; it is passed around in a water pipe.