Rasta Symbolism / Rastafarian Symbolism / Bob Marley Culture

Rasta Symbolism

1. Religious Symbolism

20Generally speaking, the Bible is the reference book for most Rastafarians who try to live following their interpretation of its Holy writings. To a lesser extent, they also refer to the Holy Play and other so-called sacred texts. Thus, being human beings and created in the image of God as the following verse states: “God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him”(Gen. 1: 27), the Rastas believe in a Black God, the God of Ethiopia embodied in Haile Selassie I. The numerous references to Ethiopia and Egypt in the Bible confirm their belief that God is Black. Such a belief challenges Christianity which advocates a white image of God through the numerous paintings, drawings and statues depicting Jesus Christ with white skin, blond hair and blues eyes. Besides this particular point, fervent Rastas follow rules of conduct stipulated in the Bible. Hence, they do not eat pork according to the following verse: “And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcasses” (Deut. 14: 8); they do not drink alcohol as it is specified in this other verse: “Do not drink wine nor strong drink” (Lev. 10: 9); they smoke ganja –– “[…] and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Rev. 22: 2) ––; and they grow beard and dreadlocks –– “They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard” (Lev. 21:5) and “[…] he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow” (Num. 6: 5). By following these precepts for life, which are not followed by the majority of Christians, Jamaican Rastas again position themselves against “White” Christianity. Indeed, by not eating pork, Rastas get closer to Islam and accordingly Africa, distancing themselves from Christianity and therefore from the ones who introduced this religion to Jamaica, namely Westerners. By smoking ganja instead of drinking alcohol, they clearly rebel against Christian Eucharist. Besides, this practice clearly echoes their African cultural heritage. Indeed, it is common knowledge that hallucinogenic plants such as iboga and voacanga have been used for centuries in traditional African rituals, in Gabon (in Central Africa) in particular. Finally, by growing long black dreadlocks, Rastas not only defy Jesus Christ’s blond straight hair, but they also break with Western social conventions which tend to recommend short and straight –– or straightened –– hair. Dreadlocks metaphorically pay tribute to African “roots” too. To sum up, African Emperor Haile Selassie I, natural food called Ital food in Dread talk, ganja, and dreadlocks are strong religious symbols defying Christian beliefs.

Photographie 2. A Rasta smoking ganja with a pipe called chalice about the Holy Chalice in the Christian tradition

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2.2. Musical Symbolism

21Drum and chant play an important role in the Rasta movement and are essential elements of Rasta gatherings –– called donations in Rasta talk –– along with ganja. Indeed, Rastafarians, who proclaim their African identity, see the drum as a link with Africa and the sound it produces as its heartbeat. Like their African ancestors, they also use it as a means of communication between the living and the dead. As for chant, it enables them to melodiously praise Jah and to pay tribute to the Promised Land: Africa.

2.3. Ethiopian symbolism

22Two key symbols could be mentioned in this part. The first one is the Lion of Judah which is an important Rastafarian symbol of Emperor Haile Selassie I. Indeed, the lion is the symbol of the Tribe of Judah, Haile Selassie’s one. It should be emphasized that in Rasta symbolism, the dreadlocks also represent the Lion of Judah’s mane. The second symbol is the Ethiopian flag with its three well-known colors: green representing the fertile lands of the country, yellow representing the wealth of Ethiopia, and the red color being for the bloodshed in the fight for freedom and in defense of the country. These three colors are seen as strong Pan-African colors.

Photographie 3. Ras Sydney Lloyd Da Silva wearing a Lion of Judah pendant as well as a green, yellow and red scarf around his neck

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Source : Jérémie Kroubo Dagnini

2.4. Africa vs. Babylon

23Africa and Ethiopia are the backbone of the Rastafari religion. Indeed, Rastas regard the former Emperor of Ethiopia as Jah, Marcus Garvey as a prophet and Ethiopia as the Promised Land. Like early Ethiopianists, Jamaican Rastafarians associate themselves with the Jews enslaved in Babylon during their first exile from Israel in the sixth century Before Christ. Thus, they preach the return to their homeland Ethiopia, but Babylon must collapse before expecting the eternal rest in Africa. About the Bible’s pagan city of Babylon (Rev. 18: 2), which in ancient times was the great nation poisoned by arrogance, corruption, and decay, “Babylon” is the Rastafarian term referring to the white political power structure which has been holding black people down for centuries through enslavement, poverty, inequality and other trickeries. Thus, the concepts of Africa and Babylon play a central role in Rastafarian ideology, the first one symbolizing the good, the second the evil.

2.5. Dread Talk

24Rastas did not invent Jamaican Patois which emerged naturally when populations of different regions of the world –– Taino Amerindians, Spaniards, West Africans, Central Africans, British people, Indians, etc. ––, with distinct languages were forced into contact. Patois, which began as a pidgin, emerged to provide some level of cross-group communication. It appeared early in Jamaican history and phenomenally developed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries along with the phenomena of emigration and immigration. However, since the middle fifties, Jamaican Rastas have played an important role in institutionalizing Patois like ganja and dreadlocks. Indeed, they have been creating new syntax, new words and expressions which have become very popular across the island, to begin with, the use of the pronoun “I” which stands for “me” and the expression “I and I” which stands for “we;” “I and I” is also an expression referring to the oneness of Jah and every human being. Among other expressions, one could mention “Ital” which stands for “natural;” “gwaan” standing for “going;” “bredrin” standing for “brethren” etc. The uncompromising reggae star Peter Tosh gave rise to famous Rasta expressions too such as “Arcadia” for “America;” “Shitaly” for “Italy;” “Christ-t’ief Come-bust-us” for “Christopher Columbus;” “Prime Minister” for “Prime Minister;” “Damager” for “Manager;” “Hell A” for “L.A.” and “politricks” for “politics.” Rasta speech also known as Dread talk has become a strong symbol against Standard English symbolizing Western imperialism par excellence.

Conclusion

25All things considered, the Rastafari religion is clearly a syncretic religion mixing elements of Traditional African beliefs with elements of a Pan-African and Afro-centered version of Christianity, and it obviously challenges Christianity at different levels, to begin with, its structure. Contrary to Christianity which is a religion with a well-organized, hierarchical governance structure, the Rastafari movement’s structure is rather anarchical like most animist cults: there is no official governing structure dictating conformity of theology, neither acknowledged Rasta leader as the Pope, nor official baptism, etc. Furthermore, Rasta symbols and codes are challenging Christianity too: God is embodied in Jesus Christ for Christians and in Haile Selassie I for Rastas; Christians see Moses as the prophet who led the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt while Rastas see Marcus “Mosiah” Garvey as Jamaica’s Redeemer with his back-to-Africa movement; Holy Communion includes bread and wine for Christians and ganja for Rastas; religious music is embodied in Christian harp music on the one hand and in Rasta drumming on the other ––; Christians see Israel as the Promised Land whereas Rastas see Ethiopia, etc. Thus, the Rasta movement was visibly born as a response to oppression and “White” Christian Evangelization. In other words, it seems that Christians and Rastafarians mainly differ in their interpretation of the Bible which most of the time is read from a White perspective by the former and from a Black perspective by the latter.

26Last but not least, it is essential to emphasize that the general influence of reggae music, from the early 1970s onwards, and to a lesser extent Jamaican migration have resulted in the worldwide spread of Rastafari: in the rest of the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, the USA, Asia, the Pacific region and other parts of the world.