The Rastafari people revere the flora and fauna around them and even follow their own vegan Ital diet. The black color represents the people of Africa. It unites this pan-African religion and movement so that it includes all African people and not just those with direct Ethiopian descent.
With the above four colors in mind, we can go over the 10 key Rastafari symbols and what they mean. Many of these are not written or drawn symbols, as the Rastafari culture and religion find symbolism in many things — music, clothes and lifestyle, hand gestures, speech, and more.
The Lion of Judah is one of the main emblems of the Rastafari religion. Another term for this lion is The Conquering Lion and the Lamb. Haile Selassie is believed to be a king and Rastafarians believe that the mention in the Bible of a Lion of Judah is in reference to him.
In fact, as much of the Rastafari religion is based on Protestant Christianity, the Rastafarians believed that they themselves are descendants of the ancient Hebrew people.
The Rasta flag is based on the original Ethiopian flag we mentioned above. It also often has the Lion of Judah in the middle as the main symbol of the Rastafari religion. Jah, in the Rastafari religion, is the name of God. The Rastafari also refer to Haile Selassie as Jah as they believed him to be the next incarnation of Jesus Christ and God in human form.
I and I is a common phrase in Rasta culture that is full of symbolism. The Rastafarians say I and I instead of us, them, or you. In other words, this phrase symbolizes the oneness and the equality of the Rastafari people. Zion is supposed to be the birthplace of all of humanity, where God created Adam and Eve. The Rastafari have a strong reverence for all plants and the environment as a whole, but their relationship with marijuana is much more special.
The Rastafari used marijuana as a part of many of their religious rituals. When people embrace the traits of a lion, such as self-confidence and assertiveness, they reclaim their African identity and strength.
Lions are displayed in the same manner as the Rastafarian colors, and statues of them often guard homes. They are also a very common motif within reggae music. Dreadlocks are an extremely prominent symbol of Rastafarianism and are meant to represent the denial of Babylonian, or white, ideals of beauty and the rejection of Jesus, who they believe had blond hair. They are reminiscent of the lion's mane, further reinforcing qualities of the lion while they also embrace pride in African appearance.
Dreadlocks are considered the natural state of African hair when it is left to grow as God intended. Dreadlocks are also used in religious practice and are said to be a link to Jah, known as Yahweh or Jehovah in other religions. When dreadlocks are shaken it is believed that they become a receptor for earthforce, a mystical power of the universe. Rastafarians believe that natural food, herbs and ganja marijuana symbolize the ability of man to be sustained by God's creations and a rejection of forced modernity.
Rastafarians are committed to a natural lifestyle based on the idea that the earth brings forth all good things that should be used in their natural state as intended by Jah. While they typically stick to a vegetarian diet, small fish are sometimes consumed, but large fish are believed to represent the establishment and are avoided. In reality, they are referring to the earthly heaven where King Selassie reigned as the savior of Africans, the lost tribe of Judah.
Therefore, Zion is a reference to Ethiopia, believed by some to also be the original birthplace of humankind! Quickly, Babylon is a term used to describe the oppressive and exploiting system of the materialistic modern western world e. Zion is the only refuge from Babylon. Some great places where you can find references pointing to this iconic Rasta symbol are in Sacred Rastafari texts such as the Kebra Nagast.
The ital diet is a very important aspect and among most important Rasta symbols of the religion. The Ital diet is required by the Nyahbinghi sect. In brief, the Nyabinghi sect is the oldest of all Rastafari orders , and all the other orders come from this sect.
Keep in mind the branches of Rastafari are symbolic. Also, the Mansions are important branches of Rastafari, referring to the sects of Rastafari and their different beliefs.
It is an umbrella name for all other groups that belong to the Rastafari movement. Lest we forget, Howell headed the first branch in the U. Rastas call their diet The Ital Way. This means you follow a pure vegan diet. When it comes to this Rasta symbol, Natural is the only way.
Since Rastas believe that Jah exists in all living things, following an Ital diet is important to Rastafari. Rastas only absorb positive energies from their food and reject consuming negative energies. We could all use more Ital in out diet, because a pure diet like this increases vital energy in all people, Rasta or Not! Certainly, it is widely associated with Reggae music and with Rastas.
However, it is not something anyone should mock, for using Ganja is sacred to Rastafari. They consider it a holy sacrament, similar to Communion to Christians. They use ganja for many reasons. The main reason is cleansing and opening up the mind, so that they can correctly reason with ways of this fallen world. Rastas only use Ganja in a reverent and solemn way. A Nyabinghi session is much different from a casual marijuana smoking session which western people take part in. People in the West smoke marijuana for social and entertainment reasons.
The smoker enjoys silly times of laughter and horseplay. This differs greatly from what takes place during a Nyabinghi.
A Nyabinghi session is a taken very seriously. A Rastafari would consider acting silly while smoking disrespectful, to both the herb, and Jah. The Rastafari use of Ganja stems back to the beginning in Jamaica.
Howell, set up a Rasta community of sixteen hundred followers. This community was named Pinnacle. Howell introduced Rasta believers the properties of Ganja, which helped with their reasoning. Rastafari quickly turned to the Bible and found verses possibly mentioning the use of this Holy Plant.
From this, Rastafari infused Ganja into their culture. Today, cannabis is becoming legalized all over the world, and more socially accepted, because it has medicinal properties. Rastafari had the right idea all along.
Patios is a Jamaican dialect that most Jamaicans and Rastas speak. It is not fully recognized as its own language. Some activists lobby to get Jamaican Patois recognized as one, though. The British outlawed the use of native tongues in their Caribbean colonies.
They did this to weaken the bonds that the African slaves had to their homelands and each other. The early settlers and slave owners were afraid that the slaves would conspire against them, or attempt escape. Patois was a response to and rebellion against the slave codes.
By not speaking in perfect English, blacks in Jamaica were rejecting the racist culture of their slave masters. Blacks resisted control from the moment they were taken from their homeland to the New World. Over time, their speech patterns evolved into a distinct dialect. The Rastafari movement began in the s to protest against capitalism, colonial oppression and exploitation of nature. Learning the Patois language is easy, because it is based on English words.
Also we recommend reading Dread Talk to learn more about the dialect. Related : Rastafari Books. Hair is also another important icon of the Rasta faith. It symbolizes strength when long and dreaded, and weakness when cut short. Wearing dreadlocks is a very outward physical symbol of Rastafari. They are a spiritual expression to Rastafari, not just worn as a fashion statement. Conversely, in modern society many people wear dreadlocks as a personal expression.
Of course, not all people who wear dreads are Rasta. Naturally, dreadlocks originated in Africa. Rastafari grow their hair into dreadlocks because it is a part of the Nazarite Vow , from the Bible.
Let me explain. Rastafari today get their grooming and dietary restrictions from these biblical codes. Basically, this verse makes Rastafari take the vow of the Nazarites. They believe it is wrong to shave or comb their hair.
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