What does the word rastafarai mean. Jah Rastafarai: what does it matter, translation. Cannabis use by rastas
Jah Rastafarai, or Rastarafarianism, is not only a youth culture, but also a real religion. There is an erroneous opinion that representatives of this culture are just young people with dreadlocks or multi-colored (red, yellow, green) hats. But not many people think that in fact Jah Rastafarai is a bunch of various teachings, cults and religions, which include African Christianity, apostolic and Zionist cults, philosophical views of various sects, and there is also nationalism in relation to the black race .
History of Jah Rastafarai Religion. Translation of "Ja"
If you delve into history, you can find several theories about Jah Rastafarai. What does ja mean? This is a god or, as some believe, a distortedly pronounced name Jehovah. According to these legends, Jah visited our land twice, the first time we saw him in the guise of Jesus Christ, and the second - not so long ago, in the guise of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I. This theory, like many others, is considered not quite clear. Therefore, with a religion such as Rastafarianism, you need to be pretty careful. No one fully knows what it is and where its origins are. But what we know for sure is that this young religion originated in Jamaica in the 1930s. At that time, Jamaica was still a British colony. At this time, for black people, freedom existed only on paper, despite the official abolition of slavery around the world.
Rastafarianism is the religion of the Rastas
By the end of the 20th century, Jah Rastafarai, which means "religion of the Rastas", was accepted by more than a million people all over the planet. And every year there are more and more of them. Such impressive numbers appear to be due to the high popularity of this culture/religion among young people. Young people are most often inspired by rasta-reggae music, a prominent representative of which is the famous musician Bob Marley. But, in addition to the true connoisseurs of this religion and music, we can also see ordinary fans of Jah Rastafarai, the translation and meaning of the term may not even be exactly known to them. Please note: Rastafarianism is a religion, not a mainstream!
Cannabis use by rastas
According to lovers of this religion, the narcotic drug cannabis, which is often used by adherents of this religion, in no way harms human health. On the contrary, cannabis helps to overcome all the barriers that prevent a person from knowing the truth and wisdom of our world.
Rastamans (believers of the Jah Rastafarai religion) claim that only in a similar way, by using grass, you can come to complete harmony with yourself and the world around you. As confirmation of their theories, representatives of this religion very often cite quotes from the Bible: "And God said: Behold, I have given you every herb that yields seed, which is on the whole earth, and every tree that has fruit of a tree that yields seed; - this shall be food for you."
Also, it was from the Bible that the opinion was taken that it is forbidden to cut hair. They need to be constantly grown, while it is necessary to twist the hair into curls - that is, dreadlocks. Few would agree with the Rastas that this is the subtext that was put into the Bible. But it would be wrong to refute these judgments, because today no one can prove either one or the other position.
Christian denomination in Rastafarianism
Jah Rastafarai, which means the Rastaman religion, has many different faiths in the modern world. One of the most striking can be considered the Christian denomination, which appeared through the influence of Marcus Gavari, who is supposedly the prophet Jah. He created such a movement as "Back to Africa". The concept of this teaching was that Africa is the ancestral home of all mankind, and that sooner or later the moment will come when everyone will return back to this continent. In his works, Marcus calls Jesus a representative of the Negroid race (that is, black), and black people - the rulers of the whole world who built our civilization. There is Paradise on earth. And, according to "Negro Jesus", this is undoubtedly Ethiopia. Jah will lead all people there sooner or later. The impudence and arrogance of black people angered God, and he gave all the representatives of the Negroid race into slavery to white people. According to Jah, this should make them understand their sins, seeing white people, change their behavior. And only after that they will be worthy to go to heaven.
reggae music
We can say that it was reggae that contributed to the popularization of the idea of rastamanism. It all started in Jamaica, then the reggae style began to spread throughout the UK, America, and then around the world. But if you look at it, you can see that this musical direction has almost completely eradicated racial foundations in the religion of Rastafarianism. Reggae music has become publicly available, both for the black and white population of our planet. Also, the reggae style has become popular not only in individual countries, but throughout the world.
Lyapis Trubetskoy, "Warriors of Light"
Next to Bob Marley, you can put a modern musician and singer - Lyapis Trubetskoy. In his songs, he very often spoke about a variety of religions. His composition "I Believe" lists a wide variety of deities. This tells the listener that each is of equal importance.
Not so long ago, Lapis wrote the song "Warriors of Light", dedicated to the religion of Jah Rastafarai. "They fight until dawn", which means guarding our peace and youth, is a description of the life of rastafarians. The song shows the joyful life of a rastaman, where everyone is relatives to each other (brothers and sisters), and they all struggle with human vices. It also talks about the "soldiers" Jah Rastafarai, which means in the song - "Warriors of Light". They protect summer, protect warmth and youth. There is no place for sadness and routine in their life, every day they live is a reason to rejoice in their existence.
Distinctive features of Rastafarianism
With all this, it is worth noting that Ja rasta farai, which means "rastaman religion", is rather ambiguous. Despite the fact that it was born on the basis of such a religion as Christianity, Rastafarianism is very different from it. Rastamans confess love for their neighbors, vegetarianism, as well as rejection of the violent propaganda of their faith. Also, Jah Rastafarai is against even talking about his faith to other people who are far from your views. A Rastaman (or simply a believer in the Rastafari religion) will definitely reach Jah, but only when he hears his call in his heart.
Therefore, in this religion there are no initiations and following a single law, as in any other. To accept a Rastafarai for oneself already means to be initiated.
Well, in order to come to Jah Rastafarai, you need to do a couple of things: realize the will of Jah in yourself and overcome inner Babylon.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rastafarianism is not a very organized religion, most Rastafarians do not require participation in any denominations in order to support each other in this way and find faith and inspiration in themselves, although some of them are assigned to one of the "Rastafarian Abodes"; the three most famous of these are Nyahbinghi, Bobo Ashanti, and the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
Name Rastafari comes from the name of the last emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie I, before the coronation known as Ras Tafari Makonnen (Tefari Makonnin). Rastafarians believe that Haile Selassie I is the incarnation of God, whom the Rastamans call Jah.
The basis of Rastafarianism is love for one's neighbor and rejection of the way of life of Western society, which the Rastamans call "Babylon". They proclaim the Holy Land (Zion) as their original homeland. Rastafarianism encompasses various Afrocentric social and political concerns, such as the sociopolitical views and teachings of Jamaican publicist and organizer Marcus Garvey, who is also often regarded as a prophet. Persistent consumption of cannabis is common in Rastafarianism. According to the followers of Rastafarianism, the use of cannabis has a beneficial effect on human health: it increases the overall tone of the body, makes it possible to cleanse from an unnecessary understanding of the world; "for it cannot be cured in other ways."
By 1997, there were about 1 million Rastafari worldwide, today Rastafarianism has spread to most countries of the world mainly through reggae, the most prominent example is the Jamaican singer Bob Marley (1945-1981) and his children.
Beliefs
Rastafarian denominations are quite fragmented, their teachings often do not correspond to each other. One prominent side of Rastafarianism is the Christian branch (influenced by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church) and the prophecies of the Jamaican leader of the Back to Africa movement, Marcus Garvey. In a speech at the United Negro Improvement Association, Marcus Garvey said to look for the sign of the coming: the coronation of a "black" king in Africa. Many thought the prophecy had come true when, in 1930, Ras (Prince) Tafari, who took the name Haile Selassie I, was crowned Emperor of Ethiopia. Rastafarian followers in Jamaica believe that Selassie is a descendant of the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (the legend of the origin "Solomonic dynasty" contained in the book "Kebra Nagast"), and revere him as God (God the Father) - the king of kings and the messiah.
According to the Christian interpretation of the Rastafarian interpretation of the Bible, blacks, like the Israelites, were given by Jehovah (Jah) into slavery to whites (Europeans and their descendants who colonized Africa) as punishment for sins and must live under the yoke of Babylon, a modern socio-political system based on Western liberal values, in anticipation of the coming of Jah, who will free them and take them to "heaven on earth" - Ethiopia.
A distinctive feature of the Rasta religion is that they do not engage in conversion, as a person must discover the Jah in himself. In anticipation of the Exodus, the Rastaman (follower of the Rastafari) must cultivate an "African" identity, striving to be different from the "servants of Babylon" both externally and internally. Their ethical system is based on the principles of brotherly love, goodwill towards all people and rejection of the Western way of life.
The basis of the doctrine is Holy Piby.
reggae
Rastafari ideas spread in the 1970s through the reggae style of music, which originated in Jamaica and was especially popular in the United States, United Kingdom and Africa. A good example of this is the song Rivers of Babylon, which became a hit performed by Boni M. Originally this song was typical Rastafarian reggae with lyrics from the Psalter.
rasta
Based on Rastafarianism arose rasta- a youth subculture that appeared in the late 1960s - 1970s. among the colored population of the West Indies (primarily the island of Jamaica) and Great Britain. Thanks to reggae, the Rastafari movement has spread throughout the world, partly losing its religious and racial basis.
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Notes
Literature
- Sociology of youth. Encyclopedic Dictionary / Ed. Ed. Yu. A. Zubok and V. I. Chuprov. - M.: Academia, 2008. - 608s.
- Sulzhenko M.V.// Scientific and theoretical journal "Religious Studies". - 2010. - No. 3. - S. 56-61.
Links
An excerpt characterizing Rastafarianism
“Wait?.. Hurrah!” Petya shouted and, without a single minute's hesitation, galloped to the place where the shots were heard and where the powder smoke was thicker. A volley was heard, empty and slapped bullets screeched. The Cossacks and Dolokhov jumped after Petya through the gates of the house. The French, in the swaying thick smoke, some threw down their weapons and ran out of the bushes towards the Cossacks, others ran downhill to the pond. Petya galloped along the manor's yard on his horse and, instead of holding the reins, waved both hands strangely and quickly, and kept falling further and further from the saddle to one side. The horse, having run into a fire smoldering in the morning light, rested, and Petya fell heavily to the wet ground. The Cossacks saw how quickly his arms and legs twitched, despite the fact that his head did not move. The bullet pierced his head.After talking with a senior French officer, who came out from behind the house with a handkerchief on a sword and announced that they were surrendering, Dolokhov got off his horse and went up to Petya, motionless, with his arms outstretched.
“Ready,” he said, frowning, and went through the gate to meet Denisov, who was coming towards him.
- Killed?! exclaimed Denisov, seeing from a distance that familiar to him, undoubtedly lifeless position, in which Petya's body lay.
“Ready,” repeated Dolokhov, as if pronouncing this word gave him pleasure, and quickly went to the prisoners, who were surrounded by dismounted Cossacks. - We won't take it! he shouted to Denisov.
Denisov did not answer; he rode up to Petya, dismounted from his horse, and with trembling hands turned towards him Petya's already pale face, stained with blood and mud.
“I'm used to anything sweet. Excellent raisins, take them all,” he remembered. And the Cossacks looked back with surprise at the sounds, similar to the barking of a dog, with which Denisov quickly turned away, went up to the wattle fence and grabbed it.
Among the Russian prisoners recaptured by Denisov and Dolokhov was Pierre Bezukhov.
About the party of prisoners in which Pierre was, during his entire movement from Moscow, there was no new order from the French authorities. On October 22, this party was no longer with the troops and convoys with which it left Moscow. Half of the convoy with breadcrumbs, which followed them for the first transitions, was beaten off by the Cossacks, the other half went ahead; the foot cavalrymen who went ahead, there was not one more; they all disappeared. The artillery, which the first crossings could be seen ahead of, was now replaced by the huge convoy of Marshal Junot, escorted by the Westphalians. Behind the prisoners was a convoy of cavalry things.
From Vyazma, the French troops, who had previously marched in three columns, now marched in one heap. Those signs of disorder that Pierre noticed on the first halt from Moscow have now reached the last degree.
The road they were on was paved on both sides with dead horses; ragged people, lagging behind different teams, constantly changing, then joined, then again lagged behind the marching column.
Several times during the campaign there were false alarms, and the soldiers of the convoy raised their guns, fired and ran headlong, crushing each other, but then again gathered and scolded each other for vain fear.
These three gatherings, marching together - the cavalry depot, the depot of prisoners and Junot's convoy - still constituted something separate and integral, although both, and the other, and the third quickly melted away.
In the depot, which had at first been one hundred and twenty wagons, now there were no more than sixty; the rest were repulsed or abandoned. Junot's convoy was also abandoned and several wagons were recaptured. Three wagons were plundered by backward soldiers from Davout's corps who came running. From the conversations of the Germans, Pierre heard that more guards were placed on this convoy than on prisoners, and that one of their comrades, a German soldier, was shot on the orders of the marshal himself because a silver spoon that belonged to the marshal was found on the soldier.
Most of these three gatherings melted the depot of prisoners. Of the three hundred and thirty people who left Moscow, now there were less than a hundred. The prisoners, even more than the saddles of the cavalry depot and than Junot's convoy, burdened the escorting soldiers. Junot's saddles and spoons, they understood that they could be useful for something, but why were the hungry and cold soldiers of the convoy standing guard and guarding the same cold and hungry Russians, who were dying and lagging behind the road, whom they were ordered to shoot - it was not only incomprehensible, but also disgusting. And the escorts, as if afraid in the sad situation in which they themselves were, not to give in to the feeling of pity for the prisoners that was in them and thereby worsen their situation, treated them especially gloomily and strictly.
In Dorogobuzh, while, having locked the prisoners in the stable, the escort soldiers left to rob their own shops, several captured soldiers dug under the wall and ran away, but were captured by the French and shot.
The former order, introduced at the exit from Moscow, that the captured officers should go separately from the soldiers, had long been destroyed; all those who could walk walked together, and from the third passage Pierre had already connected again with Karataev and the lilac bow-legged dog, which had chosen Karataev as its master.
With Karataev, on the third day of leaving Moscow, there was that fever from which he lay in the Moscow hospital, and as Karataev weakened, Pierre moved away from him. Pierre did not know why, but since Karataev began to weaken, Pierre had to make an effort on himself in order to approach him. And going up to him and listening to those quiet groans with which Karataev usually lay down at rest, and feeling the now intensified smell that Karataev emitted from himself, Pierre moved away from him and did not think about him.
In captivity, in a booth, Pierre learned not with his mind, but with his whole being, with his life, that man was created for happiness, that happiness is in himself, in satisfying natural human needs, and that all misfortune comes not from lack, but from excess; but now, in these last three weeks of the campaign, he learned another new, comforting truth - he learned that there is nothing terrible in the world. He learned that just as there is no position in which a person would be happy and completely free, so there is no position in which he would be unhappy and not free. He learned that there is a limit to suffering and a limit to freedom, and that this limit is very close; that the man who suffered because one leaf was wrapped in his pink bed, suffered in the same way as he suffered now, falling asleep on the bare, damp earth, cooling one side and warming the other; that when he used to put on his narrow ballroom shoes, he suffered in exactly the same way as now, when he was completely barefoot (his shoes had long been disheveled), his feet covered with sores. He learned that when he, as it seemed to him, of his own free will married his wife, he was no more free than now, when he was locked up at night in the stable. Of all that he later called suffering, but which he then hardly felt, the main thing was his bare, worn, scabbed feet. (Horse meat was tasty and nutritious, the nitrate bouquet of gunpowder used instead of salt was even pleasant, there was not much cold, and it was always hot during the day on the move, and at night there were fires; the lice that ate the body warmed pleasantly.) One thing was hard. First, it's the legs.
Where did the new youth subculture come from in Russia?
Who are rastamans?
There is an opinion that these are not very adequate young people who constantly smoke marijuana, listen to Bob Marley, walk in bright striped berets with dreadlocks sticking out from under them (many small braids). But these are only external manifestations of rasta culture. In fact, the world of Rastafari (their second name) is much deeper than we imagine - it is a whole culture with its own religion and philosophy.
Return to Ethiopia
Proto-Rastafarianism began in Ethiopia back in 800, when that country adopted Christianity. Under the influence of local culture, it constantly changed, as a result, the Ethiopians had their own religion. According to the Rastas, mankind originated in Ethiopia, and this is where the earthly paradise is located. This, by the way, is not entirely fiction - in the Old Testament there are indirect references to Ethiopia, which the local people very skillfully used.
In the twentieth century, after slavery was abolished, most of the Ethiopians lived in America. The main ideological inspirer of all Rastafari was Marcus Mosaya Garvey, who agitated his compatriots to return to their homeland. He predicted the imminent birth of a king, a direct descendant of Solomon, who would lead the people to Ethiopia so that eternal paradise would come there.
Indeed, in 1930, Ras Teferi Makkonin (died in 1975), who was crowned under the name of Haile Selassie I, which in Ethiopian means “the power of the Trinity,” became the ruler of Ethiopia. So, with the advent of the new king, Rastafarianism was recognized as the official religion, the main idea of which is the return of the Ethiopians to their homeland. Apparently, the name Ras (in Ethiopian "prince") should be associated with the etymology of the word "rastaman" - "man of Rasta".
Jah is the main god in the Rastaman religion, in the Ethiopian language his name is pronounced as "Yahweh". Haile Selassie (otherwise called Jah Rastafarai) is considered to be his earthly incarnation. Rastafarians claim that the Bible was originally written in Ethiopian and only then translated into Hebrew. In other words, the Europeans not only changed the Bible in their favor, but also enslaved the progenitors of the human race, making them second-class people.
Babylon in the Rastaman religion is an abstract concept that symbolizes the industrial world, full of vices, lies and self-interest. For the Jamaican rastafarians, America has become such an embodiment of Babylon.
By the will of the great Jah
Rastafari, like all believers, have their own commandments, which they always observe according to the will of the great god Jah:
- You can not smoke tobacco and drink alcohol.
- Vegetarianism must be observed, although meat is sometimes allowed, except for pork and shellfish, salt, vinegar and cow's milk are also not allowed.
- Since God created man in his own image and likeness, any distortion of the divine image is a sin. It is forbidden to defile the appearance of a person with incisions, tattoos and shaving of the head.
- You can worship only Jah and no other gods, but at the same time, you must respect the representatives of other religions.
- It is necessary to love and respect the human brotherhood, first of all, all Rastas.
- Reject hatred, jealousy, envy, deceit, perfidy, betrayal.
- Neither the pleasures provided by Babylon nor its vices can be accepted.
- Rastafarians are called upon to create an order in the world based on brotherhood.
- All Rastas must adhere to the ancient laws of Ethiopia.
- It is the duty of every Rastafari to extend a hand of mercy to anyone who is in trouble, be it a person, an animal or a plant.
- One should not be tempted by handouts, titles and riches that will entice enemies, love for Rastafari should give determination.
Rastafarians are very fond of getting together and spending time in big cheerful companies. Their main credo: "the whole life is one big holiday." Meanwhile, Rastas also have real holidays: on July 23 they celebrate the birthday of Haile Selassie, on November 2 - the day of his coronation, on January 7 - Rastaman Christmas dedicated to the god Jah, and they celebrate Easter on May 1, like the Orthodox.
yellow-red-green mood
As for appearance, everything is extremely simple for rastamans in this regard: loose t-shirts with the image of marijuana, wide trousers or frayed jeans, berets with stripes in the colors of the Ethiopian flag: red, yellow and green. Well, as already mentioned, dreadlocks are the most striking distinguishing feature of a rastaman. Dreadlocks (“dread locks” translated from English - “terrible curls”) are a kind of reminder of African roots. According to legend, when the end of the world comes, it is by dreadlocks (pigtails) that Jah recognizes rastamans and, having hooked on them, will take all the rastas to his heavenly kingdom. (Unfortunately, in our time, not only Jah, but also skinheads, who are at war with all adherents of African culture, recognize these pigtails.)
Rastafarians believe that there is a huge magical power in the hair, not without reason in the Bible there is a legend about Samson the hero, whose power was just in the hair. The main rule - you can not leave your hair anywhere and you should beware of other people's hair. Even cut off, the hair remains a part of the person and maintains a connection with him. Therefore, they are used for magic, witchcraft, love spells, the evil eye.
For the first time, dreadlocks appeared in India, where gardens live - wandering sages who are trying to comprehend the meaning of life. Since they are constantly away from people and lead an ascetic lifestyle, their hair is almost never cut, which is why they fall into tangles that vaguely resemble dreadlocks. In Africa, dreadlocks first appeared in Jamaica, and then migrated to Ethiopia. In the 60s of the twentieth century, thanks to the singer Bob Marley, dreadlocks became known to the whole world.
"Rasta is reggae and marijuana"
In addition to dreadlocks, Rastafari also created reggae - music dedicated to the god Jah. The main idea of this musical style is something like this: it is not enough to return your body to your homeland, you need to understand that your spirit is inseparable from your native land, only there you can find peace. “Reggae music is the vibration of all the bright people of this world,” said one of the founding fathers of reggae, Bob Marley. It was he who turned this music into a weapon in the fight against oppressors and replaced religious texts with political ones.
Reggae came to Russia in the 80s of the twentieth century, when it was already popular all over the world. The pioneers of this musical style in our country were the groups "Sunday", "Aquarium" and "Cabinet". True, they only used reggae music, not its ideas. Over time, various variants of this style appeared: dub - Afro-Caribbean music in electronic processing, ska - a mixture of Jamaican reggae with rhythm and blues from Miami, and rock steady - reggae with a touch of soul.
Marijuana (aka “grass”, hemp, ganj, cannabis and anasha) plays a huge role in the Rastafari religion, they even found justification for its use in the Bible on this occasion: “And God said: behold, I have given you EVERY HERB that sows SEED which is in all the earth, and every tree that bears fruit of the tree, yielding seed; - this will be food for you ”(Gen. Ch. 1. Art. 29). Rastafarians believe that it was the god Jah who taught people how to smoke ganj.
According to Rastafari tradition, the first plant that grew on the grave of King Solomon, the wisest man on earth, was hemp, the “grass of wisdom.” However, not all Rastas smoke marijuana. For example, adherents of orthodox Rastafarianism do not use it at all. In some communities, the controlled use of "wisdom herb" is allowed in order to achieve certain meditative states in order to communicate with God.
Russia - the birthplace of blacks?
In our country, Rastafarianism has recently begun to gain popularity and become fashionable. But, of course, having adopted the appearance of rastamans, we, as always, forgot about one small detail - the observance of religious laws. Stoned teenagers who put on colorful clothes and made a hundred braids in a beauty salon, frankly, do not care about the commandments of the great Jah. Russian rastamans listen to reggae, but perceive only music, and not at all religious texts.
Very often, our compatriots declare themselves rastamans in order to justify themselves to others why they use cannabis and its products. Moreover, if true Rastafarians categorically reject alcohol, then Russian Rastas calmly drink alcoholic beverages - what, they say, is a Russian without vodka and beer? Rasta Internet sites publish slogans: "Fatherland is all Africa" and "Our home is Jamaica." However, behind these words, in fact, there is nothing. After all, it is obvious that the Russian Rastas are not at all going to “return” (and in our case, to emigrate) to Ethiopia.
That is why many participants in rasta forums argue that rastamanism in Russia will very quickly “slide into pop music”, that is, it will become vulgar, adapt to the layman. And they call domestic rastamania nothing more than a “youth subculture”.
As you can see, becoming a Rastafarian is not an easy task, some dreadlocks and a cannabis T-shirt are clearly not enough. To be considered a real Rasta, at a minimum, you need to be African, believe in the god Jah, and visit Ethiopia at least once in your life.
What is good for one nation does not always suit another: whatever one may say, it is far from us to Ethiopia, it has its own culture and way of life. Rasta is a black religion. The rest is imitation and props.
Dmitry ASTAFEV
Jah Rastafarai, or Rastarafarianism, is not only a youth culture, but also the truest religion. There is an incorrect worldview that representatives of this culture are just young people with dreadlocks or in multi-colored (burgundy, yellowish, greenish) hats. But not many people think that, in fact, Jah Rastafarai is a bunch of various teachings, cults and religions, into which Christianity of Africa enters, apostolic and Zionist cults, philosophical views of various sects, and there is also nationalism in relation to the dark race.
History of Jah Rastafarai Religion. Translation of "Ja"
If you delve into history, you can find several theories about Jah Rastafarai. What does ja mean? This is a god, or, as some believe, the pronounced name Jehovah is distorted. According to these legends, Jah visited our land twice, the first time we saw him in the form of Jesus Christ, and the second time - not so long ago, in the guise of His Majesty Haile Selassie I. This theory, like many others , is considered not entirely clear. Therefore, with such a religion as Rastafarianism, it is necessary to be quite careful. No one fully knows what it is and where its origins are. But what we know for sure is that this young religion appeared in Jamaica in the 1930s. At that time, Jamaica was still a British colony. At this time, for black people, freedom was only on paper, despite the official abolition of slavery around the world.
Rastafarianism is the religion of the Rastas
By the end of the 20th century, Jah Rastafarai, which means “religion of the Rastas”, was accepted by more than a million people all over the planet. And every year they become more and more. Such impressive numbers seem to be due to the great popularity of this culture/religion among young people. Inspired by young people, in most cases, rasta reggae music, the catchy representative of which is the recognizable musician Bob Marley. But, in addition to true connoisseurs of this religion and music, we can also create ordinary fans of Jah Rastafarai, the translation and meaning of the term may not even be exactly known to them. Please note: Rastafarianism is a religion, not a mainstream!
Cannabis use by rastas
According to the opinion of the lovers of this religion, the narcotic drug cannabis, which is often used by adherents of this religion, does not in any way harm human health. On the contrary, cannabis helps to overcome all the barriers that prevent a person from knowing the truth and wisdom of our world.
Rastamans (believers of the Jah Rastafarai religion) say that only by a similar method, with the help of weed consumption, can one come to complete harmony with oneself and the world around us. As evidence of their theories, representatives of this religion very often cite quotes from the Bible: “And God said: behold, I have given you every herb that sows seed, which is on the whole earth, and every tree that has fruit of a tree that sows seed; “This will be your food.”
Also, the worldview was taken specifically from the Bible that it is forbidden to cut hair. They need to constantly grow, with all this you need to twist your hair into curls - in other words, dreadlocks. Few would agree with the Rastas that this particular subtext was written into the Bible. Yes, and it would be incorrect to refute these judgments, because today no one can justify either one or the other position.
Christian denomination in Rastafarianism
Jah Rastafarai, which means the Rastaman religion, has a huge number of different faiths in the modern world. One of the brightest can be considered the Christian denomination, which seemed to be a means of influencing Marcus Gavari, who is supposedly the prophet Jah. He created such a movement as “Back to Africa”. The concept of this teaching was that Africa is the ancestral home of the entire population of the earth, and that at some point such a moment will come that everyone will return back to this continent. In his own works, Marcus refers to Jesus as a representative of the Negroid race (in other words, black), and black people as the rulers of the whole world who built our civilization. There is Paradise on earth. And, according to the view of "Negro Jesus", this is, of course, Ethiopia. Jah will take all the people there at some point. The impudence and arrogance of black people enraged God, and he gave all representatives of the Negroid race into slavery to snow-white people. According to Jha, this should force them to realize their sins, having seen the snow-white people, to change their behavior. And only after that they will become worthy to go to heaven.
reggae music
It can be said that specifically reggae contributed to the popularization of the idea of rastamanism. It all started in Jamaica, then the reggae style began to spread throughout England, America, and then around the world. But if you look at it, you can see that this musical direction has almost completely eradicated racial bases in the religion of Rastafarianism. Reggae music has become publicly available, both for the black and for the white population of our planet. Also, the reggae style has become popular not only in individual countries, but throughout the world.
Lyapis Trubetskoy, "Warriors of Light"
Next to Bob Marley, you can put a modern musician and singer - Lyapis Trubetskoy. In his own songs, he very often talked about a variety of religions. In his composition "I believe" a variety of deities are listed. This tells the listener that each of them has a similar significance.
Not so long ago, Lapis wrote the song “Warriors of the Light”, dedicated to the religion of Jah Rastafarai. “They fight until dawn”, which means guarding our peace and youth, is a description of the life of rastafarians. The song shows the cheerful life of a rastaman, where everyone is relatives to each other (brothers and sisters), and they all fight against human vices. It also talks about the "fighters" Jah Rastafarai, which means in the song - "Warriors of Light". They protect summer, protect warmth and youth. There is no place for sadness and routine in their life, every day they live is an occasion to rejoice in their own existence.
Distinctive features of Rastafarianism
With all this, it should be noted that Ja rasta farai, which means “Rastaman religion”, is quite diverse. Despite the fact that it was born on the basis of such a religion as Christianity, Rastafarianism is very very different from it. Rastamans confess love for their neighbors, vegetarianism, and rejection of the forced propaganda of their own faith. Also, Jah Rastafarai is against even talking about his own faith to other people who are far from your views. A Rastaman (or simply a believer in the Rastafari religion) will certainly reach Jah, but only when he hears his cry in his own heart.
Therefore, in this religion there are no initiations and following one law, as in any other. To adopt a Rastafarai already means to be initiated.
Well, in order to come to Jah Rastafarai, you need to do a couple of things: understand the will of Jah inside yourself and defeat inner Babylon.
Rasta... Rasta is cool
Rasta - it's all clear
Rasta is all me.
Rasta, Ras Tafar Silas-Ya.
Everything will be fine
Rasta is all me.
(c) Ark
This is a story about culture and religion. About music and lifestyle of thousands of people around the world. A story for those who don't know the difference between rastaman and dreadlock, rastafarianism and reggae... For those who wear dreadlocks and smoke weed and on this basis call themselves rastaman. For those who sing and dance, who love life, Jah and Africa. For those who are afraid for their children who wear red-yellow-green scarves and listen to Bob Marley. For all.
Who is a rastaman? Rastafarians are called followers of Rastafarianism. What is Rastafarianism? - One of the little-studied and therefore controversial religions. Its roots go back to the 14th century. BC, when Moses married an Ethiopian (Numbers, 12). Since then, the idea of a kind of "spiritual center of the world" in the Nile Valley, in the "cradle of mankind" - a vast region that includes Egypt in the north and Ethiopia in the south, has been developing.
However, in order to understand what today's Rastaman is, it is enough to start the story from the thirties of the last century, when the word "Rastafarianism" appeared.
Marcus Garvey
It all started trivially. In 1887, Marcus Garvey was born in Jamaica, who, later becoming a politician, founded on August 1, 1914, the World Association for the Improvement of the Condition of Negroes. He announced the goal of the Association to build a state with Negro self-government in Africa.
But Garvey was too radical a racist, and in business he became famous for unscrupulousness, so that over time he found many enemies in the Negro movement. And yet, it was he who, in his books and fiery speeches, predicted the coming of a messiah who would appear in Africa and help all black people in Jamaica and the nearby islands of the Caribbean.
Ras Tafari Makonnen, Emperor Haile Selassie I
On November 2, 1930, Haile Selassie I was crowned and proclaimed Emperor of Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the only country on the African continent that has not been colonized, and he became its 225th monarch. Selassie was a member of the Holy Solomon dynasty, descending from the legendary Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Before the coronation of Haile Selassie, the name was Ras Tafari Makonnen. Ras, derived from the name of the god Ra, means an Ethiopian prince. And Tafari Makonnen is the name and surname of this offspring of Ethiopian kings.
When this happened, the followers of Marcus Garvey decided that the prophecy had come true and recognized Tafari as their savior. They declared Selassie the "Black King" and their god. And they called themselves "Rastafari", or in short - "Rasta".
Tafari ruled successfully for 44 years. He abolished slavery in Ethiopia, wrote the first Ethiopian Constitution, and as a commander participated in several battles with the Italian fascists.
Jah Rastafar
So, the Jamaican Rastamans considered Tafari the embodiment of God in man and called it Ja Haile Selassie.
sidebar: Jah (Jahveh, i.e. Yahweh) – one of the names of God. The English translation of the Bible, known as the James I Bible, says: “Sing to our God, sing to His name, exalt Him who walks in heaven; His name is Jah, and rejoice before Him” (Psalms, chapter 67, verse 5).
True, he himself not only did not consider himself a god, but he was not a Rastafarian either. “I doubt that a person can be an incarnation of God,” the emperor of Ethiopia modestly admitted. However, when the Rastafans turned to him, he responded and arrived in Jamaica on April 21, 1966. About two hundred thousand admirers were waiting for him at the Kingston airport! For an hour, the emperor did not dare to get off the plane. Inspired rastamans saw their black messiah only after the well-known rasta leader Mortimer Planner addressed the crowd, and then assured the guest of his complete safety.
Rastaman's dream
What did the Rastafans of Jamaica want? Brought to the island and enslaved by Europeans, they dreamed of returning to Africa. The society that Europeans created and in which immigrants from the African continent had to live is called Babylon by the Rastamans. This is practically the entire civilized world - a gloomy city where everyone speaks different languages and strives for profit. According to the biblical legend, Babylon must one day fall apart - disintegrate under the weight of its sins. By the way, it is about this “Babylon” that the song of the same name by the once popular Jamaican group “Boney M” is sung.
Unlike the Babylonians, Rastas have an ideal relationship with nature. Like their peasant ancestors, Rastamans continue to believe in the unity of all life on Earth and in the fact that nature consists of various elements and forces that are inextricably linked with each other. Some elements of nature in their view are transformed into others, and this is the meaning of reincarnation. Rastafarians are not interested in the "goods" of the civilized world, with its callousness and greed. They gravitate towards their roots and long for freedom.
Unlike all other religions, where the main task of the believer is to find the deep sacred meaning of being, the Rasta religion proclaims: the meaning of life is in joy. You just need to live in harmony with nature, feel Jah in yourself, sing and dance his praise! However, the ubiquitous Babylon interferes with singing and dancing. Where can the Rastafarians finally be free? Of course, in their distant historical homeland - in Africa!
Politics and Religion Rastafari
After the independence of Jamaica in 1962, Rastafarianism came out of the underground. This happened despite the ongoing conflicts between the Rastas and the police over drugs and attempts to start an uprising. Rastamans strove for a dialogue with the authorities, especially since the influence of the sect grew. According to various estimates, in the 60s there were from 70 to 100 thousand Rastafarians on the island. They got access to the radio, the opportunity to publish their own newspapers and brochures, their articles were published by the university magazine.
From a religion, Rastafarianism smoothly flowed into a political movement. The street philosopher and poet Ras Sam Brown contributed a lot to this. Confusing biblical and "scientific" vocabulary with marketplace, he preaches his worldview: "Each of the human races has its own religion. Unlike other religions, the Rastafarian culture was not passed down from father to son like the Christians. We ourselves, having studied volumes of historical books, have learned that in the present, XX century, a king from the family of Jeoseev will rise (Jeoses is the father of David; his grandson Solomon and the Queen of Sheba are considered, as already mentioned, the founders of the Ethiopian Solomon dynasty), who will become God Almighty for his people and the liberator of all the oppressed of the earth. We Rastafarians are the true prophets of this age, the reincarnated Moses, Jesus, Isaiah, Jeremiah, destined to liberate not only the Ethiopians (blacks) scattered around the world, but all people, animals, grasses and all forms of life in general.
With his comrades, Ras Brown compiled the "Complete Rastafarian Bible", and in 1982 it was published in London. This Bible begins with the Book of Genesis, which contains the main commandments formulated by Brown.
In particular, a rastaman is prohibited from:
To desecrate the appearance of a Human by incisions, shaving, tattooing, mutilation of the body;
Accept the pleasures provided by the present society and its vices;
To be seduced by handouts, titles and riches, which enemies seduce in fear.
Necessary:
Observe vegetarianism;
To love and respect human brotherhood;
Reject hatred, jealousy, envy, deceit, perfidy, betrayal, etc. A Rastaman is obliged to extend a hand of mercy to any brother in trouble, first of all to one who is from the Rastafari order, secondly to anyone: whether it is a person, an animal, a plant, etc.
Bob Marley
The desire of black slaves to return to their ethnic homeland, as well as other Rastaman values, are sung in the songs of Bob Marley, leader of The Wailers. Inspired by the speech of Haile Selassie I in the League of Nations in 1963 (Selassie was an excellent speaker), Marley wrote his famous song "War" ("War"), which made him an idol of the Rastas. Lines: “Open your eyes and look into yourself. Are you satisfied with the way you live? We know where we are going and we know where we came from: we are leaving Babylon for the country of our ancestors,” became the motto of Rastafans all over the world.
After Bob's death on May 11, 1981, the Rastas proclaimed him a saint and began to call him Bob Ja Marley.
In addition to Haile Selassie, Ras Brown and Bob Marley, there were other bright personalities among the Rastas.
The feeling of a rastaman
The ever-widening spread of Rastafarianism and its division into religious and political currents have created contradictions in the views of Rastafarians around the world. But there are basic criteria that are common to all.
A Rastaman is a person who follows the path of Jah and adheres to certain rules of life. A rastaman always tells the truth, in a rastaman the concepts of responsibility, honesty and commitment are highly developed. Moving forward, the rastaman defends his position by all methods, except for murder and robbery. Rastaman smokes marijuana, calling it ganja (ganjah), or sensimilla. Rastaman does not drink alcohol, does not eat meat, does not smoke tobacco. The Rastaman does not go to doctors, does not take medicine, the Rastaman is sure that Jah will cure him of any disease. Or send him a new incarnation.
Creativity Rastafari
Rastaman rules allow you to live in harmony with nature, feel free and liberated, hope for unity with the center of the world.
In addition to the natural way of life, there is another important means of emancipating the consciousness of a rastaman. This is amateur art.
Every rastaman is inclined to write poetry, draw, sculpt, engage in folk crafts, but most importantly, sing and dance. Young people seek to regain their identity lost in Babylon and therefore create their own culture, developing artistic creativity. The most popular form of Rastaman creativity, as you know, is music.
reggae
Religious chants of rastamans marked the beginning of the musical style of reggae. This is cult music dedicated to the god Jah. “Reggae music is the vibration of all the bright people of the world,” said Bob Marley.
sidebar: Reggae (English reggae, spellings - "reggae", "reggae") - a style that has grown from the combination of the African musical tradition with the North American styles of soul and rhythm and blues.
In the community "Mystical Revelation of Rastafari" in 1949, a group of the same name was formed, headed by the patriarch of the Rasta Count Osei. And the first disc with Rastafarian hymns was recorded. It was already almost reggae, but still without power tools.
In parallel, the styles of callipso and mento developed in Jamaica. In the mid-1950s, the ska style arose from their mixing and under the strong influence of American pop music. And then a harder rocksteady and "juice" style - a mixture of frivolous calypso and disco. In all these styles, the principle of "question-answer" in vocals and syncopation has been preserved.
With the appeal to the language and ideas of Rastafari, the element of cult music intensified, and the role of the big drum was taken over by the bass guitar. So there was a unique bewitching sound of reggae - viscous and rhythmic at the same time. This is a "positive vibe": 4/4 with the first and third beats as opposed to rock, where the accent is usually on the second and fourth beats. At the same time, the drums - both the bass drum and the cymbals - especially emphasize the third beat of the measure (the famous “One Drop” technique).
The lyrics of reggae songs almost without exception were reduced to the presentation of the ideas and prophecies of the Rastafari movement. Sound systems rapidly spread new reggae throughout Jamaica. It was customary for Rastafarians to listen to songs thoughtfully, with attention and reverence for their content. But since the youth also wanted to dance, recording studios released records, where on one side there were songs with lyrics, and on the other - the same, but without vocals. But soon everyone got used to dancing to "religious-political" songs.
The general craze for reggae in the 70s and 80s led to the fact that the beliefs and customs of Rastafari - one of the world's most unusual subcultures - became known all over the world. Reggae records are more Rastafari sermons than just pop music albums. Such is the power of art. The music of Bob Marley has done more to popularize the urgent tasks of the African liberation movement than several decades of painstaking work of international organizations of revolutionaries.
Rasta language
Along with the texts of reggae, the language created by the Rastas also spread - "I-Words", or "Dread Talk". Rastamans endowed their language with mystical meaning. For example, "I" ("I") in spelling coincides with the Roman numeral I, which was part of the name of the living god, and in sound - with the English word "eye". Therefore, this word was revered as a symbol of the deity present in every person, and the inner vision bestowed by God. Instead of “we”, it was necessary to say “I and I” (I & I) - this was the name of the entire Rastaman brethren as a whole.
“Rasta”, or “Ras”, is a positive concept, it is an ideal, a primary source, a connection with Africa, with the god Ra, whose name is present in the very name of a rasta. Rasta is the original vibration of the African spirit, fighting for progress, self-expression and self-affirmation. "I" is a sea of free (but hidden) energy, and self-knowledge of "I" comes only through the growth, discovery and mobilization of this energy.
Reggae musicians took their language very seriously, stating that its popularization through song lyrics contributed to the spread of Rastafari views. Indeed, the assimilation of the Rasta language as a fashionable jargon involuntarily forced even those who did not sympathize with the world to look at the world through the eyes of a Rastafari: “Africa”, “Zion”, “Babylon”, “YaiYa” entered the lexicon of youth for a long time. They might not have the deep meaning for everyone that they do for rastafarians, but they still represented the world in a new light. Now everyone has learned that the black man owns a rich cultural heritage hidden under a layer of Babylonian garbage.
Appearance of rastamans
In addition to language and music, many attribute the special appearance of its adherents to the Rastafari culture. We have already formed the idea of a rastaman as a person with dreadlocks on his head, in loose clothes of red-yellow-green colors, with the image of a ganja. But this is not necessary - the external attributes of a Rasta are not considered paramount. The Rastaman really should cultivate the African look and be proud of it. But the main thing is that the distortion of the natural appearance of a person is not allowed.
Dreadlocks
There is a myth that Rastafarians are required to wear dreadlocks, which serve as a reminder of African roots and a lion's mane. According to this myth, when the end of the world comes, the god Jah will be able to recognize the rastaman by his hairstyle and, grabbing his dreadlocks, pull him into the sky. But this is just a myth. Any hairstyle that does not require the use of caustic chemicals, hot waving, dyes, etc. - quite acceptable. And it is clear that a person who eats meat or resorts to medical care cannot be considered a Rastafarian just because he wears dreadlocks.
sidebar: Dreadlocks, dreadlocks, dreadlocks (from the English dreadlocks - frightening curls) - the traditional hairstyle of the Jamaican Rastafari. Hair is braided into many strands that retain their shape for a long time. As the hair grows, the hairstyle is formed naturally without combing and shortening with scissors.
Clothing and jewelry
There is an opinion that a Rastafarian should completely refrain from wearing jewelry and using cosmetics. This is also not true, because Africans have always worn gold, silver and other jewelry and it was they who first began to use cosmetics.
It is not difficult to guess that the color scheme symbolizing the Rastafari is nothing more than the flag of Ethiopia. Although some also associate these colors with the banner of the Garvites (followers of Marcus Garvey), but there black takes the place of yellow. The red color symbolizes the blood shed for freedom among the Rastas, the green symbolizes paradise, life and Africa as the promised land, and the yellow symbolizes light, the sun, and also African gold.
A marijuana leaf is also a favorite symbol of Rastafari. On reggae albums, musicians are often depicted either in puffs of smoke, or in cannabis thickets, or with a leaf on their shirts. But it's not just a symbol. For a rastaman, "grass" is an object of religious worship, with reference to Scripture (Gen. 1:12; 3:18; Exodus 10:12; Ps. 104:14).
Marijuana in the life of a rastaman
Bob Marley, in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, said: “When you smoke weed, it opens your eyes to your own essence. All your unworthy deeds become obvious thanks to the weed. This is your conscience, and it gives you an honest picture of yourself. It is a pure natural product, it grows like a tree and makes you indulge in contemplative reflection ... ".
At the same time, rastamans take great care of their health, preferring a natural diet, and are distinguished by longevity. Apparently, the ban on smoking tobacco and alcohol is having an effect, while marijuana is used for ritual purposes and is never combined with stronger drugs.
Rastafari in Russia
Rastafarianism penetrated into Russia, as well as into other countries, with reggae music. And it happened relatively recently, about thirty years ago. The pioneers of rastaman music in our country were the groups "Sunday", "Aquarium" and "Cabinet". True, they only used reggae rhythms in their work.
Serious researchers bypassed the "culture of rasta-reggae" with their attention. But she attracted the interest and sympathy of M. Naumenko, B. Grebenshchikov and other masters of the Soviet youth subculture. After all, reggae is the music of inner freedom and rejection of the usual world order. Grebenshchikov in one of the songs in the reggae style announced: "I take mine where I see mine: a white Rastafari, a transparent gypsy ...".
The first Rastamans really wanted to see a deliverer and a messiah in Ras Tafari Makonnen. And the Soviet fighters with the system began to use rastamanism as their way to free themselves. They used symbolism with cult meaning, composed reggae about their problems, weaving stories about both weed and Jah into it. And they did not pay attention to those who said that the rasta sung by Bob Marley is marijuana, and rasta cannot flourish here: it does not ripen, the climate is not the same ...
Then, already in the 1990s, a special youth subculture of Rastafari was formed in the post-Soviet space. Its representatives call themselves rastamans - primarily on the basis of the use of marijuana and hashish. Many listen to Bob Marley and other reggae artists. Some wear the colors of the Ethiopian flag, and some wear dreadlocks.
But these "Russian" rastamans are not true adherents of the original religious-political doctrine of African supremacy. And many have no idea of its existence at all. Few of them advocate the return of American blacks to Africa, and even more so, they follow the Rastafarian healthy lifestyle.
But many are engaged in creativity: today in Russia there are a lot of musical groups performing reggae. For example, "Shamansky Beat", "Dub TV", "Green Point", "Karibasy", "Committee for the Protection of Heat" and, of course, "main in reggae" - "Jah Division".
Peace to your home
…
Positive, positive, no alternatives.
And I just want to live, love this music.
Peace to your home!
A corner of wildlife, a planet of happiness and freedom,
There is no death, the sun is light, many, many long years,
Hey people
Peace to your home!
(c) Republic of Jah