Partially
political, partially
religious movement founded in
Jamaica. Between 1907 and 1924, as several essays and books were published in Jamaica linking Jamaicans with
Ethiopa of the biblical
Psalms (
Ethiopianism). The Rastafarian name came from the crowned emperor of Ethiopia,
Haile Selassie (originally
Ras Tafari). He was proclaimed to be a divine being and a champion of the black people. The movement was also significantly influenced by
Marcus Garvey and the
Universal Improvement Association.
Original followers of Rastafarianism believe that all people of African origin should be repatriated to Ethiopia. The Rastafarians decoded the Bible, freeing it from distortians crated by Christian colonialists. White, European and American industrial civilization is interepreted as Babylon, the seat of wickedness. It is believed that the collapse of Western civilization will bring about an Eden like earth led by spiritually powerful Rastafarians.
Ideals of Rastafarianism include adherence to nonviolence, no accumulation of personal material wealth, vegetarianism, consuming food unpolluted by industrial chemicals, dressing in clothes made from natural fibers, daily Bible consultations. The growth of hair into dreadlocks embodies these principles by allowing the hair to assume a natural, unprocessed form. An optional part of Rastafarianism is the smoking of marijuana, believed to aid in interpreting decoding the Bible.