| NYABINGHI
ELDERS EXPLAIN PRINCIPLES OF THEIR FAITH
by Hugh Hamilton
CITY SUN - June 15-21,1988 In
the esoteric domain of theological lexicography, the doctrine
of Rastafari more often is defined as cult than as religion.
But the religiosity of the faith is not easily refuted.
Influenced by traditional Judeo-Christian religious thought
Rastafari is a theistic system of belief and worship drawing
its scriptural authority from the commonly accepted Bible
of the Christian church. Yet it is not merely a derivative
of Judeo-Christian teaching; the brethren (followers) of Rastafari
bring to the scriptures a unique, afrocentric interpretation
that varies radically from that of the uninitiated on important
theological issues.
Recently The City Sun spoke with the visiting Elders of the
Rainbow Circle Room-the House of the Order of Nyahbinghi One
of several Rastafarian sects in Jamaica. The Nyabinghi believe
in a global theocracy to be headed by Emperor Haile Selassie
I, whom they proclaim to be the promised Messiah and incarnation
of the Supreme Deity. It is their perspective of Rastafari
which is represented in this article.
It is important to note that the Nyahbinghi differ significantly
from other Rastafarian sects on important questions including
the inherent divinity of Emperor Selassie I
Additional sources have been used to compile sources for this
article. Except where otherwise indicated, however, the direct
quotes are those of the Nyahbinghi Elders.
To the orthodox
theologian, the most unsettling assertion of Rastafari is
the inherent divinity of His Imperial Majesty (H.1.M.) Emperor
Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, who the brethren proclaim to
be the true and living God. Rastafarians consider the Bible
the chronicle of their African history, albeit truncated by
European translators who intentionally confused certain portions
of the Scripture to obfuscate the facts and prevent the African
people from recognizing their Israelite ancestry
The religion
takes its name from Ras (Prince) Tafari of Ethiopia, who assumed
the name Haile Selassie (Might of the Trinity) at his coronation
in November 1930. To his new name Ras Tafari also added the
titles"King of Kings", "Lord of Lords",
and "Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah".
The coronation
of the Negus (King) amid great pomp and ceremony at St. George's
Cathedral in Addis Ababa gave new meaning to the ideology
of African Nationalism earlier embraced by followers of Marcus
Mosiah Garvey in Jamaica. Garvey's philosophy of African Fundamentalism
had exhorted Africans everywhere to"canonize our own
saints, create our own martyrs and elevate to positions of
fame and honor Black men and women who have made their distinct
contributions to our racial history."
"Never
forget your God," Garvey had warned followers."Remember
we live, work and pray for the establishing of a great and
abiding racial hierarchy, the founding of a racial empire
whose only natural, spiritual and political limits shall be
God and Africa, at home and abroad!"
Although Garvey himself never visited Africa, his teachings
had galvanized Africans throughout the diaspora under the
revolutionary slogan,"One God, One Aim, One Destiny."
In the theology
of Rastafari, Garvey is a great prophet, analogous to John
the Baptist. Selassie's accession to the throne of Ethiopia
evoked among Garveyites powerful recollections of his earlier
exhortations:
"Wake up, Ethiopia! Wake up, Africa! Let us work towards
the one glorious end of a free, redeemed and mighty nation.
Let Africa be a bright star among the constellation of nations.
Africa for the Africans; those at home and those abroad."
Some 14 years before the crowning of the Negus, Garvey reportedly
had told his followers in Jamaica, "Look to Africa for
the crowning of a Black King; he shall be the redeemer."
Selassie's accession
to the throne was hailed by Garveyites as the fulfillment
of that prophecy and an incontrovertible indication that the
Messiah had come to deliver his people from Babylonian captivity
and return them to the Promised Land of Africa. The Garveyites
later would become the first Rastafarians. ^
SECULAR
AND SCRIPTURAL
The brethren of Rastafari require no second bidding to cite
numerous secular and scriptural bases for their belief in
the divinity of H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie. Indeed, devotees
of the faith do not consider the matter to be one of belief,
but of knowledge. In doctrine of Rastafari, belief implies
there is room for doubt; knowledge eliminates the opportunity
for disbelief.
Evidence of
the Emperor's divine lineage is revealed in the first article
of Ethiopia's constitution, which affirms:"imperial dignity
shall remain perpetually to the line of Haile Selassie I,
descendant of King Sahle Selassie whose line descends without
interruption from the dynasty of Menelik I, son of the Queen
of Ethiopia-the Queen of Sheba, and King Solomon of Jerusalem."
The titles which H.I.M. has taken unto himself also are considered
sufficient proof of his divinity, since they are identical
to those titles reserved in the Holy Scripture for the returned
Messiah. The books of Revelation and Psalms reveal that identity
to the brethren;
"Glorious
things are spoken of thee, oh City of God, I will make mention
of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: Behold Philistia,
and Tyre; with Ethiopia; this man was born there."
Psalms 87:3-4
"And
he hath on the vesture and on his thigh a name written,
King of Kings and Lord of Lords." Rev. 19:16
"And
I saw an angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy
to open the book and loose the seals thereof? And no man
in heaven, neither under the earth, was able to open the
book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much .... and
one of the elders said unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion
of the tribe of Juda, the root of David had prevailed to
open the book and to loose the seals thereof." Rev.
5:2-5
H.I.M.'s claim
to the throne of Solomon makes him a lineal descendant of
the root of David. It is the same root that produced Jesus
Christ who, the brethren say, was one and the same with Selassie
but of "an earlier dispensation."
In their prayers
and rituals, Rastafarians also refer to H.I.M. as Jah, an
abbreviated form of Jehovah and appearing in Psalm 68:4,"Sing
unto God... extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his
name JAH."
And to those who are inclined to doubt the ethnicity of the
returned Messiah, the brethren offer additional scriptural
references:
"I beheld
till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days
did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair on
his head like pure wool." Daniel 7:9
"For
the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am Black;
astonishment hath taken hold of me."- Jer. 8:21
Their Afrocentric
interpretation of the Scriptures inevitably brings the brethren
of Rastafari into conflict with others who interpret the same
Scriptures differently. But the faithful believe theirs is
a divinely inspired perspective,"an inborn, spiritual
revelation that comes to Rastafari from the creative power
of His Imperial Majesty." It is an interpretation revealed
only to those who" walk in the fields of righteousness
and are in harmony with Nyabinghi."
Ras Sam Brown, elder of the House of the Order of Nyabinghi,
explains the revelation of Divinity in his widely respected
Treatise on the Rastafarian Movement: "Unlike all orders
of religion, the culture of Rastafari was not handed down
from father to son, as the people of Christendom. We who have
perused the volumes of history know that in this 20th century
a king would arise out of Jesse's root, who should be a God
for his people and a liberator of all the oppressed of earth.
We the Rastafarians who are the true prophets of this age,
the reincarnated Moses and Joshuas, Isaiahs and Jeremiahs.....are
those who are destined to free not only the scattered Ethiopians
(Africans) but all people, animals, herbs and life forms....
God came in many bodies to reign forever in Rastafari, the
holy one of Israel, whose ray of light shall finally dim the
eyes of the dragon and through whose power all those of many
nations who embrace the faith and uphold its laws shall live
forever more with God...." ^
HOUSE
OF THE ORDER OF NYABINGHI
The
elders of the House of the Order of Nyabinghi are the keepers
of the faith, inheritors of the"Divine Order of Melchizedek"and
masters of the musical and oral traditions of the Nyabinghi
Order.
Nyabinghi itself is an abstract philosophical concept that
embraces the theological foundations of Rastafari and the
propagation of the Rastafari message through its own oral
and musical traditions."Nyabinghi is the only indigenous
music of Rastafari. It is the only Divine Order of the Rastafari
Movement. The full judgment of Nyabinghi is death to white
and black downpressors. It is a fountain of purifying love.
Nyabinghican take life or give life at will. Historically,
its musical tradition was used to send messages from person
to person, from country to country.The purpose of Nyabinghi
is to resurrect the people from darkness intolight and to
set all Black people free. Anyone can be a follower of Rastafari
but the Order of Nyabinghi [exclusively] is intended to liberate
all African people and set them in the ways of truth and right
and teach them to love and live as Jah Rastafari had wished
from the beginning."
This seemingly
abstruse concept finds its most popular expression in the
festivals of the Order, where the Nyabinghi drummers beat
out their infectious, hypnotic rhythms unceasingly in seemingly
end less cathartic ceremonies.
The rituals of Rastafari find their fullest expressionat the
festival of the Nyabinghi where only the pure in heart may
escapethe judgment meted out to the unfaithful and the disbeliever
through themystic force of the music.
Dr. Leonard E. Barrett, a Jamaican and graduateprofessor of
religion in the United States, researched the Nyahbinghi aspart
of his comprehensive study, "The Rastafarians."
"The term 'Nyahbinghi' comes to us from East Africa and
refers to a religio-political cult that resisted colonial
domination from the last decade of the 19th century to about
1928," Barrett writes. "The term might have been
the name or title of a Ruandaise royal princess who was killed
by colonialist because of herresistance. After her death cults
arose which were influenced by her spirit. The members of
the cult experienced spirit possession and the medium ofthese
cults was always a woman.
"The Nyahbinghi is the most important meeting of the
Rastafarians, involving members from all over the island.
It iscomparable to the movement's convention and may last
from one or threedays to even a week."
Barrett relates in his book how he attended onesuch Nyahbinghi
meeting at which "the air was thick with smoke from theholy
herb (marijuana) and the drums kept a haunting beat.... One
tune continuedas long as an hour and without a break before
another was started and continuedon and on throughout the
evening until the drummer was exhausted and hisplace was taken
by another drummer...."
The smoking of marijuana, also known as ganja,is an integral
part of the Nyabinghi, whose followers believe the herbpossesses
important healing and other positive qualities necessary forlong
and healthy life.
"Ganja is the herb of life, It is, the herb oflongevity
for the healing of the entire nation. It is the sacrament
ofthanksgiving used in divine rituals."
The Nyabinghi abhor the use of dangerous drugswhich they say
are in a category of substances apart from the holy herb.
"Cocaine, heroin and otherdangerous drugs are unlawful
and forbidden."
"What is ganja? We know it's a plant Createdby God to
fulfill men's want. The powers that be say man should not
useit, (Yet) they use it in secret; but show its abuse."
"The false Rasta who uses dangerous drugs is an impostor.
Nyabinghi is non-violent and nonabusive." ^
LIFESTYLE
Early researchers have portrayed the brethrenof Rastafari,
particularly the followers of Nyabinghi, as a violent breed,actively
seeking the destruction of the uninitiated, particularly the
whiteman. But the religion of Rastafari forbids violence and
killing. The misconception has come about through ignorance
of their doctrine. The Rastafarian say "Death to Black
and White downpressors" is not so much a battle cry as
an affirmation of destiny. Although Rastafariansbelieve that
Blacks inevitably will rule the world, their doctrine requiresof
them tolerance of other races, particularly those who have
repented.
"My own deepest convictions about the absenceof racism
among the brethren are derived from my experience as a whiteman
moving freely among them," writes the Rev. Joseph Owens
in his bookDread-The Rastafarians of Jamaica.
"Once an initial trust was established ... theyaccepted
me as an equal; they did not look down on me or up to me;
theymanifested neither an air of superiority nor a fawning
adulation. Althoughthe white race has been guilty of grievous
crimes against the earth's coloredpeoples, Rastas are willing
to admit that there are both good and bad inthe white race,
just as in the Black," he writes.
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the brethrenis their
hair, arranged in flowing locks. But the infiltration of their
ranks by "false dreads" who give the movement a
bad name now makes it impossibleto identify the true Rasta
only by appearance.
"We wear our hair in locks because of a sacred vow -
the vow of the Nazarite. Whenever God has ordained his people,
he hasalways set them apart from the rest of society. Our
locks are a symbolof separation from evil, even as they were
for other brethren throughoutthe Scripture: 'It is like the
precious ointmentupon the head, that ran down upon the beard,
even Aaron's beard: that wentdown to the skirts of his garments.'
Psalm 133:2"
The diet of
the Rastafarian is strictly vegetarian, hence his love of
agricultural pursuits. In Jamaica, where the religion first
emerged and attained its highest forms of expression, Rastafariansare
among the most productive farmers. Rastas reject the"
artificial foods and medicines" of Western cultures,
preferring to live "naturally." Many clothe themselves
in robes of green, gold and red, colors of the Ethiopian flag.
"The red represents the blood shed for the liberation
and independence of our people; the gold represents the mineral
wealth of the land; the green represents the rich fields of
Ethiopia." Many live in communes, sharing common resources
and singing praises to Jah Rastafari. ^
SCHOLARSHIP
AND INQUIRY
The emergence
and growth of Rastafari have been subjects of intense academic
study, particularly in the Caribbean and North America, where
the religion has flourished despite considerable opposition
and misunderstanding. To many scholars it is the inevitable
out growth of a dispossessed, displaced people seeking to
define their own needs on their own terms and providing for
themselves the appropriate answers to their unanswered questions.
Professor Rex Nettleford of the University of the West Indies
describes the reality of Rastafari as "a vibrant theology
that has emerged out of a process of growth and struggle.
In creating their own religion the Rastafarians depend not
only on the historical, empirical experience of African descendants
in the diaspora for analysis to determinean active plan for
liberation, they draw as well on the transcendental sources
of human sensibility and imagination. For as persons who see
themselves to be persecuted, wronged and deprived, to be all
but trapped in a situationof persistent material poverty and
cultural degradation, the only way out, short of violent aggression,
is through an apocalypse," Nettleford says.
C. Eric Lincoln, in his introduction to Barrett's book, The
Rastafarians, is even more direct in his analysis, pointing
to similarities between Rastafari and the religious beliefs
of Black Muslimsin the West.
"The Rastafarians and the Black Muslims are both the
products of extreme social dislocation and the similarities
between the movements are very striking Lincoln notes.
"Both revere Marcus Garvey, both received their primary
incubation in the Depression years of the early 1930s, both
have dietary restrictions which sets them apart from non-believers
and both are distinctive in their physical appearance. Both
the Rastafarians andthe Muslims consider their present expatriation
to be temporary and both believe in a Black God," he
writes.
All this may make sense to the academician, but to the religious
faithful, it is an exercise in irrelevant rationalization.
How else could they justify sustained belief in the divinity
of a man considered dead by the uninitiated since Aug. 28,
1975?
"Those who say H.I.M. is dead are trying to shake our
faith. But H.I.M. cannot die because H.I.M. is God. If H.I.M.
was dead, why have they not shown us his grave?
"Throughout history when men have worshipped false gods
their religions have perished and so have the believers. But
today we see Rastafari is growing stronger every day, going
to the far ends of the earth to spread the message of liberation.
We are here to testify that Jah Lives!" ^ |
