I missed the class discussion on Friday, but I would like to examine how Edmonds portrayal of the social context behind the birth of Rastafarianism embodies principles or ideals seen in the Kebra Negast.
Edmonds describes the similarities between Rastafarianism and other Afro-Christian traditions by rooting them both in unifying systems of befliefs. Both groups lack the structural organizations of other religious groups, but possessed very unified systems of beliefs.
Parallelism to Jewish and ancient Egyptian traditions and themes is prevalent in Rastafarianism. Life in Jamaica is compared to the Babylonian exile of the Jews, and the crowned king Haile Selasse to the coming messiah. The African exile to Jamaica from slavery is seen as an African diaspora, and that Selassie is the savior that will renew Ethiopia (representing Africa as a whole) back to power.
The embodiment of these Afro-christian traditions in Rastafarianism was the result of quest for identity of generations of slaves taken from their homeland. Facing the same struggles as the exiled Jews and the Ethiopians facing cultural pressure, the Rastafarians created stories about their leaders (Howell and Selassie) and even created myalism, a system of symbols and practices applying Ethiopian spiritual practices to the hardship of slave-life.
It appears clear the foundation of Rastafarianism is rooted in the biblical symbolism of Ethiopia.
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