Rastafarian Children of Solomon

Shares the spiritual wisdom of Rastafari through the stories, teachings, and traditions of practicing Rastas in Jamaica

• Includes the author's interviews with bush doctors, healers, and Rastafarians gathered during his 15 years of living in Jamaica

• Reveals the old ways of the Rastafarians and how their beliefs form an unbroken lineage tracing back to King Solomon

• Explains the connection of Rasta beliefs to important biblical passages

Tracing their lineage back to King Solomon--the wisest man who ever lived--Rastafarians follow a spiritual tradition of peace and meditation that is more a way of life than an organized religion. During his 15 years living in Jamaica, Gerald Hausman developed deep friendships with Rastafarians and rootsmen, enabling him to experience firsthand the beliefs and traditions of these followers of the Kebra Nagast--the African gospel excised from the King James version of the Bible. He met bush doctors, Rasta preachers, members of the Marley family, and respected elders who knew Marcus Garvey, prophet of the Rasta movement and vocal proponent of the Pan-African movement in America. He also met elders who were present when Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia and descendant of the House of David, came to Jamaica in the 1960s.

Through interviews with fishermen, mystics, and wise men, as well as direct encounters with spirits and the spiritual, the author reveals the deep wisdom that underlies the "old ways" of the Rastas. He connects their stories, lives, and teachings with important biblical passages as well as reggae songs. He shares their views on the medicinal and meditative powers of cannabis--the sacred herb of Solomon--and explains that while Rastas believe it to be "the opener of the door," they maintain that peace and understanding must be found within. Illustrating the unwavering faith and hope of the Rastafari of Jamaica, Hausman shows them to be a people who, above all, emphasize equality, because the Holy Spirit within each of us makes us all one and the same.

Autorentext

Gerald Hausman, born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1945, grew up in New Jersey and Massachusetts. He graduated from college in New Mexico and continued to live there for two decades. During that time, he had a summer residence on the island of Jamaica where he and his wife, Loretta, founded a school for creative writing. Mr. Hausman has lived in Bokeelia, Florida since 1994. In addition to his many books about Native America, Gerald Hausman has written extensively about animal mythology. His work as a folklorist has earned him many national and international honors. Gerald's most recent award is from the Florida Magazine Association for his column "Pine Island Soundings" about life on a barrier island.

Gerald Hausman is a frequent storyteller at college writers programs and at young authors conferences. Recently, he performed at the Young Authors Conference in Kaiserslautern, Germany as a guest of Department of Defense Dependent Schools. His lively presentations, complete with a myriad of sound effects, have earned him praise from storytellers, speakers, writers, and listeners.

Inhalt

Acknowledgments It Takes a Village to Write a Book

Introduction Rastafarians in Jamaica: The Children of Solomon

1 Heart
2 Bird
3 Iron
4 Fire
5 I and I
6 Samson
7 Jonah
8 Rock
9 Tabernacle
10 Revelation
11 Never Run Away
12 Prophet
13 Blood
14 Bomb
15 Healer
16 Hear
17 Obeah
18 Believers
19 Beast
20 Switcher

**Glossary

Bibliography

Index