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A religious-cultural movement that originated among blacks in Jamaica in the 1930s. Although theological principles vary widely among the different sects, one major belief of the religion as a whole involves its rejection of European-derived Christian iconography and a "white" God. Most religious Rastas worship Haile Sellase I, former Emperor of Ethiopia, as an incarnation of God. They regard Ethiopia as a holy place, akin to Jerusalem. Rastas are also credited with creating and popularizing the dreadlock hairstyle. Locks have religious significance amongst Rastas, although the style has become a more general statement about fashion and politics. For a historical and sociological introduction to Rastafarianism, see Barry Chevannes’s Rastafari: Roots and Ideology. For an article Chevannes has written on one particular sect, the Bobo Dreads, click here.
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