Synopses & Reviews
Shares the spiritual wisdom of Rastafari through the stories, teachings, and traditions of practicing Rastas in Jamaica andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andbull; Includes the authorandrsquo;s interviews with bush doctors, healers, and Rastafarians gathered during his 15 years of living in Jamaica andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andbull; Reveals the old ways of the Rastafarians and how their beliefs form an unbroken lineage tracing back to King Solomon andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andbull; Explains the connection of Rasta beliefs to important biblical passages andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;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. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;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 andldquo;old waysandrdquo; 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 andldquo;the opener of the door,andrdquo; 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.
Review
andldquo;Day by day, the elders who formed the foundation of Rasta in the 1920s and andrsquo;30s are passing. Within these pages you will meet a man who knew Marcus Garvey and an elder who met Haile Selassie I when he came to Jamaica. You will also meet younger rootsmen whose faith is constant and true. This book goes straight to the heart with truths that are seldom written but often said in my home country.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Folklorist Gerald Hausman takes us deep into the modern dreamtime of Jamaicaandrsquo;s backwaters, enthralled by the company of living prophets and conmen, killers and saints, obeah workers and ethereal half-real creatures of the sea. They are all, as his eloquent mythlike prose reveals, the voices of the cherubim and seraphim of old.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Hausman skillfully connects the lives and beliefs of these peaceful and resourceful peopleandmdash;fishermen, wicker weavers, Rasta preachers, respected elders, and wise men and womenandmdash;through heartfelt conversations that arise spontaneously while sitting under the shade of a pimento tree, in a dusty yard, or by firelight in the cool evening ocean breeze. Rastafarian spiritual wisdom, recounted here in authentic Jamaican patois, emphasizes equality: an unwavering faith and hope in the holy spirit that lives in each human being.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Highly recommended, especially for any reader looking to better understand the Rastafarian way of life through the words of the people who practice it.andrdquo;
Review
“Day by day, the elders who formed the foundation of Rasta in the 1920s and ’30s are passing. Within these pages you will meet a man who knew Marcus Garvey and an elder who met Haile Selassie I when he came to Jamaica. You will also meet younger rootsmen whose faith is constant and true. This book goes straight to the heart with truths that are seldom written but often said in my home country.” < b=""> Cedella Marley <> , author of the bestselling children & rsquo;s books < i=""> One Love <> and < i=""> Every Little Thing <>
Review
“Folklorist Gerald Hausman takes us deep into the modern dreamtime of Jamaica’s backwaters, enthralled by the company of living prophets and conmen, killers and saints, obeah workers and ethereal half-real creatures of the sea. They are all, as his eloquent mythlike prose reveals, the voices of the cherubim and seraphim of old.” < b=""> Roger Steffens <> , founding editor of < i=""> The Beat magazin <> e and coauthor of < i=""> The Reggae Scrapbook <> and < i=""> One Love: Life with Bob Marley and the Wailers <>
Review
“Hausman skillfully connects the lives and beliefs of these peaceful and resourceful people—fishermen, wicker weavers, Rasta preachers, respected elders, and wise men and women—through heartfelt conversations that arise spontaneously while sitting under the shade of a pimento tree, in a dusty yard, or by firelight in the cool evening ocean breeze. Rastafarian spiritual wisdom, recounted here in authentic Jamaican patois, emphasizes equality: an unwavering faith and hope in the holy spirit that lives in each human being.” < i=""> Publishers Weekly <> , February 2013
Review
“Highly recommended, especially for any reader looking to better understand the Rastafarian way of life through the words of the people who practice it.” < i=""> Midwest Book Review <> , April 2013
About the Author
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 andquot;Pine Island Soundingsandquot; about life on a barrier island. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;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.
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Acknowledgments It Takes a Village to Write a Book andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Introduction Rastafarians in Jamaica: The Children of Solomon andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;1andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Heart andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;2andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Bird andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;3andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Iron andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;4andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Fire andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;5andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; I and I andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;6andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Samson andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;7andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Jonah andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;8andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Rock andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;9andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Tabernacle andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;10andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Revelation andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;11andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Never Run Away andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;12andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Prophet andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;13andnbsp;andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp; Blood andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;14andnbsp;andnbsp;andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp; Bomb andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;15andlt;/Bandgt; andnbsp;andnbsp; Healer andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;16andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Hear andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;17andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Obeah andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;18andnbsp;andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp; Believers andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;19andnbsp;andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp; Beast andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;20andlt;/Bandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Switcher andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Glossary andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Bibliography andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Index andlt;/Bandgt;