The Rastafari movement, or Rasta, is a religious movement that accepts Haile Selassie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopia, as God incarnate, whom they call Jah. He is also seen as part of the Holy Trinity as the messiah promised in the Bible to return. The name Rastafari comes from Ras (literally "Head," an Ethiopian title equivalent to Duke), and Tafari Makonnen, the pre-coronation name of Haile Selassie I.

During the time of King Solomon, Queen Makeba ruled over the Empire of Sheba, which was made up from the countries today called Ethiopia and Egypt.

Queen Makeba visited Solomon in Jerusalem and converted to the God of Abraham. When she returned to her land she changed its religion to Judaism. King Solomon and Queen Makeba were lovers and he made her pregnant. Queen Makeba promised Solomon that if she bore a son she would allow him to raise it. Queen Makeba did have a son who was sent to Jerusalem to be raised by his father.

The son Menelik did however promise his mother that he would return when she dies to succeed her. When the Queen eventually died her son fulfilled his promise and returned to rule. His father, King Solomon made sure that his son brought all the sons of his priests with him in order for the religion of Abraham to continue in Sheba.

Ethiopia was later converted to Christianity when Paul the Apostle converted an Ethiopian high rabbi of Orthodox Judaism. Most folks are not aware of this tidbit of information but the arch of the covenant is said to be protected by priest in a cave in northern Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian monarch is the oldest continuous monarchy in history. It began with the Queen of Sheba. She and King Solomon of Israel had a son who was Menelik the First of Ethiopia.

The ancient Church of St. Mary of Zion is located in northern Ethiopia in Aksum. Aksum is the same city the Queen of Sheba is from. Deep below this church is a maze of underground passages. These tunnels have been protected by priestly guards of the ancient Ethiopian Jewish monarchy. Only the highest priests and the Emperor can enter deep within these tunnels. The secret Holy of Holies Room is located within the innermost rings. Ethiopians claim that the Ark of the Covenant has lain within this tunnel for thousands of years. Only one person--the Guardian of the Ark can enter into the actual Holy of Holies Room. Chosen at the age of seven, this Guardian guards over the Ark for the rest of his life--never seeing the light of day. Ethiopian history says that before it was moved to the tunnels beneath St. Mary's of Zion that it was housed in a tent for 800 years (4th century BC to 4th century AD) on the island of Tana Kirkos on Lake Tana in northern Ethiopia.

Jamaica was claimed for Spain after Christopher Columbus first landed there in 1494. The English Admiral William Penn (father of William Penn of Pennsylvania) and General Venables seized the island in 1655. During its first 200 years of English (then British) rule, post Spanish rule, Jamaica became one of the world's leading sugar exporting nations and produced over 77,000 tons of sugar annually between 1820 and 1824, which was achieved through the massive use of imported African slave labor. Spain brought the first African slaves to Jamaica in 1517. This is how dreadlock came across the Alantic.

The migration of the locked hair does not end with the Black culture for it is well documented that the migration of mankind from Africa first led through Asia. In Hinduism, sadhu is a common term for an ascetic or practitioner of yoga (yogi) who has given up pursuit of the first three Hindu goals of life: kama (enjoyment), artha (practical objectives) and even dharma (duty). The sadhu is solely dedicated to achieving moksha (liberation) through meditation and contemplation of God. Sadhus often wear ochre-colored clothing, symbolizing renunciation.

The ruggedness of the sadhu life deters many from following the sadhu path. Such practices as the obligatory early morning bath in the cold mountains require a detachment from common luxuries. After the bath, sadhus gather around the dhuni, or holy fireplace, and begin with their prayers and meditation for the day.

Some sadhus dispense cures to the local community, remove evil eyes or bless a marriage. They are a walking reminder to the average Hindu of Divinity. They are generally allowed free passage on the trains and are a closely-knit organization. Some were even militant in the old days, and even now, the Naga babas carry their swords with them.[citation needed]



Many sadhus have entered the Guinness World Records for feats of marathon endurance including standing for 17 years, staying in the same place for more than two decades, crawling 1400 km and other similar efforts, in their quest to attain liberation.

Kumbh Mela, a mass gathering of sadhus from all parts of India, takes place every six years at one of four points along sacred rivers in India, including the holy River Ganges. Sadhus of all sects join in this reunion. Millions of non-sadhu pilgrims also attend the festivals, and the Kumbh Mela is said to be the largest gathering of human beings for a single purpose on the planet.

A sadhu's hair develops the characteristic snake-like matted locks and if these are properly conserved they become the highest mani- festation.

With this journey of the history just beginning it is clear to see the history is far more than refer smoking dirty haired people.  That often times is the picture drawn when one thinks of dreads. My finding Yvonne of Locs for Life and her defining process of locking your hair as being a freeing journey, opened my eyes and I too have embarked on the journey. I must state it is an ever freeing journey indeed. As I write this my locs are nearly three years young.

I was in a near fatal car accident of which I broke every bone below my hips and I also broke my C-3 which is the same bone in the neck that Christopher Reeves broke. The accident happened near the Ides of March 2003. Ironically and not by conscience design I embarked on my journey near the Ides of March 2005. This is after I recovered from my accident and returned to the rat race. I should have been killed, disfigured or at best paralyzed from the accident but I suffered none of that.

Initially my choice of placing my hair into locks was not for spiritual or reasons of enlightenment but rather out of gratitude. While in the hospital me ex-son-in-law called me every day offering me encouragement and providing me great strength. Kevin was a young man who by choice wore his hair in loc’s and received ostracizing socically and within his family. Out of gratitude to him I chose, while recovering and with a halo screwed into my skull, to start braiding my hair with the design to lock it after getting away from medical care.

Unfortunately because of the resulting divorce from his mother I loss contact with Kevin and thus he has not seen my main of gratitude. I never a less continued to proceed with the journey. This journey of edification, education epiphany engrossed me. I see how I am prejudged. The entire world had a different visualization.

Louis: "That morning I was not yet a vampire, and I saw my last sunrise. I remember it completely, and yet I can't recall any sunrise before it. I watched its whole magnificence for the last time as if it were the first. And then I said farewell to sun light, and set out to become what I became." ~ Interview with the Vampire

That quote from Interview with a Vampire best describes the journey I am on. There is so much I could discuss and so much I have learned. I don’t wish to indulge in that at this time. I do assure you though, it is a journey.

Finally I wish to point out one last thing. I have herd some people hold contempt for the word Dreadlocks. Somehow the majority has once again taken your pride in that what is yours. In Jamaica the term dreadlocks was first recorded in the 1950s as a derogatory term when the "Young Black Faith", an early sect of the Rastafari which began among the marginalized poor of Jamaica in the 1930s, ceased to copy the particular hair style of Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia and began to wear locks instead. It was said that they looked 'dreadful' with their locks, which gave birth to the modern name 'dreadlocks' for this ancient style. Different theories exist about the origin of Rastalocks. Some sources trace Rastalocks back to Indians who arrived in Jamaica to work as indentured laborers in the late 19th century, some of whom were among the first followers of Leonard Howell. Others believe the first Rasta dreadlocks were derived from the "dreaded locks" of the Mau Mau largely Kikuyu protonationalist insurgency against British colonialism in 1940s Kenya.

However the term was coined, I embrace the term Dreadlock as I embrace being Black and Proud and not African American. With that in mind we now have diversity in the defining of locks. There are Dreadlocks which is hair matting on its own. One lock can have different branches. There is the braid lock, the twist lock, the sister lock, the silky lock all of which requires the manipulating of the hair to achieve the Loc. That’s right there is also the Loc and the lock?