Mansions of Rastafari

Many individual Rastas are only loosely affiliated with these Mansions, or not at all, in keeping with the principle of freedom of conscience, a general distrust of institutionalism shared by many, and the teachings of Haile Selassie I as Emperor that "faith is private" and a direct relationship requiring no intermediary.

[2] Its founder, Vernon Carrington, was known as Prophet Gad, and taught his students to read the Bible 'a chapter a day'.

The Twelve Tribes symbology is based on Yahqob's (Jacob) 12 sons, and correspond to the months of the ancient Ysraylite (Israelite) calendar, beginning with April and Reuben.

Thus Bob Marley came from the Tribe of Yowseph (Joseph), the eleventh of the biblical Ysrayl's (Israel's) twelve children (because he was born in February).

Bob Marley, by quoting a biblical passage about Yowseph (Joseph) on the album cover of Rastaman Vibration, was acknowledging his own support for this sect.

Dennis Brown, Freddie McGregor, Mikey Dread, Luciano and many other roots reggae artists were associated with The Twelve Tribes of Israel (Ysrayl).

[1] Like its precursor Nyahbinghi (see below), Twelve Tribes is very anti-racist and often preaches love toward all people, but still subscribe to black uplift as foretold by Marcus Garvey.

It was first used to describe an East African possession cult located in the areas of south Uganda and north Rwanda in 1700 C.E.

Envious of the Queen's power, the ruler ordered her death which is said to have brought "untold horrors to his kingdom" (Kiyaga-Mulindwa, p. 1163).

The bagirwa, including Muhumusa, remained governors of the Kiga people until 1930 after losing their land to British, German, and Belgian imperialists, which they fought for a period of twenty years.

However, Nyahbinghi doesn't have any linkage to or relationship with Ethiopian history or Haile Selassie, it is a part of the Rastafari movement and a manifestation of the wisdom of Jah.

Niyabinghi are considered the strictest mansion of the Rastafari movement in Jamaica, preaching the ideals of a global theocracy to be headed by Emperor Haile Selassie I, whom they proclaim to be the promised Messiah and incarnation of Jah, the Supreme.

Three kinds of drums (called "harps") are used in niyabinghi: bass, also known as the "Pope Basher" or "Vatican Smasher", reflecting a Rasta association between Catholicism and Babylon, the middle-pitched funde and akete.

Though Count Ossie is clearly the most influential Binghi drummer, practically inventing the genre, the recordings of Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus, as well as the Rastafari Elders, have contributed to the popularity of the music.

Combining Jamaican traditions with newly acquired African ones, Count Ossie and others synthesized his country's African traditions and reinvigorated them with the influences of Nigerian master-drummer Babatunde Olatunji, as a comparison of Count Ossie's Tales of Mozambique and Olatunji's earlier Drums of Passion will reveal.

By most members of the Bobo Ashanti, he was called "Prince Emmanuel Charles Edwards, without Mother or Father, a Priest of Melchezidek, the Black Christ in the Flesh."

Almost all sacred songs and tributes to their ancient trinity of prophet, priest, and king ends with the phrase "Holy Emmanuel I Selassie I Jah Rastafari".

They also live separately from society and the other Rastafari orders in their current base in the Nine Miles area of Bull Bay, Jamaica.

Among Bobo Dreads, it is readily accepted that being a member of the Priesthood Order requires more than simply the covering of ones head.