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Re: 'Rastafari is not matriarchial?
Posted By: Masimba Musodza In Response To: 'Rastafari is not matriarchial? (seshatasefekht)
Date: Saturday, 10 July 2004, at 7:32 p.m.
No, you misunderstood me there.
The Queen of Sheba got her rank and title from her father. If you read your Kebra Naghast, you would remember her injunction againt making women Queens. Mennelik got his rank from his father - Solomon, that is why we asy the Hebraic tradition passedto Africa. But it was thru her, because she heard King Solomon and converted to his religion. The Almighty was impressed that someone could just take it up, when the Israelites had been apostate at every opportunity they got.
This patriarchy contunes in most African culture, it does in mine. My surname is derived from my father, as does my totem. My sister has the feminine verseion of this totem ( Tsaru or MaSibanda = lioness) She has parity with her brothers. That is why she can represent the family at occasions. In this case, this is because of her patrilineal descent. She can act as father to my children and husband to my wife- like take care of them etc. My wife's father will introduce her as his "son--in-law", which means she is subject to the same rules of etiquette as I am when she is among my in-laws. When I am among her in-laws, it is a different matter.
So no, Rastafari is not matriarchial. It is the male lines which perpetuate the Rastafari people.
Of course, it cannot be overemphasised that women are important. It takes a super-human level of humility to bear a child that will be named after someone else. And it also takes really sub-human level of machismo or whatever madness characterises certain members of my gender to sour the goodness of the woman.
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