Rastafarianism

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Most clearly this religious tradition is demonstrated by Kumina groups. Kumina is generally accepted as being West African in origin; brought here by the Ashanti.
Kumina is based on the belief in a pantheon of gods, mostly non-human
spirits associated with natural forces, the worship of ancestors, a high superstitious quality, and the belief that sometimes human spirits return to the living in the form of duppies or ghosts (Bishton 104,1986.) Among the Ashanti is the belief that everything possesses a soul or sunsum, even non-living objects like rocks. Thus the religion of the slaves believed that, "the entire realm of nature has been endowed with personal life; and every tree or plant, every river or stone, becomes a source of energy or power
which may be used, abused, offended or destroyed (Morrish 17,1982.)"
Unlike in Haiti, where slaves were virtually forced to accept Catholicism by the French, the British found their slaves to be unworthy of their religion. One hundred and ...

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or marijuana, which was brought to Jamaica by the Indians who had used it for herbal medicine and as a hallucinogen to be used as a meditation aid for centuries. Rastafarians often refer to it Kali- a Hindu goddess whose
name means "great black mother whose invoking is usually associated with the lifting of sagging spirits (Bishton 116,1986.)" Also, Reddington (1995) states that "the dreadlocked, ganja-smoking saddhu or wandering ascetic is a well known figure in India, and bands of saddhus often live in Rasta-like camps and smoke marijuana from a formally-blessed communal chalice pipe." The influence of Hinduism on Rastafarianism, though most likely not as significant as the African ...

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