Jamaica, Queen Nanny and the Rastafarians

Danilo Anton

 The Maroons Nanny Granny Ashanti was a woman who was kidnapped as a child in the Guinea coast of Africa and sold into slavery in the Spanish colony of Jamaica in the second half of the seventeenth century.

According to tradition shortly after his arrival on the island she managed to escape from captivity along with other slaves seeking refuge in mountainous and jungle regions.

The escaped Africans, to which Taino indigenous survivors were incorporated, formed a free community in the wilderness. It was a matriarchal society known under the generic name of Maroons (or "cimarrones" as they are called in Cuba).

Because of her charisma Nanny assumed leadership of the community and, commanding his people faced the colonial armies of occupation. The Spaniards were defeated and the British suffered many casualties. Maroons finally forced a peace treaty with the British authorities and the freedom of former slaves was recognized.

Still today some villagesl survive in the Jamaican mountains: Moore Town, Charles Town, Scotts and Accompong Town Hall, some of which I had the opportunity to visit during one of our trips to the island.

In contemporary Queen Nanny was the founder of Jamaican values and deepest identity..

In the early 1930s in Kingston and other cities of Jamaica island emerged a monotheistic spiritual movement, of Christian inspiration, revering temples and African and Ethiopian traditions.

This movement is usually called Rastafarianism and its adherents are knoan as “Rastafarians” of “Rastas”-.

Rastafarianism is basically an ideology of protest generated in the mainly black population of the island of Jamaica. Its practitioners sought to vindicate their African roots displacing the Judeo-Christian centers of the African land of Ethiopia religiosity. Rastas believe that the late Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Helassie, was the reincarnation of Yahshua (Jesus) and the dynastic descendant of Solomon and Makeda, Queen of Sheba. Selassie would be who would lead the faithful to build a perfect world called Zion, which could meet in the New Jerusalem, located in the town of Lalibela.

When the rasta movement began Ethiopia was the only African country that had managed to maintain its independence and historical identity. For adherents of the new religion Haile Selassie1 represented a sacred cultural heritage. It was considered the 225th heir of the dynasty of King Solomon, proclaimed as the world's oldest. The Rastafarians reject the corrupt elements of Western culture they called "Babylon" and argued that Africa, also called Zion, was the cradle of humanity.

The Rastafarians developed its ideological system by integrating the views and aspirations of African-Jamaican religious nationalist leader Marcus Mosiah Garvey, who was regarded by many as a prophet contemporary reincarnation of San Juan Bautista.

At present, rastafarianism is a dynamic religious movement that has spread beyond Jamaica to the United States, Canada and the UK.

Like other African-American movements, rasta ceremonies are accompanied by sounds of drums, dance and ritual consumption of cannabis. Cannabis (also known as ganja or sacred herb) is a direct channel with Jah (God) and helps develop meditation and wisdom. A sacred rasta holiday is April 20, which is considered as the International Day of Marijuana.

Like the Ethiopian Christians, Rastafarians celebrate Christmas on January 7 and New Year on February 7. The Rastafarians consider themselves as heirs of the Coptic Christians of Etiopía.y tje Queen Nanny. Its spiritual inspiration is basically an expression of rebellion against slavery, imperialist colonization of Africa and against discrimination suffered by African descendants in the Caribbean. Ethiopia is the only African nation that resisted colonization and Queen Nanny was the triumphant expression of a rebellion that managed to remain proud and sovereign.

From “Chronicles of Human Adventure”, Danilo Anton, Piriguazu Ediciones

 The Children of Xango

 D.Anton

Like a shadow the panther slipped furtively in the forest undergrowth. He looked attentively around, climbed skillfully on a twisted tree branch, then on another one, and remained still and silent. The late afternoon sun has been obscured by a dense, dark cloud and suddenly a strong shower fell on the green canopy.

At that moment the wind brought the sound of distant drums. They were speaking the ancient African language and telling a sad story. Yoruba, Ibo, Congo and Kimbundu sisters and brothers had been emprisoned and sent beyond the sea.

A flash lighted up the falling mist and a long roaring thunder was heard. The jungle was shaken and a large flock of black birds flew out of the highest branches in the direction of the setting sun.

Xango, owner of the chain of life, father of fathers, had understood the message.

Much farther West, on the land of the rolling hills the night had fallen. The full moon shone in the sky. The large cat remained attentive on the top of Ibity Itu listening to the rhythmical sound that came from the valley.

A group of people were singing and dancing while the drums spoke the old tongues. They were asking for help, far away from their home. Abué abué... yala yala...Father Xango, we are your children... we need your guidance...

The black jaguar jumped from the rock and run, almost flied, glowing like a ghost, his reddish brightness filled the sky. The figure disintegrated in a thousand sparkles and disappeared into the fire brilliancy.

They felt his arrival.

He had come all the way to America to help them.

They wouldn’t be alone anymore.

The Guanches, Iemanjá and Our Lady of Candelaria

 Danilo Anton

Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, is one of the island territories of Africa, located farther west, at a distance of 500 kilometers from the mainland. It has an area of ​​just over two thousand square kilometers and rises about 3.700 meters above sea level in the Pico de Teide. As the next African coast, Tenerife has a relatively dry climate, particularly in the southern portion of the island. For a long time, both Tenerife and other Canary islands were inhabited by the Guanche people, who for several centuries had settled in the islands after crossing the sea expanse that separates the islands from the mainland where they developed their own culture adapted to the characteristics of islands environment. The quiet life of the Guanches ended when the invaders coming from beyond the sea began to disembark. They took possession of the land, the people were enslaved, women raped. The Guanches fought bravely. Tenerife continued to fight until there was no more warriors. Finally, in the year that Christians numbered as 1496, the Guanche country fell to the invaders.

In the christian year of 1392 the Guanches of the Güimar menceyato on the island of Tenerife were surprised one morning to find a statue of a woman that had been left by the sea on the beach. Identifying it with the spirit of the moon, they led her to the Chinguaro sacred cave where she became part of the Guanches ceremonial.

Some years later when the Guanche country was invaded by the Spanish forces and their inhabitants were enslaved and killed, the image remained in the hands of the friars who accompanied the conquerors. Occupants identified the novel image with their own deity "Virgin Mary" and continued worshiping her. Their celebrations were held on February 2 and August 15. The feast of February 2 was "the purification". The image was first housed in a chapel and later in a church. It was called the "Virgen de la Candelaria". Much later, on November 7, 1826, a storm struck the coast Guimareña leaving the Candelaria forever. The sea had brought her and the sea had taken her away.

Every year, since immemorial time, the Yoruba people of Niger threw images of Iemanjá to the sea sea with gifts of flowers, food, drink and ornaments to ask for the health and fertility of women and the land. The images were taken by the ocean currents and led to different directions. Some returned to the coast, others disappeared forever, like swallowed by the sea, and a few were carried to distant beaches. Perhaps some of them had arrived to the beaches of Tenerife.

The year was 1830, on the island of Itaparica, Bahia de Todos Santos, the Brazilian coast of Bahia. It was the eve of the February 2nd. Several communities of Yoruba slaves were preparing to celebrate the Feast of the Purification in honor of Iemanjá and the Virgin of the Sea as they did every year. That morning they were surprised to find an image of the Goddess that had been left by the sea overnight. It was covered with small shells and their colors had faded. But she was the Orixá of life and seas. No doubt about it. That night the biggest Batuque that was remembered in the area was organized. The Goddess incorporated in all Paes and Maes and told them many things ... The Islanders called her Nossa Senhora das Candeias. She was watching the sea from an old chapel that stood next to the sea in the eastern end of the island.

From: Misteries of America; Danilo Anton, Piriguazu Ediciones