selassie was king alpha in rivers of babylon.
selassie was king alpha in rivers of babylon.
who is king alpha in rivers of babylon?
selassie
in the rastafarian faith, the term "babylon" is used for any governmental system which is either oppressive or unjust. in jamaica, rastafarians also use "babylon" to refer to the police, often seen as a source of oppression because they arrest members for the use of marijuana (which is sacramental for rastafarians). therefore, "by the rivers of babylon" refers to living in a repressive society and the longing for freedom, just like the israelites in captivity. rastafarians also identify themselves as belonging to the twelve tribes of israel. the original version specifically refers to rastafarian belief in haile selassie, by changing references to "the lord" in the biblical text to "far-i" and "king alpha". both terms refer to selassie (selassie's wife menen asfaw is known as "queen omega"). in addition, the term "the wicked" replaces the neutral "they" of psalm 137 in the line "they that carried us away captive required of us a song...". according to david stowe,
rivers of babylon
"ōhthere sǣde his hlāforde, ælfrēde cyninge, ðæt hē ealra norðmonna norþmest būde. hē cwæð þæt hē būde on þǣm lande norþweardum wiþ þā westsǣ. hē sǣde þēah þæt þæt land sīe swīþe lang norþ þonan; ac hit is eal wēste, būton on fēawum stōwum styccemǣlum wīciað finnas, on huntoðe on wintra, ond on sumera on fiscaþe be þǣre sǣ. hē sǣde þæt hē æt sumum cirre wolde fandian hū longe þæt land norþryhte lǣge, oþþe hwæðer ǣnig mon be norðan þǣm wēstenne būde. þā fōr hē norþryhte be þǣm lande: lēt him ealne weg þæt wēste land on ðæt stēorbord, ond þā wīdsǣ on ðæt bæcbord þrīe dagas. þā wæs hē swā feor norþ swā þā hwælhuntan firrest faraþ. þā fōr hē þā giet norþryhte swā feor swā hē meahte on þǣm ōþrum þrīm dagum gesiglau. þā bēag þæt land, þǣr ēastryhte, oþþe sēo sǣ in on ðæt lond, hē nysse hwæðer, būton hē wisse ðæt hē ðǣr bād westanwindes ond hwōn norþan, ond siglde ðā ēast be lande swā swā hē meahte on fēower dagum gesiglan. þā sceolde hē ðǣr bīdan ryhtnorþanwindes, for ðǣm þæt land bēag þǣr sūþryhte, oþþe sēo sǣ in on ðæt land, hē nysse hwæþer. þā siglde hē þonan sūðryhte be lande swā swā hē meahte on fīf dagum gesiglan. ðā læg þǣr ān micel ēa ūp on þæt land. ðā cirdon hīe ūp in on ðā ēa for þǣm hīe ne dorston forþ bī þǣre ēa siglan for unfriþe; for þǣm ðæt land wæs eall gebūn on ōþre healfe þǣre ēas. ne mētte hē ǣr nān gebūn land, siþþan hē from his āgnum hām fōr; ac him wæs ealne weg wēste land on þæt stēorbord, būtan fiscerum ond fugelerum ond huntum, ond þæt wǣron eall finnas; ond him wæs āwīdsǣ on þæt bæcbord. þā boermas heafdon sīþe wel gebūd hira land: ac hīe ne dorston þǣr on cuman. ac þāra terfinna land wæs eal wēste, būton ðǣr huntan gewīcodon, oþþe fisceras, oþþe fugeleras."
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