Dreadlocks

Although not universal to Rastas, dreadlocks are closely associated to the religious followers of the Rastafari movement. Followers often quote two separate verses from the Old Testament,

All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. - Numbers 6:5,

and

They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in the flesh. - Leviticus 21:5.



One of the titles associated with Emperor Haile Selassie I is Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Dreadlocks have thus come to symbolize the mane of a lion, in particular the Lion of Judah. For the Rastas the razor, scissors, and the comb are the three Babylonian (or Roman) inventions, thus the dreadlocks symbolize the rebellion against Babylon. Although not all persons with dreadlocks are necessarily Rastifarian, in reggae music a follower of Rastafari may be referred to simply as a Dreadlock or Natty (natural) Dread. Non-believers who cut their hair are often referred to as baldheads.