Haile Selassie was born Lij Tafari Makonnen (Amharic ልጅ፡ ተፈሪ፡ መኮንን; Amharic pronunciation lij teferī mekōnnin). Lij translates literally to child, and serves to indicate that a youth is of noble blood. He would later become Ras Tafari Makonnen; Ras translates literally to head and is the equivalent of duke, though it is often rendered in translation as prince. Tafari, his given name, in Amharic means one who is respected, while Haile literally means in Geez Power of and Selassie means trinity (i.e. Haile Selassie Power of the Trinity) his coronation name in 1930 (Haile Selassie was also his Christian baptismal name as an infant). In 1916 during the reign of the Empress Zauditu, she gave him the position of a regent and in 1928 this position was elevated, as she granted him the throne of Shoa, his title was then elevated to Negus, King. On 2 November 1930, after the death of Empress Zauditu, Ras Tafari Makonnen was crowned emperor upon his ascension to emperor, he took as his regnal name Haile Selassie, meaning Power of the Trinity. Haile Selassies full title in office was His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, King of Kings (Emperor) of Ethiopia, Elect of God (Geez ግርማዊ፡ ቀዳማዊ፡ አፄ፡ ኃይለ፡ ሥላሴ፡ ሞዓ፡ አንበሳ፡ ዘእምነገደ፡ ይሁዳ፡ ንጉሠ፡ ነገሥት፡ ዘኢትዮጵያ፡ ሰዩመ፡ እግዚአብሔር; girmāwī ḳedāmāwī aṣē ḫayle śillāsē, mōā anbessā zeimneggede yihudā niguse negest zeītyōṗṗyā, siyume igzīabihēr). This title reflects Ethiopian dynastic traditions, which hold that all monarchs must trace their lineage back to Menelik I, who in the Ethiopian tradition was the offspring of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. To Ethiopians Haile Selassie has been known by many names, including Janhoy, Talaqu Meri, and Abba Tekel. The Rastafari employ many of these appellations, also referring to him as HIM (the abbreviation of His Imperial Majesty), Jah, and Jah Rastafari.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 17:21:26 +0000
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