Bloodfire

interjection BLUD-fyah ˈblʌdfaɪa

Also spelled blood fire, blood an fire, bloodfyah

An exclamation of anger, alarm, or righteous outrage — a call for 'fire', for judgment and cleansing, upon wickedness. In Rastafari and reggae it invokes the burning-down of Babylon and all corruption, so that 'bloodfire!' is at once a cry of fury and a summons of purifying flame against evil and injustice. Fierce and forceful, it belongs to the fiery language of Rastafari denunciation, where 'fire' is called to consume the rotten, and it bursts out at anything felt to be deeply wrong.

  • Bloodfire! Look how tings a gwaan.

    Good grief! Look at how things are going.

  • Rasta chant bloodfire pon di corruption.

    Rastas call down fire on the corruption.

  • Blood an fire fi all wickedness.

    Fire and judgment on all wickedness.

From 'blood' and 'fire', invoking purifying flame; the 'fire' imagery runs deep in Rastafari speech as a symbol of judgment on Babylon.

Both a general exclamation of shock and a Rastafari call for judgment. Common in conscious reggae; milder than the '-claat' curses.