Meaning
A water pipe used by Rastafari to smoke the herb ritually during reasoning and meditation. Often made from a coconut shell or a cow horn fitted with a tube, the chalice is passed among the participants as a shared, ceremonial act rather than a casual smoke, part of the communal worship and reasoning of the faith. Drawing on and passing the chalice binds the brethren in fellowship and lifts the mind toward Jah, and it stands, like the kutchie, among the sacred instruments of Rastafari devotion.
Examples
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Him light di chalice fi di reasoning.
He lit the chalice for the discussion.
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Pass di kutchie pon di lef han side.
Pass the pipe on the left-hand side.
Echoes a well-known reggae lyric; 'kutchie' is a chalice.
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Di chalice bubble slow.
The water pipe bubbled slowly.
Origin
From English 'chalice', a ceremonial cup, borrowed for the sacred pipe by analogy with a communion vessel. 'Chillum' comes from Hindi, another legacy of Indian migration.
How it’s used
A ritual object, not mere paraphernalia. Its use is bound up with reasoning and prayer.