
Less common than its “smearing” counterpart, the “lifting” Rafiki emerges on the likes of Urban Dictionary by 2011. A person could Rafiki a cake they’ve proudly baked and are eager to share. The second Rafiki is “to lift someone or something up for display,” usually with two hands over one’s head as a way of esteeming or worshipping it. The verb, however, has spread to more innocuous substances like to Rafiki ketchup on someone’s forehead as an allusive reference to the film. This first Rafiki is “to smear a substance across a person’s forehead.” The earliest instances, recorded on Urban Dictionary in 2007 and appearing on Twitter by 2009, describe the vulgar act of spreading semen, feces, or menstrual blood on a sexual partner. In fact, many of the lovable (and some not so lovable) Disney film’s character’s names are from the beautiful Swahili language, the predominant. Does Simba mean lion in Swahili Simba too, is a very literal translation, it’s simply the Swahili word for lion. Rafiki became so associated with these two actions, that the associations inspired two slang verbs. What does Banzai mean in Swahili Banzai is Swahili for skulk or lurk. The Lion King was a massive success and a defining film of its generation. And, when Rafiki presents Simba to the crowd, it is so the animals can see that he has been anointed and so Simba can see all of his future subjects.

The scene refers to the ancient tradition of Hebrew high priests and European monarchs who anointed royalty by spreading (or pouring) oil on a person’s forehead.

Rafiki then holds the cub high over his head, presenting him to the crowd of animals gathered below the cliff. Rafiki ceremonially indicates Simba’s future leadership role by cracking open a fruit and spreading its juice across the lion cub’s forehead. The “priest” in this ceremony is a wise, old mandrill named Rafiki, which means “friend” in Swahili. One of the most memorable scenes of Disney’s 1994 animated film The Lion King is its opening sequence: Set to the tune of “The Circle of Life” all of the animals of the African savanna gather to see the anointing of the lion cub, Simba, as the next king.
