Umntu Owenza Imaphu Yomhlaba
NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EBELGIUM
Ngasekuqaleni kowe-1544, uGerardus Mercator wayevalelwe kwisisele esimnyama nesasibanda. Wayeqinisekile ukuba wayeza kufa. Kwakutheni ukuze oku kwenzeke kulo mzobi weemaphu wenkulungwane ye-16? Ukuze sifumane impendulo, masiqwalasele ngokusondeleyo ubomi bakhe.
UMERCATOR wazalwa ngowe-1512, kwidolophu encinane yaseAntwerp, eBelgium. Wafunda kwiyunivesithi yaseLouvain. Emva kokuba ethweswe isidanga, wafunda iimfundiso zika-Aristotle, yaye kungekudala zamkhathaza kuba zazingavisisani neemfundiso zeBhayibhile. UMercator wabhala esithi: “Xa ndabona ukuba ingxelo kaMoses yeGenesis engendalo ayivumelani neemfundiso zika-Aristotle nezezinye iintanda-bulumko, ndaqalisa ukukuthandabuza oko kufundiswa zizo zonke iintanda-bulumko ndaza ndaqalisa ukufunda ngendalo.”
Ekubeni wayengafuni kuba yintanda-bulumko, uMarcator wayeka ukufunda eyunivesithi. Noko ke, kubomi bakhe bonke wazama ukufumana ubungqina bokuba ingxelo yeBhayibhile engendalo ichanile.
Uqalisa Ukufunda Ijiyografi
Ngowe-1534, uMarcator wafundiswa imathemathika, inzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi, nejiyografi nguGemma Frisius. Ngapha koko, kusenokwenzeka ukuba uMercator wafunda ukukrola kuGaspar Van der Heyden, owayengumkroli nomenzi weeglobe. Ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane ye-16, abenzi beemaphu, babesebenzisa oonobumba abangqindilili kakhulu, nto leyo eyayibangela ukuba bangakwazi ukubhala inkcazelo eyaneleyo kwiimaphu. Noko ke, uMercator wasebenzisa uhlobo olutsha lokubhala ngomdibaniso olwaqala eItali, olubizwa ngokuba yi-italic, yaye lwaba luncedo gqitha ekwenzeni iiglobe.
Ngowe-1536, uMercator wasebenza njengomkroli noFrisius noVan der Heyden ekwenzeni iglobe. Baphumelela ekwenzeni oku ngenxa yokuba uMercator ekwazi ukubhala kakuhle ngomdibaniso. UNicholas Crane owabhala ngobomi bukaMercator, uthi ngoxa omnye umzobi wemaphu “wakwaziyo ukufaka iindawo zaseMerika ezingamashumi amahlanu kwimaphu yaseludongeni eyayibanzi njengobude bomntu, lo kaMecator wakwazi ukufaka ezingamashumi amathandathu kwiglobe elingana nezandla ezimbini”!
Uqalisa Ukuzoba Iimaphu
Ngowe-1537, uMercator wayeqala ukuzenzela imaphu “ngaphandle koncedo lwabanye”—wenza imaphu yeLizwe Elingcwele, ukuze bakwazi “ukuqonda zombini iitestamente.” Ngenkulungwane ye-16, iimaphu zeLizwe Elingcwele zazingachananga, ezinye zineendawo ezingaphantsi kwama-30—yaye uninzi lwazo lwalunamagama kwiindawo ezingachananga. Kodwa ke, imaphu kaMercator yayibonisa iindawo ezingaphezu kwama-400! Ukongezelela, yabonisa indlela amaSirayeli awayeyihamba entlango emva kokufuduka kwawo. Ngenxa yokuchana kwayo, le maphu yayixatyiswa kakhulu ngabantu bexesha likaMercator.
Ngenxa yokuba waphumelela ekwenzeni oku, uMercator wakhuthazeka ukuba apapashe imaphu yehlabathi ngowe-1538. Ngaphambi koko, abenzi beemaphu babesazi kancinane ngoMntla Merika, babewubiza ngokuthi liLizwe Elikude Elingaziwayo. Nangona igama elithi “Amerika” lalikho, uMercator waba ngowokuqala ukulisebenzisa ngokuthi nguMntla noMzantsi Merika.
UMercator wayephila ngexesha laxa iilwandle zehlabathi zazisahlolisiswa yaye kwakusandul’ ukufunyaniswa amazwe amaninzi. Oomatiloshe badlulisela inkcazelo engachananga, bewenza nzima umsebenzi wabenzi beemaphu, njengoko babefanele baqikelele inkcazelo eyayingekho apho. Sekunjalo, ngowe-1541, uMercator walufikelela usukelo lwakhe “lokwenza iglobe yomhlaba ebhetele kwezakhe zenziwa.”
Utyholwa Ngokudala Uqhekeko
ELouvain, apho uMercator wayehlala khona, kwakukho amaLuthere amaninzi. Ngowe-1536, uMercator wayevelana namaLuthere yaye kubonakala ukuba umfazi wakhe kamva waba ngumLuthere. NgoFebruwari 1544, uMercator wabanjwa kunye nabahlali baseLouvain abangama-42 ngenxa yezityholo zokubhala “iileta ezithandabuzisayo.” Noko ke, kusenokwenzeka ukuba ukwenza kwakhe imaphu yeLizwe Elingcwele kwabangela ukuba uTapper noLatomus, abafundisi bezakwalizwi ababini beyunivesithi yaseLouvain, babe namathandabuzo. Omabini la madoda ayephambili etyaleni lomguquleli weBhayibhile uWilliam Tyndale, owabulawayo eAntwerp ngowe-1536. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uTapper noLatomus babexhalabele ukuba imaphu yeLizwe Elingcwele kaMercator, njengenguqulelo yeBhayibhile kaTyndale, yayikhuthaza ukufundwa kweBhayibhile. Nokuba sasiyintoni na isizathu, uMercator wavalelwa kwidolophu yakowabo kwinqaba yaseRupelmonde.
UAntoinette Van Roesmaels, omnye wabantu ababekho kwelo tyala, wanikela ubungqina bokuba uMercator akazange aye kufundo lweBhayibhile lwabucala lwamaProtestanti. Noko ke, ngenxa yokuba yena uAntoinette waya apho, wangcwatywa ephila, ukuze afe ngenxa yokuphelelwa ngumoya. UMercator wakhululwa emva kweenyanga ezisixhenxe evalelwe, kodwa izinto zakhe akazange azifumane. Ngowe-1552, uMercator wafudukela eDuisburg, eJamani apho wafumanisa khona ukuba abantu babengacalulani ngokonqulo.
Incwadi Yokuqala Yeemaphu
UMercator waqhubeka ethethelela ingxelo yeBhayibhile engendalo. Wachitha ubomi bakhe ebhala ngokudalwa “kwamazulu nomhlaba, ukususela kwixesha lokudalwa kwezinto de kufikelele kwixesha lakhe.” Oku kwakubandakanya inkcazelo yokulandelelana kwezinto kwakunye neemaphu.
Ngowe-1569, uMercator wapapasha uludwe lwezona ziganeko zembali zibalulekileyo ukususela ekudalweni ukusa phambili—inxalenye yokuqala yencwadi yakhe, yayinomxholo othi Chronologia. Injongo yakhe yayikukunceda abafundi bakhe ukuba bayazi imvelaphi yabo kwimbali. Kodwa ke, ngenxa yokuba uMercator wabhala ngokuqhankqalaza kukaLuther nxamnye nokuhlawulelwa kwezono ngowe-1517 kuloo ncwadi yakhe, iChronologia yadweliswa nezinye iincwadi ezingamkelekanga kwiCawa yamaKatolika.
Kwiminyaka eyalandelayo, uMercator wachitha ixesha elininzi ezoba yaye ekrola iimaphu. Ngowe-1590, uMercator wahlaselwa sistroke esamshiya engakwazi ukuthetha yaye efe icala lasekhohlo, yaye kwaba nzima nangakumbi ukuba aqhubeke nomsebenzi wakhe. Kodwa ke, wayezimisele ukuwugqiba umsebenzi awayewuqalile, waza waqhubeka nawo de wafa ngowe-1594 xa wayeneminyaka engama-82 ubudala. Unyana kaMercator, uRumold wagqibezela iimaphu zakhe ezintlanu awayengazigqibanga. Iimaphu zikaMercator zapapashwa zonke ngowe-1595. Yayiziimaphu zokuqala ezadityaniswayo zaza zabizwa ngokuba yincwadi yeemaphu.
Incwadi yeemaphu kaMercantor yayixubusha isahluko sokuqala seGenesis, yaye wayengqina nokuchana kweLizwi likaThixo, egxeka iintanda-bulumko. UMercator wathi ngale ncwadi uye “walufikelela usukelo lwakhe.”
“Usesona Sazi Sejografi Somhla Wethu”
Uhlelo olukhulu lwencwadi yeemaphu, eyapapashwa nguJodocus Hondius ngowe-1606, yashicilelwa ngeelwimi ezininzi yaza yaba yeyona yathengiswa kwakhulu. UAbraham Ortelius, wenkulungwane ye-16 owayengumenzi weemaphu, wancoma lo kaMercator esithi “usesona sazi sejografi somhla wethu.” Kutshanje, umbhali uNicholas Crane wathi, uMercator “ngumntu owenza imaphu yomhlaba.”
Umsebenzi kaMercator uyabuchaphazela ubomi bethu bemihla ngemihla. Ngokomzekelo, xa sihlola incwadi yeemaphu okanye sisebenzisa iGlobal Positioning System, siyangenelwa kumsebenzi kaMercator, indoda eyathi bonke ubomi bayo yafuna ukuqonda injongo yayo kwindalo kaThixo.
[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 21]
UMERCATOR—UMFUNDI WEBHAYIBHILE OKHUTHELEYO
UMercator wayekholelwa ukuba umhlaba wawuza kuba yindawo yobulungisa, uxolo nonqabiseko. Wabhala incwadi engazange ipapashwe eyayixubusha amaRoma isahluko 1-11, yaye apho wayeyiphikisa ingcamango kaCalvin yokuba ikamva lomntu limiselwe kwangaphambili. Okubangel’umdla kukuba, wayephikisana nengcamango kaMartin Luther yaye wathi ukuze umntu asindiswe akufanele akholwe kuphela, kodwa kufuneka ukholo luhambisane nemisebenzi. UMercator wabhala kwileta yakhe ukuba isono “asiveli kwizijikelezi-langa [ekuvumiseni ngeenkwenkwezi] okanye kwizinto ezidalwe nguThixo, kodwa sibangelwe ngumntu.” Kwiileta zakhe wayeyiphikisa ingcamango yamaRoma Katolika yokuba umzimba negazi uYesu awathetha ngazo zezokoqobo, esithi amazwi kaYesu athi “lo ngumzimba wam,” akamele athatyathwe ngokoqobo, kodwa ayafuzisela.
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 22]
IMERCATOR PROJECTION
Ngaba wakhe wazama ukunabisa ixolo leorenji? Ngokucacileyo kunzima ukwenjenjalo ngenxa yokuba indlela elimi ngayo iza kutshintsha. Lo mzekelo ubonisa ingxaki ababehlangabezana nayo abenzi beemaphu—ukuzoba umhlaba kwimaphu esicaba. UMercator wayicombulula le ngxaki ngokuvelisa inkqubo ngoku eyaziwa ngokuba yiMercator projection. Kule ndlela kaMercator imigca ekwiglobe ibekwe yalungelelana. Nakuba imigama ephakathi kwamazwe ingalingani (ngokukodwa phakathi komntla nomzantsi) esi yaba sesona sicombululo kwiimaphu. Le maphu yehlabathi yaseludongeni eyenziwa nguMercator ngowe-1569 yaba yeyona ibalaseleyo, kangangokuba yamzisela udumo njengomenzi weemaphu. Eneneni, obo buchule bakhe busasetyenziswa nanamhlanje xa kusenziwa iimaphu neGlobal Positioning System.
[Umfanekiso]
I-“Mercator projection” inokufaniswa netoti enemaphu yomhlaba nesikiweyo yaza yavulwa ukuze ibe sicaba
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 20]
Imaphu kaMercator yeLizwe Elingcwele, yowe-1537, yayineendawo ezingaphezu kwama-400
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 20, 21]
Imaphu yomhlaba kaMercator, yowe-1538
Phawula igama elithi “AMERI CAE” kuwo omabini amazwekazi aseMerika
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 19]
Antwerpen, Stedelijk Prentenkabinet
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 20]
Both maps: From the American Geographical Society Library, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries