I-Vasa—Ukusuka Enhlekeleleni Kuya Ekukhangeni

Ngumlobeli we-Phaphama! eSweden

NGO-AUGUST 10, 1628, kwakuwusuku olucwathile eStockholm, enhloko-dolobha yaseSweden. Abantu bathutheleka esikhumulweni semikhumbi njengoba umkhumbi wempi i-Vasa owubukhazikhazi wawuthatha uhambo lokuqala, ngemva kokwakhiwa iminyaka emithathu, ukuze uyohlangana nemikhumbi yempi yaseSweden.

I-Vasa yayingewona umkhumbi wempi ojwayelekile. INkosi uGustavus II Adolphus Vasa yayifuna ukuba lo mkhumbi wempi ube namandla kunayo yonke emhlabeni. Abanye bathi yakhipha isiqondiso sokuba kwakhiwe isitezi sesibili sezibhamu ngemva kokuba izwé kuthiwa abantu baseDenmark bakha umkhumbi onezitezi ezimbili zezibhamu. Yayifuna ukuba umkhumbi oqanjwe ngesibongo sayo ungadlulwa yinoma yimuphi omunye umkhumbi.

Ukusuka kwawo kwakufanele kube umbukiso wamandla obukhosi nenkazimulo yayo. Wawunezibhamu ezingu-64 futhi uhlotshiswe ngezinto eziqoshiwe nemihlobiso engaphezu kuka-700. Inani lawo lalidlula amaphesenti amahlanu omkhiqizo wezwe waseSweden. Lo mshini wempi onamandla nowumbukiso ontantayo mhlawumbe wawungumkhumbi okhazimula kunayo yonke eyayakhiwe kunoma iyiphi indawo ngaleso sikhathi. Yingakho nje abantu babewuhalalisela ngokuziqhenya lapho usuka esikhumulweni saseStockholm!

Inhlekelele Nokuphoxeka

Nokho, i-Vasa yayisahambe ibanga elingaphezudlwana nje kwekhilomitha lapho igumbuqelwa yisikhwishikhwishi somoya. Amanzi athutheleka ezimbotsheni zokudubula ngezibhamu, yazika. Mhlawumbe lolu kwakuwuhambo lokuqala olufushane kunalo lonke emlandweni wemikhumbi yempi!

Izibukeli zabamb’ ongezansi. Udumo Lomkhumbi Wempi waseSweden lwaphela, aluqedwanga yimpi noma isivunguvungu esikhulu olwandle olukhulu, kodwa yisikhwishikhwishi somoya esincane nje ethekwini lawo. Ukufa kwabantu abangaba ngu-50 kwashaqisa nakakhulu. Esikhundleni sokuba yinto isizwe esiziqhenya ngayo, i-Vasa yaphenduka ukudumazeka nehlazo.

Kwabizwa imbizo ukuze kutholakale ukuthi ubani owayenecala ngale nhlekelele eyihlazo. Kodwa akekho owabekwa icala, kungenzeka ukuthi kungenxa yokuthi ubufakazi babukhomba bobabili inkosi nephini lomkhuzi wamabutho aseSweden, iPhini likaNdunankulu uKlas Fleming.

Lokho okwakufunwa yinkosi kwakwenzé abakhi bazama imiklamo ababengakaze bayenze. Ngakho-ke, i-Vasa ayizange ilinganiswe kahle. Esikhathini esithile ngaphambi kokuba izike, uNdunankulu uFleming wayehlele ukuba kuhlolwe ukuqina kwayo. Amadoda angu-30 ayelinganisene egijima esuka kolunye uhlangothi lomkhumbi eya kolunye. Ngemva kokuwuzungeza kathathu undunankulu waqaphela ukuthi uma eqhubeka, umkhumbi uzogumbuqeleka ngaso leso sikhathi. Ngakho wakumisa lokhu kuhlola kodwa akazange awuvimbe ukuba uthathe uhambo lokuqala. Njengoba kwakuhileleke abantu ababaluleke kangaka njengenkosi nondunankulu, icala lahoxiswa.

Ngo-1664-65, owayeyisikhulu sebutho laseSweden wathola eziningi zezibhamu ze-Vasa nge-diving bell elula. I-Vasa yalibaleka kancane kancane njengoba yazika yashona phansi ebangeni elingaba ngamamitha angu-30.

Ukuphuma Odakeni

Ngo-August 1956, isazi semivubukulo esasiseyifunda-makhwela, u-Anders Franzén sasebenzisa ingxenye engaphakathi eyisampula ukuze sidonse ingxenye ye-oki ephansi ekujuleni. Kwase kuyiminyaka sihlola izincwadi ezindala futhi sicwaninga phansi olwandle sifuna i-Vasa. Manje sase siyitholile. Ngemva komsebenzi obucayi wokuyitakula, i-Vasa yakhushulwa odakeni futhi yaphuma iphelele yaya esikhumulweni esasiyilindile.

Ngo-April 24, 1961, isikhumulo saseStockholm sase sigcwele izibukeli ezijabule. Ngemva kweminyaka engu-333 isekujuleni kolwandle, i-Vasa yaphinde yaba undabamlonyeni—manje isikhanga izivakashi futhi isiyingcebo yabavubukuli basolwandle. Zingaphezu kuka-25-000 izinto zobuciko ezembula izici ezithakazelisayo ngalo mkhumbi wempi wekhulu le-17 futhi zanikeza ukuqonda okuvelele ekwakhiweni kwemikhumbi nobuciko bezinto eziqoshiwe ngaleso sikhathi.

Kungani i-Vasa nezinto zayo zobuciko kwalondolozwa kahle kangaka? Ezinye izici kwakuwukuthi yayiseyintsha lapho izika, udaka lwalunamandla okulondoloza futhi umsundu wasolwandle odla ukhuni awuphili kahle emanzini anosawoti omncane.

I-Vasa yayinamathani angu-120 ezinto zokuyenza intante. Ochwepheshe bathi yayidinga isilinganiso esingaphezu kokuphindwa kabili kwaleso ukuze iqine, kodwa yayingenayo indawo. Futhi isisindo esenezelwe kangaka sasizokwenza izimbobo zokukhipha izibhamu zisondele emanzini. Ukubukeka kwayo kwakukhazimula, kodwa ukungaqini kwayo kwayenza yangakwazi ukuphunyula enhlekeleleni.

Manje, njengomkhumbi omdala kunayo yonke elondoloziwe emhlabeni, ophelele futhi otholwe usenjalo, ubekwe ngokulondeka emnyuziyamu wawo. Lapho kufika izivakashi ezingu-850 000 ngonyaka zizobona lo mbukiso okhazimulayo, cishe ongazange ushintshe phakathi namakhulu eminyaka ngenxa yenhlekelele yango-1628. Kuyisikhumbuzo sobulima balabo abasegunyeni, okwathi ngenxa yokuzikhukhumeza nokunganaki, bakhetha ukuyishaya indiva imikhuba yokwakha imikhumbi enengqondo.

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

INkosi uGustavus II Adolphus Vasa

[Umthombo]

Foto: Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

[Izithombe ekhasini 24, 25]

Ngemva kweminyaka engaphezu kuka-300 iphansi olwandle, i-“Vasa” isakhanga izwe

[Umthombo]

Genom tillmötesgående från Vasamuseet, Stockholm

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 25]

Målning av det kapsejsande Vasa, av konstnär Nils Stödberg