AmaViking—Amaqhawe Nabasunguli Bamakoloni

KWAKUNGOLUNYE lwezinsuku ngo-June, ngo-793 C.E. Esiqhingini esincane saseLindisfarne, esibizwa nangokuthi iHoly, ngasogwini lweNorthumberland, eNgilandi, izindela zazizenzela imisebenzi yazo zingayinakile imikhumbi emihle eyayisondela ngokushesha olwandle. Imikhumbi yaphumela ogwini, futhi kwaphuma amadoda asabekayo anezintshebe ephethe izinkemba nezimbazo futhi agijimela esigodlweni. Ahlasela izindela ezazisathukile abulala inqwaba. Laba bahlaseli baphanga igolide, isiliva, amatshe ayigugu nengcebo esigodlweni. Baphindela eNorth Sea bashaya bachitha.

Laba baphangi kwakungamaViking, futhi ukuhlasela kwawo ngonya abese ebaleka kwawenza aduma eYurophu futhi kwaphawula ukuqala kwenkathi yamaViking. Ngokushesha amaViking ayesesatshwa kulo lonke elaseNgilandi kangangokuthi kwakuthandazwa kuthiwe: “O Nkosi, sikhulule olakeni lwamaNorthman.”a

Ayengobani la maViking? Kungani avele aqhamuka esikhaleni emlandweni, aduma amakhulu amathathu eminyaka ayesenyamalala?

Abalimi Nabaphangi

Okhokho bamaViking kwakungamaJalimane aqala ukufuduka, eminyakeni engu-2 000 ngaphambi kwenkathi yamaViking, esuka enyakatho-ntshonalanga yeYurophu aya eDenmark, eNorway naseSweden—eScandinavia. Njengokhokho bawo, amaViking ayengabalimi, ngisho nalawo ayephanga. Ezingxenyeni ezibandayo zeScandinavia, ayethembela ekuzingeleni nasekudobeni izinhlanzi nemikhomo. Abahwebi abangamaViking babehlala emiphakathini emikhulu, futhi ukusuka lapha babehlale behamba emizileni yolwandle yaseYurophu ngemikhumbi yabo kaseyili eqinile. Pho, yini eyayingabangela ukuba abantu ababebonakala bengenangozi futhi bengaziwa badume ngokukhohlakala esizukulwaneni esisodwa nje vó?

Okunye okwakungabangela lokho ukuminyana emphakathini, kodwa izazi-mlando eziningi zinomuzwa wokuthi lokho kwakungenzeka entshonalanga yeNorway kuphela, eyayinezwe elincane elilimekayo. I-Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings ithi: “Eziningi zezizukulwane zokuqala zamaViking zazifuna umcebo, hhayi izwe.” Lokhu kwakwenziwa ikakhulukazi amakhosi nezinduna ezazidinga imali eningi ukuze zihlale zibusa. Kungenzeka ukuthi amanye amaViking ashiya iScandinavia ukuze abalekele izingxabano zomkhaya noma izimpi zendawo.

Okunye kungaba ukuthi kwakuvamile ukuba amadoda angamaViking acebile abe nesithembu. Ngenxa yalokho, ayeba nezingane eziningi. Nokho, ngokuvamile yizibulo kuphela elalithola ifa, ezinye izingane zakwabo zisale zizibonela. Ngokwencwadi ethi The Birth of Europe, amadodana angalitholanga ifa “ayakha ibutho elikhulu lamaqhawe ayephoqelekile ukuba aziphilise nganoma iyiphi indlela, kungaba ngokunqoba ezweni lakubo noma ngokuphanga kwamanye amazwe.”

AmaViking ayenenqola ekahle ayeyisebenzisela ukuhlasela abese ebaleka lapho ephanga—umkhumbi omude. Izazi-mlando zithi lo mkhumbi wawungobunye bobuchwepheshe obuphambili basekuqaleni kweNkathi Ephakathi. Ngenxa yokuthi yayikwazi ukuhamba intante futhi inoseyili noma izigwedlo, le mikhumbi emihle yenza amaViking aba yizingcweti ezihamba kunoma yiluphi ulwandle, ichibi nomfula ngokuthanda kwawo.

Ukudlondlobala KwamaViking

Ezinye izazi-mlando zithi inkathi yamaViking yaqala phakathi nekhulu lesi-8, ngaphambi nje kokuba amaViking ayophanga eLindisfarne. Kunoma yikuphi, ukuphangwa kweLindisfarne kwasiza ekubeni umphakathi uwaqaphele amaViking. Lapho esuka eNgilandi aya e-Ireland, nalapho futhi ehlasela izigodlo ezinengcebo. AmaViking ayelibangisa ekhaya ebusika imikhumbi yawo igcwele izimpahla eziphangiwe nezigqila. Nokho, ngo-840 C.E. ayeka ukulandela isiko futhi achitha ubusika ezindaweni ayephange kuzo. Eqinisweni, idolobha lase-Ireland iDublin laqala liyisikaniso samaViking. Ngo-850 C.E., aqala ukuchitha ubusika naseNgilandi, eqalé e-Isle of Thanet, esizalweni soMfula iThames.

Ngokushesha amaViking aseDenmark nawaseNorway afika eBrithani, engasewona amaqembu aphangayo kodwa esengamabutho ahamba ngamaviyo emikhumbi. Eminye yale mikhumbi kungenzeka yayingamamitha angu-30 ubude futhi ithwala amabutho ayikhulu. Eminyakeni eyalandela, amaViking anqoba inyakatho-mpumalanga yeNgilandi, indawo eyaziwa ngokuthi iDanelaw ngoba kwakwande isiko nomthetho waseDenmark lapho. Nokho, eningizimu yeNgilandi eWessex, iNkosi yamaNgisi u-Alfred namakhosi ayilandela bawaxosha amaViking. Kodwa kwabe sekuthi ngemva kwempi enkulu e-Ashington ngo-1016 nokufa kweNkosi u-Edmund yaseWessex kamuva ngalowo nyaka, umholi wamaViking uCanute—owayengumKristu wokuzisholo—waba ukuphela kwenkosi yaseNgilandi.

Enkabeni YeYurophu Nangalé Kwayo

Ngo-799 C.E. amaViking aseDenmark aqala ukuphanga indawo eyayibizwa ngokuthi iFrisia ngaleso sikhathi—indawo esogwini lweYurophu esuka eDenmark iye eNetherlands. Ukusuka lapho akhuphula imifula enjengeLoire neSeine futhi aphanga amadolobha namadolobhana asenkabeni yeYurophu. Ngo-845 C.E. amaViking aphanga neParis. Inkosi yamaFrank uCharles the Bald wawakhokhela ngesiliva elingamakhilogremu angu-3 000 ukuze ahoxe kuleli dolobha. Kodwa abuya futhi aphanga nangalé kweParis aze ayofika eTroyes, eVerdun naseToul.

AmaViking aya eSpain nasePortugal, lapho kwaziwa ukuthi aqala khona ukuphanga ngo-844 C.E. Aphanga amadolobha amancane ambalwa futhi athatha iSeville okwesikhashana. I-Cultural Atlas of the Viking World ithi: “Nokho, abavikeli bama-Arabhu balwa ngonya kangangokuthi amaViking axoshwa ngokushesha, amabutho awo acishe aphela nya.” Noma kunjalo, abuya ngo-859 C.E.—esebuya neviyo lemikhumbi yempi engu-62. Ngemva kokuchitha izingxenye zeSpain, aphanga iNyakatho Afrika; futhi nakuba imikhumbi yawo yayisigcwele nswí izinto eziphangiwe, adlulela e-Italy futhi aphanga iPisa neLina (eyayiyiLuna kuqala).

AmaViking ayevela eSweden ahamba ngemikhumbi aya ngasempumalanga enqamula iBaltic neminye yemifula emikhulu eMpumalanga Yurophu—umfula iVolkhov, iLovat’, iDnieper neVolga. Ekugcineni lemifula yawaholela Olwandle Olumnyama nasemazweni acebile oMbuso WaseByzantium. Abanye abahwebi abangamaViking baze bafika ngisho naseBaghdad behamba ngoMfula iVolga noLwandle iCaspian. Ekugcineni, amakhosi aseSweden aba ababusi bezindawo ezinkulu zamaSlav eDnieper naseVolga. Abahlaseli babebizwa ngokuthi ama-Rus, igama abanye abakholewa ukuthi liwumsuka welithi “Russia”—“Izwe LamaRus.”

Ukuya E-Iceland, EGreenland NaseNewfoundland

AmaViking aseNorway agxila eziqhingini eziningi ezingaphandle. Ngokwesibonelo, athatha iziqhingi zase-Orkney naseShetland ekhulwini lesi-8 kanye neziqhingi zaseFaeroe, eHebrides nempumalanga ye-Ireland ekhulwini lesi-9. AmaViking aze enza ne-Iceland yaba ikoloni. Lapho, asungula umkhandlu wephalamende i-Althing. Njengoba isewumkhandlu obusayo wase-Iceland, i-Althing iwumkhandlu wephalamende omdala kunayo yonke emazweni aseNtshonalanga.

Ngo-985 C.E. umViking ogama lakhe lingu-Erik the Red, wasungula ikoloni eGreenland. Kamuva ngalowo nyaka omunye umNorseman uBjarni Herjolfsson wasuka e-Iceland waya kubazali bakhe eGreenland. Kodwa wachezuka endleleni ngenxa yomoya onamandla futhi wadlula eGreenland. I-Cultural Atlas of the Viking World ithi: “Mhlawumbe uBjarni wayengumNorseman wokuqala owabona iNyakatho Melika.”

Ngokwesisekelo sombiko kaBjarni, futhi mhlawumbe ngemva konyaka ka-1000, uLeif Eriksson, indodana ka-Erik the Red, wasuka eGreenland walibangisa entshonalanga ngomkhumbi eBaffin Island wayesehla ngogu lweLabrador. Wafika enhlonhlweni yezwe alibiza ngokuthi iVinland, ngenxa yokuthi lalinezithelo zomvini wasendle noma amajikijolo.b ULeif wachitha ubusika lapho ngaphambi kokuba aphindele eGreenland. Ngonyaka olandelayo umfowabo kaLeif uThorwald wahola uhambo olwaluya eVinland, kodwa wabulawa lapho elwa nabomdabu. Nokho, eminyakeni embalwa kamuva amaViking aphakathi kuka-60 no-160 akanisa eVinland, kodwa ngenxa yobutha obabuqhubeka phakathi kwawo nabomdabu, ahlala iminyaka emithathu kuphela, ayesehamba unomphela. Cishe kwadlula iminyaka engu-500 ngaphambi kokuba umhloli ongumNtaliyane owayekhonza iNgilandi, uJohn Cabot, athathe iNyakatho Melika ibe ngaphansi kweNgilandi.

Ukuphela Kwenkathi YamaViking

Lapho kuphela inkathi yawo, amaViking ayesakhe izifundazwe ezimbalwa zezombangazwe okwakubusa kuzo uhlanga lwamakhosi aseScandinavia. Kodwa awazange ahlale eyizihambi isikhathi eside, ngoba amaViking amaningi ekugcineni azivumelanisa namasiko amasha, ngisho nenkolo. Ngokwesibonelo, induna yamaViking uRollo, eyathatha ingxenye yendawo esogwini lweFrance ebizwa ngokuthi iNormandy (okusho ukuthi “iZwe LamaNorthman,” noma lamaNorman), yaguqukela ebuKatolikeni. Omunye wabazukulu bayo kwakunguWilliam, uMbusi waseNormandy. Ngemva kwempi yaseHastings ngo-1066, okwakulwa kuyo izizukulwane zamaNorman namaViking angamaNgisi, uMbusi uWilliam owanqoba wagcotshwa njengenkosi yaseNgilandi.

UWilliam washeshe waqeda lonke ithonya laseScandinavia eNgilandi futhi waqala inkathi entsha yabaphathi abasetshenzelwayo ehlanganisa isimiso sasendulo sikahulumeni waseFrance, ubunikazi bezwe nezomnotho. Ngakho incwadi ethi The Vikings ka-Else Roesdahl ithi “uma bekungakhethwa usuku olwaphawula ukuphela kweNkathi YamaViking, kumelwe kube ngu-1066.” Ngekhulu le-11 imibuso yamaViking yokuqala eScandinavia yaguquka yaba izifundazwe ezizimele.

Amakhulu amathathu eminyaka yomlando wamaViking agcwele izigigaba. Nokho, awanele umbono wokuthi amaViking kwakumane nje kungamaqaba aphangayo ayephatha inkemba nembazo. Abonisa ukuvumelana nezimo ngokugcina esenze amakoloni emazweni akude futhi amukele amasiko endawo. Azinza njengabalimi futhi ahlala ezihlalweni zobukhosi zezinye izizwe njengababusi. Yebo, amaViking ayengezona izingcweti zemikhumbi nenkemba nje kuphela kodwa nezokulima nezombangazwe.

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INKOLO YAMAVIKING

AmaViking ayekhulekela onkulunkulu abaningi bezinganekwane, kuhlanganise u-Odin, uThor, uFrey, uFreyja noHel. U-Odin, unkulunkulu wokuhlakanipha nempi, kwakunguye ohamba phambili. Umkakhe kwakunguFrigga. UThor wayengumbulali weziqhwaga nombusi womoya nemvula. UFrey kwakungunkulunkulu wokuthula nenzalo oziphethe kabi. Udadewabo uFreya wayengunkulunkulukazi wothando nenzalo. UHel wayengunkulunkulukazi wezwe labaphansi.

Izinganekwane zamaNorseman ziyisisekelo samagama ezinsuku ezithile zesonto esiNgisini nakwezinye izilimi. Ngokwesibonelo, kunezinsuku eziqanjwe ngoTyr, uWoden, uThor noFrigga, njengo-Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday no-Friday.

Njengabakhulekeli babo, onkulunkulu bamaViking kuthiwa babecetshiswa ukuntshontsha, isibindi nobuqili. U-Odin wathembisa ukuthi labo ababefele empini ngobuqhawe babezothola indawo ezulwini lase-Asgard (ikhaya lonkulunkulu), esigodlweni esikhulu saseValhalla. Lapho babengasina bazibethele ekudleni futhi balwe ngokuthanda. Izikhulu zamaViking zazivame ukungcwatshwa ngomkhumbi noma ngamatshe abekwe ama njengomkhumbi. Zazingcwatshwa nokudla, izikhali, izinto zokuhlobisa, izilwane ezibulewe futhi mhlawumbe ngisho nezigqila eziyimihlatshelo. Incekukazi yendlovukazi yayingase ingcwatshwe nayo.

Isigqoko esinezimpondo esivame ukuhlotshaniswa namaViking, sasikhona eminyakeni engaphezu kwenkulungwane ngaphambi kwenkathi yamaViking futhi kubonakala sengathi sasigqokwa uma kunemikhosi kuphela. Uma amaqhawe amaViking efuna ukugqoka isigqoko, ayegqoka izigqoko eziyindilinga ezenziwe ngongcwecwe noma ngesikhumba.

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(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

UKWANDA KWAMAVIKING

NORWAY

↓

ICELAND

GREENLAND

Baffin Island

Labrador

Newfoundland

DENMARK

↓

ENGLAND

IRELAND

NETHERLANDS

FRANCE

PORTUGAL

SPAIN

AFRICA

ITALY

SWEDEN

↓

RUSSIA

Caspian Sea

Baghdad

UKRAINE

Black Sea

Istanbul

[Umthombo]

Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1997 Digital Wisdom, Inc.

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Umkhumbi ofana nowamaViking

[Umthombo]

Pages 2 and 24: Antonion Otto Rabasca, Courtesy of Gunnar Eggertson

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Izikhali zempi zamaViking

Isigqoko samaViking

[Umthombo]

War implements and helmet: Artifacts on display at the Museum of National Antiquities, Stockholm, Sweden

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ULeif Eriksson