INewgrange—Imibuzo Miningi Kunezimpendulo?

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! E-IRELAND

EZINCWADINI zasendulo zase-Ireland, le ndawo ibizwa ngokuthi iBrú na Bóinne, okusho ukuthi “iNdlu noma iNxuluma LaseBoyne.” Namuhla kuye kwavunjululwa amanye amathuna amadala kakhulu emhlabeni kule ndawo eyimfihlakalo esejikeni lomfula iBoyne ebangeni elingaba amakhilomitha angu-50 enyakatho yeDublin. Elinye lawo libizwa ngokuthi iNewgrange. Akekho owaziyo ngempela ukuthi lidala kangakanani—nakuba abanye becabanga ukuthi lidala kunombhoshongo ocijile omkhulu waseGiza eGibithe. Unyaka ngamunye ngesikhathi senjikalanga yasebusika enhla nenkabazwe, izivakashi zithuthelekela eNewgrange zizobona umbukwane wangempela wobufakazi bamakhono abantu basendulo.

Yakhiwelwani?

Lesi sakhiwo esiyimfihlakalo kumelwe ukuba sasibaluleké kakhulu kubakhi baso. (Bheka ibhokisi ekhasini 24.) Kungani bachitha isikhathi, umzamo nezinto ezingaka? Kungani bakha leli thuna elimangalisayo?

IBrú na Bóinne, noma iBrugh na Boinne, cishe yayingabhekwa njengendawo yokungcwaba engcwele nje kuphela kodwa futhi nanjengendawo yokukhulekela okuyisiko. UProfesa Michael O’Kelly, owavubukula le ndawo, wabika: “IBrú yayihlobene noDagda, uNkulunkulu Omuhle; umkakhe, uBoann; nendodana yakhe u-Oengus; bonke ababengamaTuatha Dé, abantu okuthiwa babehlala e-Ireland ngaphambi kokufika kwamaGael noma amaCelt, okwathi kamuva bahlala ezindundumeni nasezinqabeni zabantu basenganekwaneni base-Ireland. Babebhekwa . . . njengabantu abanamandla angaphezu kwavamile ababengenza futhi ababenza izenzo ezingaphezu kwamandla omuntu ofayo.”—Newgrange—Archaeology, Art and Legend.

UBoann wayengunkulunkulukazi wasenganekwaneni okwaqanjwa ngaye umfula iBoyne. Njengoba lo mfula usezinhlangothini ezintathu zendunduma yokungcwaba, kungenzeka ukuthi abakhi babekholelwa ukuthi uBoann uzovikela le ndawo ingabhujiswa. Umcwaningi uMartin Brennan uthi kungenzeka babecabanga nokuthi abanye bonkulunkulu empeleni babehlala endundumeni. Eqinisweni, uthi izinganekwane zakuqala ezimayelana nalezi zindunduma zibonisa ukuthi “zazibhekwa njengezindawo zokuhlala onkulunkulu abaphilayo ababenomnyombo kuleyo ndawo.”—The Stars and the Stones.

Kodwa iNewgrange yayingelona nje ithuna labafile nendawo yokuhlala onkulunkulu. Ingesinye sezakhiwo zasendulo esidala kakhulu emhlabeni esisendaweni eqondene nezindikimba zasezulwini. Ngokucophelela okukhulu, abakhi benza umhubhe omude negumbi lethuna kwaqondana nendawo emkhathini lapho ilanga liphuma khona ngenjikalanga yasebusika. Babe sebenza imbobo engenisa ukukhanya ngenhla kwendawo yokungena ethuneni. Lokhu kwakuvumela imisebe yelanga eliphumayo ukuba ifinyelele ngaphakathi ethuneni.

Ngisho nanamuhla, izivakashi zihlangana eNewgrange njalo ngenjikalanga yasebusika enhla nenkabazwe, lapho ukukhanya kwelanga kungena ngaphakathi ethuneni cishe imizuzu engu-15. UClare Tuffy, umphathi wesikhungo sokuvakasha saseBrú na Bóinne, wathi: “Abanye abantu bakholelwa ukuthi ukukhanya kwelanga okungena ekujuleni kwendunduma kwakumelela uhlobo oluthile lomshado phakathi kukankulunkulukazi womhlaba nonkulunkulu welanga nokuthi abantu bangaleso sikhathi babecabanga ukuthi lokhu kwakuzovundisa inhlabathi.”

Impicabadala Yamatshe Aqoshiwe

Ngokwazi kwethu, abakhi balesi sakhiwo esiyimfihlakalo abashiyanga mibhalo. Kodwa bashiya uphawu lwabo ngokuqopha amatshe ngokuyisimangaliso. Baqopha imiklamo ethandelayo, enamajika, eyizikwele, engonxantathu, enemigqa egobile, eyiziyingi neminye, ngokunokwenzeka besebenzisa ucezu lwegcaki kanye nesando setshe. UBrennan ubiza ifa labo e-Ireland ngokuthi “iqoqo elikhulu kakhulu lobuciko bamatshe ezikhumbuzo ezweni.”

Abanye banomuzwa wokuthi ukuqoshwa okuyimfihlakalo kungahunyushwa nokuthi kubonisa ulwazi lobuchwepheshe besayensi yokuhlola izinkanyezi. UBrennan ucabanga ukuthi kubonisa ukuhamba kwelanga nokwenyanga. Uthi: “Kungenzeka ukuthi . . . kokubili izindunduma nezimpawu kwakubhekwa njengokunikelwe elangeni nasenyangeni. Ukuqaphela lelo phuzu kukodwa, ngandlela-thile, kuchaza lukhulu ngalobu buciko.” Kodwa ezinye izingcweti zivumelana no-O’Kelly, ocashunwe ngaphambili, owabhala ukuthi la matshe aqoshiwe “kumelwe ukuba ayenencazelo ethile kulabo abawabona, kodwa kubi ukuthi ngeke sazi ukuthi yayiyini leyo ncazelo. Kufanele kuhlale kuyingxenye yemfihlakalo eyayihambisana neBrú noma inxuluma lonkulunkulu basendulo.”

‘Abantu Abahlakaniphé Kakhulu’

Kungase kubonakale sengathi imibuzo ngeNewgrange miningi kakhulu kunezimpendulo. Izimfihlakalo ezihambisana nabakhi bomhubhe nethuna laseBrú na Bóinne azikaxazululwa. Kodwa okungenani sekutholakale into eyodwa. Abakhi babengebona abantu abangaphucukile. Ngempela, u-O’Kelly uthi abaklami beNewgrange, izingcweti nabakhi bayo “kumelwe ukuba babephucuke kakhulu.” Umlobi uPeter Harbison uthi “abakhi babengewona nakancane amadoda asendulo angaphucukile ahlala emigedeni ezinganekwane ezidumile . . . Babengabantu abahlakaniphé kakhulu.”

Kuyavunywa, asazi ukuthi ubani owakha iNewgrange eBrú na Bóinne. Noma kunjalo, inikeza ubufakazi obucacile bokuhlakanipha nobuchule babaklami nabakhi bayo basendulo—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi babengobani.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 24]

Abakhi Nesakhiwo

Sazini ngabakhi beNewgrange? “Okuncane kakhulu,” kusho uClare Tuffy, umphathi wesikhungo sezivakashi eBrú na Bóinne. “Kodwa sesifunde izinto ezimbalwa. Siyazi ukuthi babengabalimi. Futhi babecebile—kwakufanele bacebe ukuze babe nezinto zokwakha ithuna elikhulu kangaka. Futhi babengenawo amathuluzi ensimbi.”

Besebenzisa amatshe amakhulu ayizicaba angaba nesisindo esingamathani ayishumi, abakhi bakha umhubhe olinganiselwa emamitheni angu-19 ubude, amamitha amabili ukuphakama futhi obanzi ngokwanele ukuba umuntu ahambe ngokukhululeka. Lo mhubhe uholela egumbini lokungcwaba elingamamitha ayisithupha ububanzi elinamakhosomba amathathu. Lo mhubhe kanye negumbi kumé njengesiphambano eside.

Phezu kwaleli gumbi lokungcwaba, laba bakhi abahlakaniphile basendulo basebenzisa amanye amatshe amakhulu, ngaphandle kukasimende, ukuze bamise uphahla oluwugqinsi olungamamitha ayisithupha ukuphakama. Babe sebakha indunduma enkulu engaba amamitha angu-80 ububanzi namamitha angu-12 ukuphakama ngaphezu kwethuna. Bakha nodonga lokubiyela ngamatshe ayizimbokodo base bevala ingaphambili lalo ngamatshana egcaki. Ngasemaphethelweni endunduma, babeka amatshe onqenqema amakhulu angu-97, ngalinye linesisindo esingamathani amabili kuya kwamahlanu. Esikhathini esithile esidlule, amatshe onqenqema kanye nomnyango wethuna kwagqibeka. Ngo-1699 isisebenzi esasifuna amatshe sazithela phezu kwalo mnyango, futhi waphinde watholakala lo mhubhe wethuna lasendulo.

[Isithombe]

Umnyango ongena emhubheni waseNewgrange

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 22]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Newgrange

DUBLIN

[Izithombe ekhasini 23]

Ngenhla: Ukukhanya kwelanga kungena egumbini elingaphakathi cishe imizuzu engu-15 unyaka ngamunye ngenjikalanga yasebusika enhla nenkabazwe

Ngezansi: Igumbi lokungcwaba ekhosombeni elingaphakathi; bheka itshe eliqoshwe iziyingi ezintathu

[Umthombo]

All pictures on pages 22-3 except map: Dúchas, The Heritage Service, Ireland

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

Indunduma enkulu kanye nethuna

[Umthombo]

Dúchas, The Heritage Service, Ireland