Isihlahla SikaKhisimusi—Sinomsuka Wangaphambi KobuKristu
EZINGXENYENI eziningi zomhlaba, isihlahla sikaKhisimusi esihlale siluhlaza saziwa njengophawu lokugubha amaholidi nolwezentengiselwano. Umsuka ongokwenkolo walesi sihlahla uhlehlela emuva kakhulu emlandweni wesintu.
Lokhu kuyabonakala eSifundazweni saseBohuslän esisogwini olusentshonalanga yeSweden nasesifundazweni esakhelene naso saseØstfold eNorway. Kulezi zindawo, kuye kwatholakala imifanekiso engu-75 000 eqoshwe emadwaleni asezindaweni ezihlukahlukene. Abavubukuli bathi eminingi yale mifanekiso yaqoshwa phakathi nawo-1800 kuya ku-500 B.C.E.a
Le mifanekiso ephawulekayo yembula okuthile ngezinkolelo zabantu ababephila esikhathini eside kakhulu ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaJesu waseNazaretha. Ngokwesibonelo, abanye abacwaningi bacabanga ukuthi ezikhathini zakudala ezindaweni manje osekuyiSweden neNorway, izihlahla ezihlale ziluhlaza, njengesihlahla sonwele saseYurophu, zazisetshenziswa njengezinto ezingcwele.
Abantu ababephila kulezi zindawo ezisogwini olusenyakatho nomhlaba babeyiqophelani emadwaleni imifanekiso yesihlahla sonwele? Ezinye izazi zisikisela ukuthi ngokwengxenye, kwakungenxa yokungavami okusobala kwalezi zihlahla ngezikhathi zangaphambi kobuKristu okuyinkathi okwaqoshwa ngayo le mifanekiso. Kuyaqondakala ukuthi isihlahla esihlale siluhlaza noma “siphila” lapho ezinye zivuthuka ngenxa yokubanda, kumelwe ukuba sasiyindida ngandlela-thile.
Emiphakathini eminingi emhlabeni jikelele, izihlahla bezilokhu ziwuphawu lokuphila, ukusinda nokungafi. Leli qiniso lingasiza nasekuchazeni isizathu sokuthi kungani imifanekiso yezihlahla zonwele ezihlale ziluhlaza yayiqoshwe emadwaleni aseBohuslän naseØstfold emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka ngaphambi kokuba leso sihlahla sande kulezi zindawo.
Incwadi ethi Rock Carvings in the Borderlands, eyakhishwa ngokubambisana neBhodi Lamagugu Esizwe LaseSweden, ithi: “Imifanekiso yezihlahla eqoshwe emadwaleni ibonisa ukuthi kusukela emuva ngeNkathi Yethusi isifunda esiseningizimu yeScandinavia sasiyingxenye yezinkolo ezinkulu namasiko ayehlanganisa yonke iYurophu nezingxenye ezinkulu ze-Asia. Inkolo nesayensi yokuhlola indawo yonke kwavunyelwaniswa nokuphila kwabantu ababethanda ukulima nemfuyo. Cishe babekhulekela onkulunkulu abafanayo, nakuba ayengafani amagama alabo nkulunkulu.”
Incwajana ethi The Rock Carving Tour, eyanyatheliswa uMnyuziyamu waseBohuslän, iyaqhubeka ichaza: “Abaqophi bemifanekiso emadwaleni babengaqondile ukuveza inqubo yezinto ezenzeka emhlabeni. Sikholelwa ukuthi mhlawumbe imifanekiso yabo yayiwuhlobo oluthile lomthandazo nokukhulekelwa konkulunkulu.” Le ncwajana iyanezela: “Izinkolelo zazihlobene nomjikelezo wokuphila okungapheli, inzalo nokufa noma ukuphinda uzalwe ngemva kokufa.”
Ichaza iqoqo eliyingqayizivele lobuciko obenziwa esikhathini eside ngaphambi kokuba ubuciko bokubhala bube khona enyakatho yeYurophu, i-Nationalencyklopedin, okuyi-encyclopedia yesizwe yaseSweden iyaphawula: “Ukugcwala okuphawulekayo kwemifanekiso yobulili kubonisa ukuthi yayibaluleke kangakanani inzalo enkolweni yabantu baseNyakatho ngeNkathi Yethusi.”
Kusobala ukuthi amasiko ahilela izihlahla ezihlale ziluhlaza asakazeka futhi aba yingxenye yokuphila kwabantu ezindaweni eziningi. Ngokuphathelene nesihlahla sikaKhisimusi, i-Encyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Ukukhulekelwa kwesihlahla kwakuvamile kubantu baseYurophu abangamaqaba futhi kwasala nalapho sebephendukela ebuKristwini.” Kwaba njalo nangemicikilisho namasiko ahlukahlukene kuhlanganise ‘nesiko lokubeka isihlahla se-Yule emnyango noma ngaphakathi endlini ngenkathi yamaholidi asebusika.’
Ngo-1841, kwabe sekuvuleka indlela enkulu eyenza isihlahla esihlale siluhlaza sathandwa namuhla, lapho umkhaya wasebukhosini eBrithani uhlobisa ngesihlahla sonwele saseYurophu emikhosini yawo kaKhisimusi. Namuhla, isihlahla sikaKhisimusi saziwa emhlabeni wonke futhi sikhulu kakhulu isidingo sezihlahla ezingokoqobo nezokwenziwa. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, imifanekiso eqoshwe emadwaleni aseScandinavia inikeza ubufakazi buthule bokuthi umsuka wesihlahla sikaKhisimusi akuwona owobuKristu.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Ezinye zezindawo zaseBohuslän ezinemifanekiso eqoshwe emadwaleni ziyatholakala Ohlwini Lwamagugu Omhlaba Lwe-UNESCO.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 12]
Imifanekiso eqoshwe emadwaleni isikisela ukuthi ukukhulekela kobuqaba isihlahla esihlale siluhlaza kwaqala ngaphambi kwesikhathi sikaKristu
[Izithombe ekhasini 13]
Imifanekiso yezihlahla eqoshwe emadwaleni (1) eTorsbo, (2) eBacka, (3) naseLökeberg, eSweden
[Umthombo]
Courtesy Stiftelsen för dokumentation av Bohusläns hällristningar