Umthi WeKrismesi—Wawukho Nangaphambi KobuKristu
KUMAZWE amaninzi, umthi weKrismesi oluhlaza waziwa nanguthathatha yaye uluphawu lwemibhiyozo yeeholide nezoshishino. Kudala lo mthi uyinxalenye yonqulo lwabantu.
Ubungqina boku buye bafunyanwa kwiPhondo laseBohuslän elikunxweme olukwintshona yeSweden nakwiphondo laseØstfold, eNorway. Apho kuye kwafunyanwa imizobo esematyeni engaphezu kwama-75 000 kwiziza ezahlukahlukeneyo ezimalunga nama-5 000. Abembi bezinto zakudala bathi emininzi kule mizobo yenziwa phakathi kowe-1 800 nowama-500 B.C.E.a
Le mizobo isematyeni isithela thsuphe ngeenkolelo zabantu ababephila kwakude kudala ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaYesu waseNazarethe. Ngokomzekelo, abanye abaphandi bacinga ukuba mandulo abantu ababehlala kwimimandla eseSweden naseNorway namhlanje, babesebenzisa imithi eluhlaza xa benqula.
Kwakutheni ukuze abantu ababephila kwimimandla ekunxweme olusemntla womhlaba bazobe imithi eluhlaza ematyeni? Abanye abahlalutyi bathi kungenxa yokuba loo mithi yayinqabile kumaxesha angaphambi kobuKristu xa kwakusenziwa loo mizobo. Siyaqondakala isizathu soku, kuba yayiyinto engaqhelekanga ukuba wona lo mthi uqhubeke uluhlaza ngexesha lengqele nakubeni eminye imithi yayitshaza.
Kwizithethe zeendawo ezininzi ehlabathini imithi ibisoloko imela ubomi, ukusinda nokungafi. Oku kukwasinceda sibone isizathu sokuba abantu bazobe ematyeni imithi efana nalo usoloko uluhlaza, kwiindawo zaseBohuslän naseØstfold kwiinkulungwane ngaphambi kokuba lo mthi uxhaphake apho.
Incwadi ethi Rock Carvings in the Borderlands eyapapashwa ngoncedo lweNational Heritage Board yaseSweden ithi: “Imizobo yemithi efunyenwe ematyeni ingqina ukuba nangeXesha Lobhedu, unqulo lwabantu bakwimimandla ekumzantsi wamazwe aseScandinavia lwalugquba kuyo yonke iYurophu nenxalenye enkulu yeAsiya. Abantu ababephila ngokulima nokufuya izilwanyana bafundiswa unqulo nendlela esebenza ngayo indalo. Babenqula oothixo abafanayo nakubeni babebabiza ngamagama awahlukahlukeneyo.”
Incwadi ethi The Rock Carving Tour eyapapashwa yiMyuziyam yaseBohuslän yaleka ngelithi: “Aba bazobi babengazami ukubonisa nje indlela ekuphilwa ngayo. Sicinga ukuba imizobo yabo yayiyindlela yabo yokuthandaza okanye ukunqula oothixo.” Le ncwadi ihlabela mgama isithi: “Iinkolelo zabo zazisekelwe ekungabini nasiphelo kobomi, ukuchuma, ukufa nokuzalwa kwakhona.”
Ichaza ngale mizobo yayenziwe ngaphambi kokuba kufundwe ukubhala kumantla aseYurophu, iencyclopedia yaseSweden (Nationalencyklopedin) ithi: “Ubukho bemifanekiso ebonisa isini kubonisa indlela ekwakubaluleke ngayo ukuchuma kunqulo lwabantu baseMntla ababephila ngeXesha Lobhedu.”
Kuyacaca ukuba amasiko anokuthanani nokusetyenziswa kwemithi eluhlaza anwenwela nakumazwe amaninzi. Ngokuphathelele umthi weKrismesi iEncyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Ukunqulwa komthi kwakuxhaphakile phakathi kwabahedeni baseYurophu kwaye baqhubeka nalo mkhwa nasemva kokuba beguqukele kubuKristu.” Lo mkhwa ubonakala kwizithethe ezahlukeneyo kuquka “isiko . . . lokubeka umthi weKrismesi emnyango okanye ngaphakathi endlwini.”
Ngowe-1841 indlu yasebukhosini eBritani yasebenzisa umthi ohonjisiweyo xa yayibhiyozela iKrismesi ibe loo nto yahlahl’ indlela yokusetyenziswa kwalo mthi ngokubanzi namhlanje. Namhlanje, umthi weKrismesi waziwa kulo lonke yaye kuthengwa izigidi ngezigidi zawo. Kodwa ke imizobo eyenziwe ematyeni kwelaseScandinavia ingqina ukuba umthi weKrismesi awuveli kubuKristu.
[Umbhalo osemazantsi]
a Eminye yemizobo eyafunyanwa eBohuslän iye yaqukwa kuluhlu lwe-UNESCO lwezinto ezixabisekileyo ehlabathini.
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 12]
Imizobo esematyeni ibonisa ukuba umthi oluhlaza weKrismesi wawukho kwanangaphambi kwexesha likaKristu
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 13]
Imizobo esematyeni ebonisa imithi (1) eTorsbo, (2) eBacka (3) naseLökeberg, eSweden
[Inkcazelo]
Courtesy Stiftelsen för dokumentation av Bohusläns hällristningar