Igwababa—Yini Elenza Lihluke?

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ECANADA

UBANI ongalindela okuthile kulenyoni enombala ofiphele futhi ekhala ngokudabukisayo? Phela, kumuntu ongazi lutho, lapho eyithi nhlá okokuqala ibonakala iyigwababa nje elikhulukazi. Igwababa (raven) alisheshi lidonse ukunakekela njenge-blue jay, egqamile yohlobo lwalo enezimpaphe eziluhlaza ngokucwebezelayo. Futhi bambalwa abantu abangacabanga ukuthi ukukhala kwegwababa kuyiculo, nakuba lenyoni isesigabeni esisodwa nama-passerine, noma izinyoni eziculayo. Nokho, ungayibukeli phansi lenyoni. Nakuba ingenawo umculo owunqambothi nokubukeka okugqamile, lokho ikusibekela ngezinye izindlela. Igwababa linobuhle nezici ezizihambela zodwa. Ngempela, izazi eziningi zezinyoni zithi igwababa lihlukile.

Izici Ezilihlukanisayo

Leli gwababa (Corvus corax) likhulu futhi lihloniphekile esigabeni sawo wonke amagwababa (Corvidae). Lingaba nesisindo esiphindwe kabili kwesegwababa elivamile (crow) futhi linobude obungamasentimitha angaba ngu-60, namaphiko anobubanzi obungaba imitha elilodwa. Leli gwababa lihlukile kuyi-crow ngoba linoqhwaku oluqinile nesisila eside, esivulekile. Ukulibhekisisa futhi kwembula ukuthi leli gwababa linezimpaphe ezimahlikihliki entanyeni. Laziwa ngokuthi lapho lindiza liya phezulu, kuyilapho ama-crow ebhakuzisa amaphiko abese etshuza.

Leli gwababa laziwa njengenyoni enkulu kunazo zonke eziqhwakelayo. Lapho ubuka lenyoni enkulu iqhwakele egatsheni iphumulile, ungazibuza ukuthi kwenzeka kanjani ingawi. Ngemuva onyaweni ngalunye inozipho oluqinile ebambelela ngalo egatsheni; nokho, imfihlo isemandleni ayo okubambelela edalwe nawo. Izicubu nemisipha kwenza izinyawo zayo zivaleke ngcí lapho lenyoni iqhwakele. Izinyawo zayo eziqinile, ezivumelana nazo zonke izimo, ziklanyelwe ukuhamba nokuqhwanda, okuyenza ikwazi ukuqhwanda ukudla ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene.

Indawo Nokundiza Kwalenyoni ‘Ewumbani Omnyama’

Zimbalwa izinyoni ezitholakala endaweni ebanzi njengaleli gwababa. Ngempela liwumzulane. Lingatholakala ezingxenyeni eziningi eziseNyakatho Nenkabazwe. Lihlala ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene njengasogwadule; emahlathini ahlala eluhlaza aseCanada naseSiberia, lapho lakha khona isidleke esiyinkimbinkimbi ngezinswazi nangezinye izinto ezitholakalayo ezihlahleni eziphakeme; emaweni asolwandle eNyakatho Melika naseScandinavia; enkangala naseziqhingini zase-Arctic Ocean. Ihlane kubonakala kuyindawo elivame ukuhlala kuyo, ngoba ngokuvamile igwababa liyinyoni yasehlane.

Izibonelo zezindawo ezihlukahlukene elihlala kuzo zingatholakala emazweni aseBhayibhelini, lapho kuhlala khona izinhlobo ezimbili zaleli gwababa elikhulu. Olunye uhlobo lwakha isidleke salo ezingwadule eziwudedangendlale eningizimu, kuyilapho olunye luhlala esifundeni esisenyakatho. Amagwababa akha izidleke ezingosini emadwaleni ngasemihosheni. UJehova wasebenzisa amagwababa ukuze ondle u-Eliya ngesikhathi ecashe ngasemfudlaneni waseKeriti. (1 AmaKhosi 17:3-6) Ukulandisa kuka-Isaya ngamagwababa (raven) ahlala ‘encithakalweni nasemthofini wokumisa wokuyize’ kwelakwa-Edomi nakho kuchaza izindawo lapho ehlala khona.—Isaya 34:11.

Amagwababa (ravens) ayizingcweti zokundiza. Kuyajabulisa ukuwabuka endiza eya phezulu ngaphandle kobunzima enzé iziyingi ezinkulu, ehlola izwe ukuze athole ukudla. Enza imigilingwane kalula emoyeni—ashaye ungqimphothwe aze andize nangomhlane isikhashana—ikakhulukazi ngesikhathi sokushelana, futhi ngezinye izikhathi, kubonakala kuwukuzijabulisa nje. Ukundiza kwegwababa kuchazwa kahle uBernd Heinrich kwethi Ravens in Winter: “Liyatshuza bese liphenduka njengombani omnyama esibhakabhakeni noma lintininize kalula, lapho litshuza.” Unezela ukuthi “lingumpetha wasemoyeni, nokunye okuningi.” Amandla okundiza kwegwababa kuthiwa yiwo abangela ukuba uNowa akhethe lona njengesilwane asikhipha kuqala emkhunjini ngesikhathi seSikhukhula.—Genesise 8:6, 7.

Amasela Avumelana Nezimo Futhi Anamasu

Izazi zemvelo zibheka igwababa njengenyoni evumelana nezimo futhi enamasu kunazo zonke. Njengoba enye incwadi isho, “ubuqili balo baziwa kahle kamhlophe.” Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi libhekene naziphi izimo, igwababa liyakwazi ukubhekana nenselele yokuvumelana nezimo ezikhona, ikakhulukazi ngokuqondene nokudla. Yiqiniso, ukungabi ngokhethayo ekudleni kuyasiza! Igwababa lidla noma yini elingayixhakathisa ngamazipho alo—izithelo, izinhlamvu, amantongomane, izinhlanzi, ingcuba, izilwane ezincane nemfucumfucu. Futhi alinandaba nokuthi likutholaphi ukudla kwalo, lize liphendukele ngisho nasekuqhwandeni ngaphansi kweqhwa livumbulule izikhwama zemfucumfucu phakathi nezimo zezulu ezingaphansi kwezinga-qhwa ezingxenyeni ezisenyakatho zendawo elihlala kuyo. Amagwababa alandela abalimi nabadobi izinsuku eziningi, ngandlela-thile ecabanga ukuthi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ayothola ukudla.

Ama-Corvidae, noma amalungu ohlobo lwamagwababa (crow), aziwa ngokuba amasela, futhi lamagwababa nawo anjalo. Awakwenqeni ukweba ukudla kwezinye izinyoni noma izilwane futhi ake abonakala ephamba izinja. Amabili ayashintshana—elinye liphazamise inja kuyilapho elinye lithatha ukudla kwayo. Ubuciko bama-Inuit bubonisa leli gwababa elinobuqili leba inhlanzi kumdobi waseqhweni.

Amagwababa (ravens) anobuhlobo obukhethekile nezimpisi, ngokuvamile alandela imihlambi yazo. Adla isilwane esibulawe izimpisi, kodwa nalapha futhi, kubonakala ejabulela imigilingwane ethile ehlekisayo ngesikhathi edla. Isazi sezimpisi uL. David Mech sibika ukuthi sabona amagwababa ephamba izimpisi. Silandisa ngendaba yelinye igwababa elaya empisini eyayiphumulile, langcofa umsila wayo, lase ligxumela ecaleni lapho lempisi ithi iyaligxavula. Lapho lempisi ilinyonyobela, leli gwababa laliyiyeka ize ibe sebangeni elingamasentimitha angu-30 bese liyandiza. Khona-ke lalihlala budebuduze nalempisi bese liphinda lomgilingwane. Okunye ukulandisa kukhuluma ngegwababa elalidlala umdlalo wokuthintana namawundlu ezimpisi. Lapho amawundlu esekhathele, leli gwababa lalihlala likhale kuze kube yilapho ephinda edlala.

Umagazini i-Canadian Geographic ubhekisela ohlelweni lomsakazo waseYellowknife, eNorthwest Territories, olwakhuluma ngamagwababa (ravens) ayeqhwakele ophahleni lukathayela lwezakhiwo zezentengiselwano, ngokusobala elindele ukuba kudlule abantu abahamba ngezinyawo abangasoli lutho abese ewisela kubo izigaxa zeqhwa. Yingakho amaHaida asogwini lwasentshonalanga yeCanada ebiza leli gwababa ngokuthi usomaqhinga!

Iphimbo Nekhono Lokufunda

“Uhlelo lwamagama” lwegwababa lubanzi kakhulu futhi luhlukahlukene. Ngaphandle kokukhala kwalo okwaziwa kakhulu, okunomfutho nokuhlabayo—okuqondwa njengophawu lokubona okuthile okuphazamisayo—kuthiwa iphimbo lalo libonisa ububele, injabulo, ukumangala, ukwesasa nentukuthelo. Amagwababa futhi angalingisa ukukhala kwezinye izinyoni eziseduze, ikakhulukazi ukukhala kwegwababa i-crow.

Izinga lamagwababa angafundiswa ngalo ukukhuluma kuye kwaphikiswana ngalo. Nokho, uCandace Savage, encwadini yakhe ethi Bird Brains, uqinisekisa ukulandisa okuthi amagwababa afuyiwe afundiswa ukulingisa ukukhuluma kwabantu. Kuthiwa umlobi wezinkondlo u-Edgar Allan Poe wathola igwababa (raven) futhi wazikhandla elifundisa ukuphimisa ngephimbo lalo elingezwakali kahle igama elithi “phinde,” okwamshukumisela ukuba abhale inkondlo yakhe edumile ethi The Raven, echaza “insizwa elilela ukufa kothandekayo wayo.”

Akunampikiswano ngekhono legwababa lokufunda. Ukuba izinyoni bezingahlelwa ngokuhlakanipha kwazo, kubonakala sengathi igwababa belingahamba phambili. Isazi sendawo uBernd Heinrich siphawula ukuthi igwababa “kucatshangwa ukuthi lihlakaniphe kunazo zonke izinyoni.” Sithi “lapho evivinywa, lamagwababa abonisa ukuqonda.” Kokunye ukuhlola leli gwababa lakwazi ukuthola isu lokuthatha iqatha lenyama elalilengiswe entanjeni emahoreni ayisithupha, kuyilapho ama-crow ayesafuna isu ezinsukwini ezingu-30 kamuva. Amagwababa aye afundiswa ngisho nokubala. Ukuqonda kwawo kungase kube nengxenye ekuphileni kwawo isikhathi eside, ngoba amagwababa aphila iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-40 lapho esendle kanti aphila iminyaka efinyelela kwengu-70 lapho evalelwe. Yiqiniso, noma yimaphi amakhono amagwababa anawo avela ekuhlakanipheni koMdali wawo.

Lenyoni yaziwa kabanzi, futhi bayayihlonipha labo abazaziyo izimfanelo zayo ezikhethekile. Iyatholakala ezinganekwaneni zabantu emhlabeni wonke. Iye yenziwa yaziwa abalobi bangesikhathi esidlule nabanamuhla. (Bheka ibhokisi, ekhasini 24.) Yebo, igwababa liyinyoni ethakazelisa kakhulu. Kodwa kungathiwani ngobuhle balo?

Ubuhle Obuyingqayizivele

Awukaze yini uzwe ‘ngesihluthu esimnyama njengegwababa’? (IsiHlabelelo seziHlabelelo 5:11) Izimpaphe zalo ezimnyama ngokucwebezelayo nombala okhanyayo oluhlaza ngokunsomi—ngezinye izikhathi izimpaphe ezingaphansi zithanda ukuba luhlaza njengotshani—kubangela ukuba lifaneleke igama (lesiNgisi) elithi “raven.” Bona ngeso lengqondo leli gwababa lindiza liya phezulu nobukhulu balo nezimpaphe zalo ezimnyama ngokucwebezelayo, ligqamile endaweni ewugwadule eyincithakalo elihlala kuyo. Noma cabanga ngomehluko phakathi kwalenyoni emnyama bhuqe neqhwa elisanda kukhithika, elimhlophe qwá. Izingcweti ziye zabuveza ubuhle begwababa. Ingcweti uRobert Bateman iyakhumbula: “Ngakhangwa imithambeka yeqhwa emihle eYellowstone Park, indawo ekhangayo eyayihambisana kahle nokubukeka okuphawulekayo kwaleli gwababa.”

Ngempela, kungashiwo ukuthi ngobuhle, umlando, indawo yokuhlala, ukundiza, ubuqili namandla, igwababa liyinyoni ezihambela yodwa.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 24]

Igwababa Ezinganekwaneni Nasezincwadini

IZINGANEKWANE:

Izinganekwane zabaseChina, abaseGibithe, abaseGreece, amaJuda nabaseSiberia ziveza leli gwababa njengombikezeli wezivunguvungu noma isimo sezulu esibi. Mhlawumbe izinganekwane ezinjalo zidabuka kuNowa naseSikhukhuleni.

Igwababa (raven) liwuphawu lokuphila nendalo ezinganekwaneni zaseSiberia futhi lingunkulunkulu ongumdali ezinganekwaneni zaboMdabu baseNyakatho Melika.

Ezinganekwaneni zase-Afrika, e-Asia naseYurophu, leli gwababa libikezela ukufa.

IZINCWADI:

EBhayibhelini igwababa liyinyoni yokuqala okukhulunywa ngayo ngokuqondile.—Genesise 8:7.

Ngokuyinhloko uShakespeare uveza amagwababa (ravens) njengamabi (Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Othello) kodwa futhi avezwa njengabasizi abondla abantwana abashiywe dengwane.—I-Titus Andronicus, The Winter’s Tale.

UCharles Dickens waveza igwababa njengophawu lokuzijabulisa kwethi Barnaby Rudge.

Enkondlweni yakhe ethi The Raven, u-Edgar Allan Poe wahlobanisa igwababa nokulahlekelwa othandekayo nokuphelelwa ithemba.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 25]

Izifundo Ezifundiwe

Kunezifundo eziningi esingazithola egwababeni. KwakuyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu eyathi: “Qaphelisisani ukuthi amagwababa awahlwanyeli mbewu futhi awavuni, futhi awanangobo nanqolobane, kodwa nokho uNkulunkulu uyawondla.” (Luka 12:24) Njengoba ngokuvamile indawo elihlala kuyo isezindaweni eziyincithakalo, ukudla kumelwe likufune ezindaweni eziningi. Amagwababa akhetha umngane oyedwa kukho konke ukuphila futhi angabazali abaqotho. Lapho amaphuphu elambile, kudingeka ahlale ewanikeza ukudla ukuze angakhali ngokudabukisayo. Lapho efundisa uJobe isifundo ngokuqondene nokuhlakanipha okuboniswa endalweni, uJehova wahlanganisa negwababa njengesibonelo. (Jobe 38:41) Njengoba uNkulunkulu enakekela igwababa, okwakuthiwa lingcolile eMthethweni kaMose, singaqiniseka ukuthi ngeke abashiye abantu abathembela kuye.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 23]

Ravens on pages 23-5: © 1996 Justin Moore