Amateka y’igiti cya Noheli mbere y’Ubukristo

MU BIHUGU bitandukanye byo ku isi, igiti gitoshye cya Noheli gikunda gukoreshwa mu minsi mikuru kandi kiragurishwa cyane. Kuva kera icyo giti cyari gifite icyo gishushanya mu birebana n’idini.

Ibyo bigaragazwa n’ibyavumbuwe mu ntara ya Bohuslän, yo mu burengerazuba bwa Suwede no mu yindi ntara yegeranye na yo ya Østfold muri Noruveje. Muri izo ntara havumbuwe amabuye ariho ibishushanyo agera ku 75.000, avumburwa mu duce 5.000 dutandukanye. Abahanga mu bushakashatsi bw’ibyataburuwe mu matongo bavuze ko amenshi muri ayo mabuye ari ayo hagati y’umwaka wa 1800 na 500 Mbere ya Yesu.a

Ayo mashusho atangaje agaragaza imyizerere y’abantu babayeho kera cyane mbere y’uko Yesu w’i Nazareti avuka. Urugero, hari abashakashatsi batekereza ko mu bihe bya kera cyane, mu duce two muri Suwede no muri Noruveje, ibiti bitoshye, urugero nka pinusi, byashushanyaga ibintu byera.

None se kuki abantu babaga muri utwo turere two mu majyaruguru y’isi, baharaturaga amashusho y’ibiti bya pinusi ku mabuye? Hari intiti zivuga ko ku ruhande rumwe byaterwaga n’uko mbere y’Ubukristo, ibyo biti bitakundaga kuboneka. Birumvikana ko igiti cyahoraga gitoshye cyangwa ari “kizima” mu gihe cy’ubukonje, kandi ibindi byarabaga bimeze nk’aho byapfuye, kitari gisanzwe.

Mu mico yo hirya no hino ku isi, ibiti byagiye biba ikimenyetso cy’ubuzima, kurokoka no kudapfa. Ibyo na byo bigaragaza impamvu muri utwo turere twa Bohuslän na Østfold baharaturaga ku mabuye ibishushanyo by’ibiti bya pinusi, ibinyejana byinshi mbere y’uko bitangira kumera muri utwo duce.

Hari igitabo cyanditswe ku bufatanye n’ikigo cyo muri Suwede (National Heritage Board), cyavuze kiti “amashusho y’ibiti aharatuye ku mabuye, agaragaza ko no mu myaka ibihumbi bitatu mbere ya Yesu, agace k’amajyepfo y’ibihugu byo mu majyaruguru y’u Burayi kari gafite imisengere n’umuco gahuriyeho n’ibihugu byose byo mu Burayi n’igice kinini cya Aziya. Inyigisho z’idini hamwe n’iz’imiterere y’isanzure zahuzwaga n’imibereho y’abaturage b’icyo gihe bari abahinzi borozi. Ahanini basengaga imana zimwe, nubwo zabaga zifite amazina atandukanye.”—Rock Carvings in the Borderlands.

Nanone hari agatabo kanditswe n’Inzu Ndangamurage y’i Bohusläns, katanze ibindi bisobanuro kagira kati “abaharaturaga amashusho kuri ayo mabuye, ntibashushanyagaho ibintu bigaragaza imibereho ya buri munsi. Ibishushanyo byabo bishobora kuba byari nk’uburyo bwo gusenga no kwinginga imana zabo.” Ako gatabo gakomeza kagira kati “iyo myizerere yabaga ishingiye ku buzima buhora ari bumwe, aho umuntu abyara agapfa maze akongera kuvuka.”—Rock Carving Tour.

Hari igitabo cyagize icyo kivuga kuri ibyo bishushanyo byihariye byabayeho kera cyane mbere y’uko abantu bo mu Burayi bw’amajyaruguru bamenya kwandika, kigira kiti “kuba haboneka amashusho menshi agaragaza ibirebana n’imibonano mpuzabitsina, bigaragaza ukuntu gusenga imana y’uburumbuke byari bifite umwanya ukomeye mu madini yo mu majyaruguru y’isi, mu myaka ibihumbi bitatu Mbere ya Yesu.”—Nationalencyklopedin.

Koko rero, imigenzo ikoreshwamo ibiti bitoshye yaje kwemerwa kandi ikwirakwira mu bihugu byinshi. Hari inkoranyamagambo yavuze ibirebana n’igiti cya Noheli, igira iti “gukoresha ibiti mu gusenga byari bimenyerewe mu bapagani bo mu Burayi, kandi bakomeje kubikoresha na nyuma yo guhinduka Abakristo.” Icyo giti cyakoreshwaga mu mihango no mu migenzo itandukanye, urugero “nk’umuhango . . . wo gushyira igiti cya Yule [umunsi mukuru waje guhinduka Noheli) ku muryango cyangwa mu nzu imbere, mu gihe cy’iminsi mikuru iba itumba ririmbanyije.”—Encyclopædia Britannica.

Muri iki gihe, imihango ya kera ijyanye n’igiti cya Noheli yatangiye neza mu mwaka wa 1841, igihe umuryango wa cyami w’Abongereza watakaga igiti cya pinusi kuri Noheli. Igiti cya Noheli gikoreshwa ku isi hose, kandi abantu bifuza ibyo biti, byaba iby’umwimerere cyangwa ibikorano, ntibahwema kwiyongera. Hagati aho, ibishushanyo biharatuye ku mabuye yo mu majyaruguru y’u Burayi, bigaragaza ko ibiti bya Noheli bitadukanywe n’Abakristo.

[Ibisobanuro ahagana hasi ku ipaji]

[Amagambo yatsindagirijwe yo ku ipaji ya 12]

Ibishushanyo biharatuye ku mabuye, bigaragaza ko imihango ya gipagani yo gusenga ibiti bitoshye yatangiye mbere ya Kristo

[Amafoto yo ku ipaji ya 13]

Ibishushanyo by’ibiti biharatuye ku mabuye (1) i Torsbo, (2) Backa na (3) Lökeberg, muri Suwede

[Aho ifoto yavuye]

Courtesy Stiftelsen för dokumentation av Bohusläns hällristningar