Indoda Eyadweba Ibalazwe Lomhlaba

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EBELGIUM

Ekuqaleni kuka-1544, uGerardus Mercator wazithola evalelwe esitokisini esibandayo, esimnyama. Wayenomuzwa wokuthi uzokufa nakanjani. Kungani umdwebi wamabalazwe ophambili kunabo bonke ekhulwini le-16 ehlelwa yilokhu? Ukuze sithole impendulo, ake siqale sibhekisise ukuphila kwakhe nesikhathi aphila ngaso.

UMERCATOR wazalwa ngo-1512 eRupelmonde, ichweba elincane eliseduze nase-Antwerp, eBelgium. Wafunda eyunivesithi yaseLouvain. Ngemva kokuphothula, wafunda izimfundiso zika-Aristotle, futhi kungakabiphi, waxakwa ukuthi wayengakwazi ukuhlobanisa imibono ka-Aristotle nezimfundiso zeBhayibheli. UMercator wabhala: “Lapho ngibona ukuthi incazelo kaMose yesiQalo somhlaba ayivumelani ngezindlela eziningi no-Aristotle nezinye izazi zefilosofi, ngaqala ukungabaza iqiniso lazo zonke lezi zazi zefilosofi futhi ngaqala ukuphenya izimfihlo zendalo.”

Njengoba ayengafuni ukuba isazi sefilosofi, uMercator akabange esaqhubeka nezifundo zaseyunivesithi. Kodwa, isifiso sakhe sokuthola ubufakazi obusekela ukulandisa kweBhayibheli ngendalo samhlupha ukuphila kwakhe konke.

Ukuphendukela Kuyisayensi Yokuma Komhlaba

Ngo-1534, uMercator waqala ukufunda isayensi yezibalo, ukuma kwezinkanyezi nokomhlaba ngaphansi kwesazi sezibalo uGemma Frisius. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kungenzeka uMercator wafunda nobuciko bokuqopha izinto kuGaspar Van der Heyden, owayengumqophi nomenzi wamabalazwe omhlaba ayindilinga. Ekuqaleni kwekhulu le-16, abadwebi bamabalazwe babesebenzisa umbhalo ogqamile omnyama, owawenza kube nendawo encane yokubhala ukwaziswa emabalazweni. Kodwa uMercator waqala ukusebenzisa indlela entsha yokubhala ngokuhlanganisa izinhlamvu eyasungulwa e-Italy, ebizwa ngokuthi omalukeke, eyabonakala isiza kakhulu lapho kwenziwa amabalazwe ayindilinga.

Ngo-1536 uMercator wasebenza njengomqophi noFrisius kanye noVan der Heyden ekwenzeni ibalazwe lomhlaba eliyindilinga. Umbhalo omuhle kaMercator waba neqhaza ekuphumeleleni kwalo msebenzi. UNicholas Crane, oyisazi-mlando sokuphila kukaMercator namuhla, ubhala ukuthi nakuba kunomdwebi wamabalazwe othile “owakwazi ukubhala amagama angamashumi amahlanu ezindawo zaseMelika ebalazweni lasodongeni elibanzi ngangobude bomuntu, uMercator wakwazi ukubhala amagama angamashumi ayisithupha endaweni engangezandla ezimbili ubukhulu”!

Ukuvela Komdwebi Wamabalazwe

Ngo-1537, uMercator wadweba ibalazwe lakhe lokuqala eyedwa—ibalazwe leZwe Elingcwele, ngenjongo yokusiza “ekuqondweni kangcono kwawo womabili amatestamente.” Ekhulwini le-16, amabalazwe eZwe Elingcwele ayenganembile nhlobo, amanye enamagama ezindawo ezingaphansi kuka-30—futhi eziningi zazo zibhalwe endaweni okungeyona. Kodwa ebalazweni likaMercator kwakunezindawo ezingaphezu kuka-400! Ngaphezu kwalokho, lalibonisa nomzila owalandelwa ama-Israyeli lapho enqamula ogwadule ngemva koFuduko. Ngenxa yokunemba kwalo, leli balazwe laba intandokazi kubantu abaningi abaphila ngesikhathi sikaMercator.

Ekhuthazwe impumelelo yakhe, uMercator wanyathelisa ibalazwe lomhlaba ngo-1538. Ngaphambi kwaleso sikhathi, abadwebi bamabalazwe babengazi lutho ngeNyakatho Melika, beyibiza ngokuthi iZwe Elikude Elingaziwa. Nakuba igama lezwe elithi “iMelika” lase likhona kakade, uMercator waba ngowokuqala ukusebenzisa lelo gama kuwo womabili amazwekazi aseNyakatho naseNingizimu Melika.

UMercator waphila ngesikhathi lapho kwakusahlolwa izilwandle zomhlaba futhi kusatholakala namazwe amaningi amasha. Amatilosi ayedlulisela ukwaziswa okungafani, enza umsebenzi wokudweba amabalazwe ube nzima, ngoba kwakudingeka abadwebi baqagele imininingwane esilele. Noma kunjalo, ngo-1541, uMercator wawufinyelela umgomo wakhe wokwenza “ibalazwe eliyindilinga eliphelele elalingakaze lenziwe kuze kube ngaleso sikhathi.”

Umangalelwa Ngokuba Imbuka

ELouvain, lapho uMercator ayehlala khona, kwakunamaLuthela amaningi. Ngo-1536, uMercator wayesezihlanganise nawo, futhi kubonakala sengathi kamuva umkakhe waba ngumLuthela. Ngo-February 1544, uMercator waboshwa kanye nezinye izakhamuzi zaseLouvain ezingu-42 bemangalelwa ngokubhala “izincwadi ezisolisayo.” Nokho, kungenzeka nokuthi kwakungenxa yokushicilelwa kwebalazwe lakhe leZwe Elingcwele okwabasolisa oTapper noLatomus, izazi ezimbili zenkolo zaseyunivesithi yaseLouvain. Womabili la madoda ayengabehluleli ecaleni lomhumushi weBhayibheli uWilliam Tyndale, owayebulawe e-Antwerp ngo-1536. Kungenzeka uTapper noLatomus babekhathazeke ngokuthi ibalazwe likaMercator leZwe Elingcwele, njengokuhumusha kukaTyndale iBhayibheli, kwakuzokhuthaza abantu ukuba bafunde iBhayibheli. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sasiyini isizathu, uMercator waboshwa enqabeni yaseRupelmonde, edolobheni lakubo.

U-Antoinette Van Roesmaels, owayephakathi kwabantu ababequliswa, wafakaza ethi uMercator wayengakaze aye emihlanganweni yamaProthestani yokufunda iBhayibheli ngasese. Nokho, ngenxa yokuthi yena u-Antoinette wayeke waya kule mihlangano, wangcwatshwa ephila, wafa kancane kancane ngenxa yokungawutholi umoya. UMercator wakhululwa ngemva kwezinyanga ezingu-7 evalelwe, kodwa waphucwa yonke into ayenayo. Ngo-1552, uMercator wathuthela eDuisburg, eJalimane, lapho athola isimo senkolo sibekezelelwa kangcono khona.

INcwadi Yokuqala Yamabalazwe

UMercator waqhubeka emelela ukulandisa kweBhayibheli ngendalo. Wachitha ingxenye enkulu yokuphila kwakhe ehlaziya, noma ecubungula yonke indalo “yasezulwini nasemhlabeni, kusukela ezikhathini zasendulo kuze kube manje,” njengoba akubeka. Lo msebenzi wawuqukethe kokubili ukulandelana kwezikhathi nokuma kwezwe.

Ngo-1569, uMercator wanyathelisa uhlu lwezenzakalo ezibaluleke kakhulu emlandweni kusukela ekudaleni kuya phambili—olwaluyingxenye yokuqala yalokho ayekuhlaziyile, olwalunesihloko esithi Chronologia. Inhloso yakhe yayiwukusiza abantu ukuba baqonde ukuthi bakuphi nenkathi emlandweni. Nokho, ngenxa yokuthi encwadini yakhe uMercator wayehlanganise nokumelana kukaLuther nokuzitika ngo-1517, i-Chronologia yafakwa ohlwini lweSonto LamaKatolika lwezincwadi ezinqatshelwe.

Eminyakeni eyalandela, uMercator wachitha isikhathi esiningi edweba futhi eqopha izingcwecwe zamabalazwe amasha okuma komhlaba ayewenzile. Ngo-1590, washaywa unhlangothi owamshiya engakwazi ukukhuluma futhi ekhubazekile kwesokunxele, okwakwenza kwaba nzima kakhulu ukuba aqhubeke nomsebenzi wakhe. Kodwa wayengafuni ukushiya umsebenzi wakhe wokuphila konke ungakapheli, ngakho waqhubeka kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe ngo-1594 eneminyaka engu-82 ubudala. Indodana kaMercator uRumold yaqedela amabalazwe amahlanu ayengakapheli. Iqoqo eliphelele lamabalazwe kaMercator lanyatheliswa ngo-1595. Kwakuyiqoqo lokuqala ngqa elabizwa ngokuthi incwadi yamabalazwe.

I-Atlas kaMercator yayiqukethe ukuhlaziywa kwesahluko sokuqala sikaGenesise, lapho ayemelela khona ukuthembeka kweZwi likaNkulunkulu elaliphikiswa izazi zefilosofi. UMercator wabiza lokhu kuhlaziya ngokuthi “umgomo wakho konke ukukhandleka kwami.”

“Isazi Sokuma Komhlaba Esiphambili Kakhulu Osukwini Lwethu”

Uhlelo olukhulisiwe lwe-Atlas, eyanyatheliswa uJodocus Hondius ngo-1606, lwanyatheliswa ngezilimi eziningi futhi kwadayiswa amakhophi amaningi alo. U-Abraham Ortelius, umdwebi wamabalazwe wekhulu le-16, wancoma uMercator ethi “isazi sokuma komhlaba esiphambili kakhulu osukwini lwethu.” Muva nje, umlobi uNicholas Crane wachaza uMercator “njengendoda eyadweba ibalazwe lomhlaba.”

Umsebenzi owenziwa uMercator useyingxenye yokuphila kwethu kwansuku zonke. Ngokwesibonelo, njalo lapho sivula ibalazwe noma sivula isimiso se-Global Positioning System, sisuke sizuza emisebenzini eyenziwa uMercator, indoda evelele eyachitha konke ukuphila kwayo ifuna ukwazi inkathi yokuphila kwayo endalweni kaNkulunkulu.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 21]

UMERCATOR​—UMFUNDI WEBHAYIBHELI OKHUTHELE

UMercator wayekholelwa ukuthi umhlaba wawuyoba indawo enokulunga, ukuthula nokuchuma. Wabhala incwadi engazange inyatheliswe ehlaziya eyabaseRoma izahluko 1-11, lapho amelana khona nombono kaCalvin wokudalelwa. Ngokuthakazelisayo, wavumelana noMartin Luther wathi ngaphandle nje kokholo, kudingeka nemisebenzi ukuze umuntu asindiswe. UMercator wabhala encwadini ukuthi isono “asiveli konozungezilanga [ukufundwa kwezinkanyezi] noma ngokuthambekela kwemvelo okwadalwa uNkulunkulu, kodwa sibangelwa inkululeko yomuntu yokuzikhethela.” Encwadini yakhe wayilahla imfundiso yamaRoma Katolika yokuthi isinkwa newayini kuphenduka umzimba kaJesu ongokoqobo, ethi amazwi kaJesu athi “lokhu kungumzimba wami” akufanele athathwe njengoba enjalo, kodwa kunalokho, ayinkulumo engokomfanekiso.

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 22]

INQUBO YOKUBALA KAMERCATOR

Wake wazama ukwenza ikhasi lewolintshi libe isicaba? Iqiniso liwukuthi awunakukwenza lokho ngaphandle kokulona. Leso sibonelo sibonisa inkinga abadwebi bamabalazwe ababhekana nayo—ukuthi bangayidweba kanjani indilinga (umhlaba) ebalazweni eliyisicaba. UMercator waxazulula le nkinga ngokusungula isimiso manje esaziwa ngokuthi inqubo yokubala kaMercator (Mercator projection). Kule nqubo imigqa eqondile esuka enkabazwe iye enyakatho noma eningizimu iqhelelaniswa ngebanga elifanayo. Nakuba lokhu kungawavezi amabanga nobukhulu obufanele (ikakhulukazi ukusuka enyakatho uye eningizimu), kwaba intuthuko enkulu ekudwetshweni kwamabalazwe. Ibalazwe likaMercator lasodongeni lomhlaba wonke elenziwa ngo-1569 laliwumsebenzi wobunyoninco owenza udumo lwakhe lwasakazeka kabanzi njengomdwebi wamabalazwe. Empeleni, le ndlela yakhe yokubala isasetshenziswa emabalazweni asolwandle nasesimisweni samanje se-Global Positioning System.

[Isithombe]

Inqubo yokubala kaMercator ingafaniswa nesilinda evuliwe enomhlaba owenziwe isicaba

[Isithombe ekhasini 20]

Ibalazwe likaMercator leZwe Elingcwele, lango-1537, lalinamagama ezindawo ezingaphezu kuka-400

[Isithombe ekhasini 20, 21]

Ibalazwe likaMercator lomhlaba wonke, lango-1538

Phawula igama elithi “AMERI CAE” kuwo womabili amazwekazi aseMelika

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 19]

Antwerpen, Stedelijk Prentenkabinet

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 20]

Both maps: From the American Geographical Society Library, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries