Ubani Owasungula Uthayi?
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EJALIMANE
EMHLABENI wonke amadoda angaba izigidi ezingu-600 abafaka njalo. EJalimane indoda evamile inothayi abangaba ngu-20. Lapho efaka uthayi, amadoda amaningi aye azibuza ecasukile, ‘Ubani ngempela owavela nalomqondo?’ Wavelaphi uthayi?
AbaseSteenkerke, idolobha eliseBelgium, bathi uthayi “wasungulwa” khona. Ngo-1692, amabutho empi aseNgilandi ahlasela ngokuzumayo amabutho empi aseFrance ayekanise lapho. Ngokwephephandaba laseJalimane Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, “sasingekho isikhathi sokuba izikhulu zempi [zaseFrance] zigqoke kahle. Kodwa ngokushesha, zabophela entanyeni izikhafu zenyufomu yazo zenza ifindo elixegayo zase zifaka amachopho ezimbotsheni zezinkinobho zamabhantshi azo. Wavela kanjaloke uthayi.”
Nokho, lemfashini entsha yamasosha empeleni yayinesandulela. Ochwepheshe bomlando kathayi bathi emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambili, amaqhawe ombusi waseChina uCheng (Shih Huang Ti) ayebophela indwangu esasikhafu entanyeni, ukuze abonise isikhundla sawo.
Nokho, mhlawumbe izikhafu ezidume kunazo zonke yilezo ezazifakwa abaseCroatia ababelwela iNkosi uLouis XIV waseFrance. Phakathi nodwendwe lokunqoba eParis, abaseFrance babekhangwe izikhafu zabaseCroatia kakhulu kangangokuthi bazibiza ngokuthi o-cravate, igama elivela kwelithi Cravate, umuntu waseCroatia, base beqala ukuzifaka nabo. “Kusukela lapho kuqhubeke,” kubhala iphephandaba elishiwo ngenhla, “yadlondlobala imfashini kathayi, nakuba kwakungamasosha aseSteenkerke aqala ukubopha izikhafu zibe nefindo likathayi.”
Phakathi neNguquko YaseFrance (1789-99), indoda yayibonakalisa ukuthambekela kwayo kwezombangazwe ngombala we-“croat,” noma isikhafu, entanyeni yayo. Ekhulwini le-19, umphakathi wesimanje waseYurophu “wasungula” loluhlobo Iwemvunulo. Kwakuyilapho-ke lapho isikhafu sasuka khona enkundleni yezempi neyezombangazwe sangena ezimpahleni zamadoda amaningi. Namuhla uthayi wamukelwa emiphakathini eminingi emhlabeni wonke; kwezinye izimo, uyisibopho ngisho nokuba isibopho.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 31]
Historic Costume in Pictures/Dover Publications, Inc., New York