The ceremony needed witnesses. After Arik woke up, he ran to his uncle's house without hesitation and grabbed Rurik who was still sleeping.
"Ouch! Brother, what are you doing? It's just dawn now. I have to wait for the sun to rise before going to the hillside."
Arik shook his head: "I know you I will teach you fighting skills in the future, but now I need your help."
Otto, who was still sleeping soundly while lying on his side, was awakened by the noise. He slowly started to work and saw his eldest nephew. She looked like she was in a hurry, and Peravina stood cautiously behind her nephew.
"Arik? Are you looking for something urgent from your brother?"
"Yes! Regarding that ceremony, I need witnesses."
As soon as Arik mentioned it, Otto understood completely.
He quickly got up, grabbed a piece of salted venison from the clay pot and stuffed it into his mouth. At the same time, he put on his deerskin coat and tied a cowhide bag tightly.
He chewed hard, then swallowed, and said quickly: "Niya, I'm going to finish the sword burying ceremony, and you can prepare breakfast first. I'll be back as soon as I go."
< p>At breakfast this day, all the newlyweds were doing some rituals, which were actually part of the wedding.Those small families who do these things with their immediate family do not need the presence of a priest to authenticate.
Only when there is a formal wedding, the tribe members will gather in large numbers at the stone boat altar.
Aric is Otto’s nephew. He took his son Rurik to participate in the sword burial ceremony this morning as a witness.
Otto was the leader after all, and soon, his close friends also became Aric's witnesses.
A simple and short ceremony suddenly became grand.
Right in front of Ogier’s grave, Arik and his wife Peravina knelt down on one knee.
Then, Arik dug a long pit with a bronze shovel that reflected golden light. Finally, Peravina used a pair of hands to break open the earth and polished the shovel to a shiny tile. Liang's broad-bladed iron sword was dug out and finally returned to Arik.
Ruri took his father's rough hand and glanced at it, only to see a pool of tears welling up from the corners of his father's wide-eyed eyes.
"Dad, you are crying."
"Ah! Yes." Otto tried his best to control his emotions and hold back his tears. "Rurik, the year you were born, your uncle died in the war. You must remember that it was the Danes living in Gotland who did this, and we had a grudge against them. Finally, your brother grew up. , he already has the right to take revenge."
Rurik's mood was a little complicated: "We...we must take revenge?"
"It was the Danes who provoked us. In the war of the Southern Allies, we are also part of the Siyan Alliance. Child..." Otto subconsciously touched his son's little face: "In the future, our alliance may launch a counterattack against them. Remember, a good leader cannot betray. Alliance, but also your bravery in the alliance on behalf of the Russians.It must be remembered that if cowardice is betrayal of alliance, the consequences of betrayal will be sanctions. Therefore, we must take revenge on Gotland. "
Rurik listened silently. At this moment, he knew very well that the tribe was part of the Swedesian tribal alliance. His father's words were very serious, so as the leader, his father will lead the warriors of his tribe Form an alliance with allies and start a war against the Danes?
This is their way of life.
After one day, tomorrow comes. At night, when the clouds disperse, the glowing Aurora and the bright moonlight illuminate the sky, and under the witness of the Valkyries, the largest collective wedding of the Ross tribe in decades will take place on the agreed date. It’s finally here!
The early winter sun gradually sinks into the horizon, and the stars begin to dominate the sky.
It is too early now, leaving room for the newcomers and priests. Enough time.
"Check a lot of things, grab my antlered helmet, and let's go. "
With a hoarse voice, Priest Vilia left her priest's longhouse on crutches. Behind her were dozens of lower-level priests.
Those lower-level priests The priests carried wooden boxes, or held pottery altars, or even other ritual utensils.
They wore small antlered helmets during the ceremony, and only one of them was named Bo. The priestess of Na, holding the largest antlered helmet.
Undoubtedly, this Bona is the successor chosen by Vilia.
The priests walked solemnly. At a fast pace, they soon met a group of people holding torches, led by the leader Otto himself.
"Look, great priest. Otto pointed with his hand: "The deer has been brought here, we can do things at any time." ”
“Now! Let’s head to the altar first! "
"Follow your orders. "Otto nodded slightly to show respect, then made a gesture and ordered his men to lead the deer.
Villa suddenly asked: "Those young couples should arrive as soon as possible, as Aurora When it flashes, the ceremony begins immediately. "
"I have ordered them to go ahead of time. "
Hearing this, Vilia let out a sigh of satisfaction. She still gave one more instruction: "Remember, they must be present. Of course they could hold their own wedding ceremony at another time, but tonight's ceremony was very important to them. Valhalla will be the judge of our actions, and those newly married couples who do not participate will be punished by Odin. ”
“I totally understand! Otto nodded deeply, "I will seriously implement this matter." ”
I’m afraid, this is pure superstition, and it is also their belief.
Vilia is full of awe of Odin and Valhalla, and she imagines that she is because of her piety. After working for so many years, life will finally reach its peak, and my respect for Odin will finally be recognized, and then my soul will enter the sky after death.Finally, as the new Valkyrie, she paraded in the night sky and inspected her beloved tribe.
For those young people and the ordinary people of the tribe, this night was really full of joy.
Only the priests remained absolutely vigilant, fearing that some omission might blaspheme Odin.
But tonight the Ross tribe fell into a sea of joy.
On the snow-covered hard dirt road in Fort Ross, a large number of bonfires were lit, and the singing and dancing tribesmen spontaneously lit torches soaked in pine oil.
They have been deliberately collecting pine oil, firstly to use it as an adhesive and leak-proof agent for the gaps in ships, and secondly to make torches.
The sky is filled with stars, and the Rossberg Sound is also filled with stars.
The newlyweds who are about to attend the ceremony wear the simplest clothes of the tribe under the thick fur coats.
Tonight, Arik put on a plain suit made of pure linen and a knee-length skirt made of linen. His newlywed wife Peravina was even more simply dressed in a long dress.
All newlyweds dress up similarly. If it were summer, they would be able to cope with this look. But in winter, if they no longer wear thick fur coats, people will get sick quickly.
It is the ceremony that requires these, forcing the newlyweds to dress in absolute simplicity.
Before the priest arrived, more than a thousand people were crowded near the stone boat altar. Hundreds of torches and more than twenty bonfires illuminated the woods in this area. The flames finally brought some warmth, making the simply-dressed newlyweds feel much better.
Tonight, Arik did not become special because of his identity.
He, his wife Peravina, and even his immediate family members are waiting anxiously.
He waited for the priest and uncle, and looked up at the sky, looking forward to Aurora's appearance.
Finally, when people began to see a fire dragon approaching the stone boat through the woods, everyone knew that the priests had arrived.
The bonfire bakes everything near the altar to a comfortable level and brings enough light. Today was a big ceremony after all. Otto put on a full set of armor, and his wooden shield covered with copper for enhanced defense reflected golden light. The same is true for the warriors behind him, as if they are about to step into the battlefield, their heroic spirit brings cheers from the onlookers.
As Vilia, wearing an exaggerated antler helmet, entered the altar on crutches, her astonishing image gave the ignorant people a huge shock, and the excited crowd quickly fell silent.
Villa looked up at the sky first, with a smile on her lips.
She concluded with her rich experience that Aurora was about to flash and stay for a long time tonight.
She suddenly said to Otto: "Chief, please ask everyone to step back, and then ask all the newlyweds to gather. I want to count them first."
Otto can do it That powerful voice with a sense of vicissitudes of life spoke to his people with high spirits.The people issued orders.
Everyone, no matter how high or low, understood it. Niya also held the hand of Rurik, who specialized in "watching dramas" and drinking honey water. As the crowd continued to retreat, they knelt down on one knee. Everyone That's right.
Only the newlyweds approached the stone boat altar, waiting for the priest's personal inspection.