Winter has reached its coldest point, and the territory of the Principality of Rus is immersed in thick snow.
The fleet anchored at the mouth of the Neva River looks like an ice sculpture, with a large amount of frost attached to the tall masts. The wooden-hulled boat was resistant to frost, and the sails were all removed and placed in a warm, dry house for storage.
The weapons of each ship, especially the torsion slingshots, were removed, replaced with new hemp ropes, whale baleen and deer sinews, and oiled and maintained to maintain combat effectiveness.
The whole world is quiet, except for the Ross hunters who are still wandering in the forest and snowy fields.
They continue to hunt with unprecedented efficiency with their crossbows in hand, in order to capture a large number of squirrels and minks to obtain leather and then make a fortune at the market. As for whether they will face the dilemma of extremely low leather prices again, no one Have foresight. At the very least, get a large amount of leather and entrust it to professional craftsmen to process it, so that you and your family can get warm leather clothes.
After immigration, the Ross natives plundered squirrel skins in the woodlands on the west coast of the frozen Lake Dauga and around Lake Ilmen.
A large group of immigrants from Mälaren who settled in their hometown of Rossburg rushed to the north and then went further north to hunt polar bears, and even rushed to the settlement of Murmansk to hunt elephants with big tusks. seal.
People in Narvik Port continued to work as salt boilers, and then formed a sleigh team to sell the salt along the frozen river to Roseburg, and traded ironware with the local blacksmith guild on the spot. .
Another leather trade route is also heating up this winter. The trade route runs through the entire eastern land (Finland), from Rossburg to the city of Kovinstad in the Principality of Ross (the mouth of the Oulu River) ), then to the territory of the Suomi people in southern Finland (County of Finland), to the coastal city of Herminki on the Gulf of Finland, and finally to Novorossberg on the Neva River.
Ice and snow provide a universal path, and reindeer sleighs become the best means of transportation in winter.
If he were simply on the road, a sled driver from the port of Narvik could rush to New Roseburg in at least a month. This is already a miracle of mobility nowadays. But compared to ocean transportation costs are still too high.
If there is no need, there will be no sled team traveling long distances in the world of ice and snow.
As a result, New Roseburg has almost lost contact with the group of hunters in Bear Festival Town, even though they are separated by the frozen Ladoga Lake.
The army of the Rus’ Principality was personally led by Prince Rurik in the autumn of 834. It severely damaged the Karelian forces in the north of the lake and crippled the northern overlord in one fell swoop through crazy killings.
If you have a large number of people, you can dominate. In the past, the Karelia people could indeed trample the Suomians and Tavastians. However, the Principality of Rus has a larger population and more sophisticated weapons. Soldiers also have better combat effectiveness.
Maybe the Principality really broke their backs?
Originally, Rurik and many elites did not believe that a force could be destroyed in one battle, and no one recognized it as a victorious crusade. The Karelians ran away like cowardsHowever, the Russians naturally came to the conclusion that the enemy's surrender was only temporary and they would come back.
Xiongji Town had to strengthen the defense of the settlement. When the warm season arrived in 835, the construction of a fortification of the settlement entered the fast track.
The wooden walls should be thickened, the walls should be double-layered, and soil should be piled and compacted at the base. Circular trenches were dug and a system of winches and suspension bridges was built. Two city gates were built, and winches were used to control the lowering of the wooden gates.
One gate faces the forest plain to the north, and the other faces the dock and Lake Ladoga to the south.
The only people who are really willing to settle here for a long time are more than sixty old guys and a dozen old women. They were fishermen in the summer and hunters in the winter. As for their sons and grandsons, they were all thrown into Fort Ross.
The number of settlers here was the lowest during the warm period. It was during this period that Bear Festival Town was at its weakest and vulnerable to sneak attacks by the Karelians.
The fortress construction of the settlement has been completed. Although there are not many people left behind, no one is afraid. Moreover, the hunters who entered the forest have explored a large area. Apart from bears and wolves, there are no other humans at all. Occasionally, a black bear would stand up and rub against a tree to relieve its itch, pretending to be a human, only to be greeted by a hunter's crossbow shot.
The Karelia people seemed to have disappeared from the world. Rurik was originally worried that this group of people would take advantage of the warm period to launch a large-scale counterattack, so he specifically ordered Jianyong of the First Flag Team to prepare for battle. Nothing came of it.
The enemy has given up the living space, and the Russians can freely plunder the resources of Lake Ladoga!
It is now the autumn of 835. Rurik is busy with other affairs and has forgotten the existence of that settlement.
He is such a noble man and forgets things...
The core of the rule of the Principality of Ross has been relocated, and the people will fully accept the farming life. Even in winter, the development of various settlements must be Keep it going.
The Lake Ilmen area is indeed warmer than my hometown. It is December in the Julian calendar, and the lowest temperature at night occasionally reaches -10℃. The weather has been pretty good in recent days, and people can obviously The air does not feel too cold, and the water left outside does not freeze in the afternoon, which is proof of the warmth.
As the winter solstice approaches, a grand ceremony is being prepared nervously amidst people's enthusiastic expectations.
The prince gave an order to build two wooden towers in Novorosberg and Novgorod. The wooden towers will be lit on the winter solstice.
The largest wooden tower will stand on the sandbar at the mouth of the Neva River, which is Vasily Island. As for the current era, it is only affectionately called "the sandbar".
The sandbank is the place closest to the frozen sea. Since the principality has made erecting fire towers a traditional winter project over the years, it should be built closest to the sea.
The real big temple is built inside the city, and a temple has been reserved in the northeast of Harvest Square.The empty area is perfect for building temples. The principality has an ambitious plan to build a temple, and the general public also needs a clear psychological destination. More importantly, qualified laborers, regardless of men or women, will be hired, and anyone can play a role in building this national wonder. Get a piece of the pie.
The snow in a large area has been cleared, and a group of laborers have dug a large and orderly pit. The work of inserting thick fir trees downwards is slowly proceeding. These are the key pillars of the temple. It has the responsibility of bearing loads and is also the basis for later stacking of stones. Another group of people were manipulating the stone piers, pulling them up to the sky with ropes, and smashing them to the ground. They persisted in tamping the relatively soft soil on the banks of the Neva River into a hard stone.
Even if the entire Gulf of Finland freezes, there is still a long distance from the mouth of the Neva River to the granite-producing Gogeland Island. The stones that have been put into use in New Roseburg come from there. Although it is possible to organize a sled team to transport the stones, the transportation costs are so ridiculous that Rurik simply gave up.
In fact, the general public is very receptive to the temple's building materials. No one thinks that it is impossible to build a house without using stones.
Rurik, on the other hand, boasted that he would build a pure stone temple in Haikou, and even paint the outer shell of the building with a layer of colored glaze.
Of course, this will consume a lot of money and food. It will indeed greatly contribute to the authority of the princes and even enhance the sense of glory of the entire people of the Principality of Rus. It is also based on this temple that the Viking beliefs and Slavic beliefs make an integration.
Building fire towers is a purely Slavic ritual, which is now carried forward in the hands of the Rus.
Some people say that the higher the tower is built, the closer it is to Asgard. The brighter the flame burns, the more it can be seen by the gods.
Last year, the Novgorod fire tower illuminated the entire small world of the Ilmenslavs, and now a larger tower stands on the banks of the Neva River.
Otto has a beard and his body is decaying. Even though he is as old as he is, because of the New Year in his heart, he must go to the latest high altar of the Rus to join the winter priesthood.
As many as three thousand Russian men, women, and children rode on reindeer sleighs to form a mighty team and left their homes in Novgorod and Mstisk in early December. Advance on the frozen Volkhov River and successfully reach the principality capital before the festival.
Rurik was not surprised at all when they arrived. He teased his daughter and son, as the wives and concubines embraced each other one by one.
As the festival approached, a meeting to prepare for the ceremony was held in the "Winter Palace".
There were no setbacks, everything was just like in my hometown.
Then on December 28th of the Julian calendar, the date of the Winter Solstice was absolutely correct. The majority of people who experienced the first Hanukkah in the New World for the first time suddenly noticed that it did not exist here. " A totally dark day." The sun will hang in the sky, and none of it will set. Many people don't understand the reason, just like they don't understand why the winter solstice and summer solstice in my hometown have completely light or dark.All day long.
At least Rurik’s wives and concubines, as well as the majority of children supported by the prince, knew the truth.
Some of the children’s parents also accepted the reason for the prince’s roll call. However, while they were impressed by the prince’s wisdom, they became even more confused. Could it be that our Misgard (the human world) is indeed a big ball?
Why should ordinary people know too much? Everyone just needs to support the prince.
Finally, even the winter hunters from Bear Festival Town, far away from Roseburg, retreated across the entire glacial lake to join the High Priest.
The number of people gathered in the city of New Roseburg has actually exceeded 10,000 people. This is purely because some Suomi hunters also came to New Roseburg nearby to take advantage of the memorial ceremony to sell their recently captured animals. The leather they arrived was so large that a large number of temporary wooden sheds appeared in the open space outside the city, and even bonfire formations as dense as stars at night.
Ryurik would look at his city from a high place. He would be filled with emotions. He would pull Rumia and let her take a good look at this ever-greater royal city, and then he would enthusiastically say: "This is the way to go." The prosperity is all to witness the great ceremony. Only you can preside over this ceremony."
The wooden tower made of pine and fir has gradually become ridiculous. It seems to have been piled up to a height of twenty meters?
Obviously this is a fact. The center of the so-called wooden tower is a cedar tree that was cut down by its roots. It was carried by more than fifty strong men. The shipbuilders used the technology of erecting ship masts to make the tower This wooden pole is stuck in the hole. A large amount of firewood was piled around the pillar, and almost every spectator cut some branches and threw them towards the tower.
Before the sacrifice began, the market in New Roseburg became bustling with business due to the unprecedented population.
So some bad things were discovered.
There are always people who want to steal and gain profits. As many as ten people were arrested, eight of whom were Suomi. Even if Jevro brought his beloved wife and infant son to the prince during the sacrificial event, Rurik would not forgive the thief because of his face.
Many people clamored to chop off the thieves' hands, and eventually ten thieves became lumber slaves in accordance with the "laws". They had no intention of admiring the grand spectacle of the fire tower, and would not be free until a hundred pine trees were cut down.
Finally! Festival!
The winter solstice is today, and Rurik's "instant effect" operation can determine that today is the day with the shortest sun shadow, which is completely consistent with Rumia's statistics.
The entire New Rossburg was in joy. According to Viking tradition, Ross and people from other Viking tribes were drinking ale and kvass happily. The sun is still hanging in the sky, and a large number of bonfire stalls have been set up. There are barbecue stalls everywhere in the city, and the air is filled with a thick and tantalizing aroma of barbecue.
Rabbits, squirrels, chickens, minks, deer, fish, foxes, domestically hunted animals are all on the barbecue menu. The meat is skewered on wooden sticks, and then onions and sliced carrots are skewered with the meat to form a new barbecue.Roast experience.
The traditional Viking Hanukkah is all about indulgence. Although the Slavs are more conservative, they also join in the carnival.
It can be said that the Slavic and Suomi people who settled here would avoid some of the crazy behaviors of the Russians. Pure Ross men and women will hug each other in public because of their excitement, and connect with each other amidst the cheers of the crowd. This is an ancient fertility worship, and there is a point. It is said that if the gods bless Hanukkah, then the children born due to the joy of this day should not die in a daze.
The joy reaches its peak in the evening, and the sacrificial ceremony is now!
A temporary stone boat altar was built on the sandbank, which is to the right of the wooden tower.
Still a traditional drama, Rumia and her sisters endured the cold and sang carols in plain clothes. To enhance the atmosphere, Nolen and the band she trained also joined in. The bone flute and leather drum played melodious and ethereal music to further enhance the sanctity of the sacrifice.
God must be watching from on high. Look carefully! That's a light green ribbon! It’s Sperosvilia, it’s the Parade of the Valkyries!
Ten thousand people participated in the provincial capital, and dense crowds gathered on the sandbank.
Seven statues of gods stood in the altar, and as many as ten strong stags were sacrificed. Rurik personally killed them with a sword in front of the statues, allowing the deer blood to soak into the entire altar. .
Deer livers were cut out one by one, and the sound of drums became extremely intensive at this moment.
Rumia checked all the livers and placed them one by one on the bronze plate.
Wearing a deer-antlered helmet, she held up the ancestral scepter of the Ross priest and looked up at the sky. She twitched deliberately and suddenly faced the people with a straight face: "Let us light the fire tower! Let the gods see it. Our glory!"
People like to see the complexity of the ceremony. No, Rurik even made some tricks in the fire tower lighting ceremony.
Otto is no longer a spectator. He holds a burning torch in his hand. At least he can lift it without any problem.
The same is true for Rurik, and two generations of dukes from the Principality of Rus will work together to light the wooden tower.
While everyone was watching, smoke billowed from the wooden tower. Although the smoke was choking, no one wanted to leave.
People rushed to pay attention to the handsome man with a flowing ponytail under the dim starlight and moonlight, watching the branches at his feet first begin to burn.
The fire started to burn, and people’s eyes began to have dancing flames.
Everyone stood as straight as a pine tree and watched quietly, even the children did not cry naughtily.
Because of mastering the power of fire, apes turned into humans. People worship fire deep in their souls. Even when people see flames, they feel an instinctive sense of security and a sense of security. The desire for firewood to make it burn brighter.
The flames of the fire tower became more and more outrageous, and finally turned into a small sun in winter.
Even the altar is no longer a place for people to stay.The standing idols were roasted into frying pans.
People’s faces were burned by the heat, but even so, everyone just stepped back, always surrounding the fire tower and unwilling to leave.
The Russians and other Vikings simply watched, thanked the gods for the warmth, and silently prayed for prosperity and peace in the coming year.
I don’t know who screamed, but that person must be a Slav.
"What are you still doing? Dance!"
Originally, there were no native priests singing a lot of hymns in praise of the Slavic fire god Peron in the Slavic sacrificial activities. , not to mention that all the Slavic priests have been dismissed by Rurik and turned into servants serving Odin.
Peron, the god of fire, was absorbed into the mythological system by Rurik and is already a member of the Nordic gods. He is described as one of the Asgardian gods. For the same reason, some Finnish tribal beliefs The gods were also absorbed. Anyway, the legendary Asgard is full of gods and men, and it can be justified to have a thousand gods stuffed there.
The Slavs could not suppress their desire to dance around the fire tower. The enthusiasm infected everyone. Around the blazing fire tower, everyone held hands and formed five concentric circles.
Rurik joined in the joy, the wives and concubines acting as priests were all dancing, and Nolen stepped up to play cheerful tunes to further enhance the atmosphere.
Perhaps, only John Invall and those Catholic believers in New Roseburg did not participate in this carnival.
They did not even leave the city, but held Christmas Mass in an independent wooden house.
Everyone is celebrating the grand festival of the winter solstice in their own way, which is both Hanukkah and Christmas.
The happy days are over, the fire tower is still burning, people who have been happy all night forget their fatigue, and they see the sun of a new day!
Welcome to year 836!