An old era ended with Vilia turning into ashes. On the ruins of the black altar, a brand new temple is under construction.
In the past, the Russians did not have this awareness. An ancient stone ship altar is enough, should we build more?
They did not even erect statues for the gods they believed in, nor did they have special temples to worship them.
Until the Ross army attacking Gotland saw the temple in Visby and the bronze statues in the temple.
Rurik wanted to build a temple to worship the gods, and everyone welcomed it psychologically. In reality, all the expenses for building the temple were paid by Rurik. Anyone with enough strength can sign up to become a builder, and from this some Get money and food.
The old longhouse was demolished, and a batch of wooden beams were left behind. Except for the largest one, which was used as the keel of the ship, the other wooden beams could be used as building materials for the temple.
Those old lower-level priests were buried with the high priest, marking the complete disintegration of the old priestly group. Rurik no longer worries that the priests will interfere with his power. Now he has complete control over Ross's divine power.
Therefore, those gods should be worshiped according to his will.
Building the temple was only part of the large-scale construction project. Rurik decided to build a new batch of wooden houses, asking for land from the surrounding mounds and pine forests, and integrating them into the city.
Such work is by no means a waste of money and money. The wealth lost belongs to Rurik himself, and the people will get a lot of job opportunities in the winter when there is already a lack of work.
Large amounts of gold and silver were a strong driving force for economic activity. Rurik began to implement careful plans. According to his own ideas, Rossburg was gradually developed into a walled coastal city, making the noun suffix "brug" become A true fortress.
Men, women and children took action.
Roseburg in the fjord is originally a narrow area. If the surrounding forests are cut down on a large scale, a large amount of land can be opened up.
Rurik never thought of developing this northern mother city into a densely populated city. It would be enough to have a population of up to 10,000 people. The population of Rus' must be increasing, and the new population must actively fill other settlements, especially Novy Rus' Fort at the mouth of the Neva River.
It was Rurik's final plan to move the core of the Rus' people to New Rus'sburg in the east. However, even if the core area is moved, it does not mean that the old Roseburg will be abandoned and decline.
The strong men carried axes, the children carried double saws. They are destroying the forest at an extremely fast speed, and the hot construction atmosphere has completely eliminated the coldness of the snow.
The wooden wall surrounding Roseburg is under construction. They dig large pits and bury thick logs, using them as nodes to gradually assemble the wooden wall.
Although Fort Ross is too remote and the possibility of encountering an enemy attack is extremely low, coupled with the increasingly powerful Ross navy, there may not be much need for a wall to meet people's safety needs.
Just be cautious! In a world filled with strife, it is never wrong to be cautious.
Rurik not only ordered a wooden wall, but its foundation also needed to be reinforced with stones. Scaffolding for people to move around must be installed on the wooden walls, and towers must be built at regular intervals.
The wooden wall was to completely surround Fort Ross, and for this purpose the wall would have to be separated from the harbor. As a result, the various businessmen living on the coast, especially the mansions of the Gould family, will be separated by this wall.
then what should we do?
Gould was very open-minded. After all, Lord Rurik decided to transform Fort Ross into a strong fortress. He knew very well about the army's attack on Visby. It was obviously a huge trading city. After the defeat in the First World War, if the remaining Visby people could hold on with their walls, the attack of the Ross army would take a lot of trouble. Unfortunately, Those people had no walls, and the Ross army invaded easily.
He also learned about the fact that in last year's war, the Swedish coalition suffered heavy losses in the forced attack on Borgholm's high wall. Without the excellent siege weapons of the Russian army, it would have been almost impossible for the coalition to break the city.
Catching up with the trend of large-scale construction and a new batch of land being opened up from the disappeared forest, the Gould family did not hesitate to spend their own money to build their own new mansion!
Now that he has huge financial resources? There is a large amount of labor in Roseburg, so it is not difficult to build a new mansion.
Time has entered March? Nearly twenty days have passed since the day of Villa's funeral.
The weather is getting warmer day by day, although there was a cold rain during this period? The rainwater froze when it touched the ground, but it could not extinguish people's enthusiasm.
Freezing rain was followed by a small snowfall? The low temperature dropped severely? People are suspending construction work.
Is the temperature getting warmer now? Although the temperature during the day is still at freezing point, it is not cold for people in deep northern Europe.
The western mounds where Rurik once used to train young warriors, every tree in the pine forest here was dug out by the roots, and this place became a key construction site.
A number of palisade-style buildings with over-tall wooden stilts are being constructed, which will serve as granary buildings on top of each other. Wheat grains can continue to be eaten for three years if stored in a dry environment. However, when exposed to water, they will rot or germinate in a short time. It is very normal to build a granary on a natural high ground. Not only that, Rurik also wants to build a large warehouse here to store money and other goods.
Soon, this former military training mound will become a heavily guarded forbidden area.
It was precisely at the mound that the foundation of a real palace began to be laid.
But in this day and age, even the construction of wooden buildings takes a long time.
The architectural style of the Russians has also changed. The biggest change is that the houses have become three-dimensional. In particular, Rurik expected that the foundation of his palace must be made of rock, and a large amount of wood would be piled on top of the rock. The palace will be an unprecedented three-story building. The so-called first floor is a huge living room, the second floor is also a specific dining room and bedrooms, and the third floor is very special. It is an available space under the herringbone roof. , naturally becomes a place for placing debris.
The palace plan was such that while a large number of new buildings used wood and stone on a large scale, a new type of material was also used unprecedentedly.
cement! A sacred invention in the architecture industry and an architectural treasure of the Romans, Rurik easily replicated it in Roseburg.
After all, cement is not an extremely clever building adhesive. Once its recognition is known, mass production will be possible.
All the materials needed to make ordinary cement exist in the mountains near Roseburg!
The slag after iron smelting, the powder made by smashing iron ore, the lime burned in the fire, and the key river sand. Rurik sent the blacksmith apprentices and soon collected many from the mountains and around the frozen upper streams. The Kravasen father and son had more important work. These very young blacksmith apprentices, under the leadership of the equally young Kamne and under the guidance of Rurik himself, only used a few steps from mining materials to making usable cement. seven days.
Because these children, Rurik is indeed the Son of God in their eyes. They claim to have learned the nature of the world through the "simple periodic table of elements" carved on the wooden board, and the successful configuration of cement becomes " Another evidence of the rationality of "short form".
However, the successful deployment of cement did not cause too much trouble. The Ross tribe is different from other tribes. The tribesmen have been able to see a large number of new things every year in recent years. Everyone is interested in any wonderful things, even if they are owned by people. Wings flying in the sky are no longer strange.
The so-called coastal temple is located within a wooden wall. Of course, this section of the wooden wall is very close to the sea.
The best building materials must be given priority to the temple, which must serve as the most sacred building in Roseburg.
The young boys and girls of Rus piled large and small hewn stones on reindeer sleighs. Large rocks require a strong man to lift up, while small rocks are only as big as a fist. The rocks include limestone, iron ore, copper ore, and most of them are ordinary granite.
Still under Rurik's order, after Rumia personally performed a small sacrifice on the stone ship altar of the Rus, all the stones were dismantled and turned into the core of the foundation of the new temple.
The stones of the old stone ship altar were piled into a square outer shell, and a large number of small stones were piled in the center. Then the evenly mixed cement seeped into the gaps, and the construction workers used wooden tools to push out a platform that satisfied Rurik.
It took three full days for the foundation platform to finally solidify. The cold climate did not seem to affect the slow chemical reaction inside it. After all, the cement merged with a large number of stones and turned into a huge square floor!
The Russians never worshiped huge statues of gods. Of course, many people make some small wooden sculptures themselves and regard them as worshiping certain gods in order to receive blessings. What’s the point of worshiping like this? The statues of gods in their hands are not only small, but also crude.
The Principality of Rus is already quite large, and the Rus people as the core must unify their thoughts.
Rurik did not hesitate to make a fuss about worshiping the gods. It was not enough to just verbally declare that he had the highest divine power of the entire tribe. He had to take adequate measures, such as erecting a beautifully cast statue in a gorgeously decorated building. in the temple. In a sense, there is no essential difference between the temples built by Rurik and those in Buddhist temples and monasteries, except that the Buddha and the True Monarch have become Odin and other Nordic gods.
It has to be said that anyone who kneels down to worship such a huge statue of a god will feel solemn, and the more they will hint in their heart that what they pray for will definitely be blessed by the god.
Now the question arises again, which gods should the Russians worship?
Rurik noticed that the Mälarens, Hjärmalens, Uppsalas, and other tribes all believed in different gods. Everyone does believe that Odin is the greatest god, but there are also various explanations for it.
This was the situation in Sweden's area of influence. Rurik learned from the old Danish Eric family, his sister-in-law Aslaki, and the Saxons from Borgholm whom he had met before that their attitudes towards gods were very different.
In other words, from the Arctic Ocean to the southernmost Schleswig, the people in the areas controlled by the Viking forces only reached a consensus on the issue of "Odin is the supreme god", and had various interpretations of other gods...
The Nordic mythology system is not unified at all in the current era! Rurik made a very clear judgment.
Since this was the case, Rurik, as a master of those boards recording ancient events, appointed certain gods.
Odin, the King of the Gods, bestowed upon the people of Russia the destiny of rising up, and gave them invincibility in battle, and should be worshiped by all.
Frigga, the wife of Odin, is the god of marriage and family, protecting the family peace of the Russian people.
Frey, the God of Wealth, blesses the lives of Russian people to get better and better day by day, and blesses businessmen to make a fortune.
Freya, the goddess of fertility and health, blesses Rus' population to grow and remain healthy.
Thor, the god of craftsmen, agriculture, animal husbandry and fishery, blesses all Russian production and construction work smoothly.
Sperosvilia, the Valkyrie who belongs exclusively to the Ross people, the souls of all warriors who fight for Ross will be brought into the Hall of Valor by this god.
The first five gods are generally recognized by the tribe, and Rurik clearly defined the affairs they protect.
There is only one last god, Sperosvilia, she is the dead high priest Vilia!
Virya became a god and must be worshiped and worshiped by the Rus for a long time.
Therefore, Klavasen was assigned by Rurik the most critical job of casting the idol! And this is not necessarily a very serious job.
When Klavason learned the news, he immediately did not want to talk about the exquisite performance of the cement, but expressed deep doubts about the casting of six bronze statues at once!
"It's so crazy! How much copper does it cost to cast a huge bronze statue that's almost the same size as a human? I don't have that much material in a short time!"
Rurik did not embarrass the veteran blacksmith. He did not shout any words of encouragement, but directly pointed out the process of making the bronze statue.
The Russians have not yet learned the vivid sculpture techniques from the Greek area, and it is simply unrealistic to expect old guys like Klavasen to make exquisite large statues of gods. Rurik's requirements are not high. He needs six busts of gods with different faces. Each statue is not a huge copper ingot.
He asked Clavarson to make a special clay mold and cast a layer of copper instantly. After all, the "Statue of Independence" is also assembled from a large number of irregular copper sheets, and there is a lot of space inside.
The statue that Rurik requested was exactly the same. The copper skin with complex rules had the facial features, beard and even the texture of the god's clothing. He did not ask Klavasen to cast it too finely, as long as some clear facial features of the character were displayed on the surface. As for the huge empty space behind the statue, it can be filled with clay afterwards.
Of course, only the statue of Sperosvilya, the Valkyrie, needs to be properly cast, because everyone knows what the old Vilia looks like.
He gave Clavarson a deadline to complete the casting before the Spring Equinox.
With the cement stone base of the temple completed, the construction speed of the buildings on the platform was very fast.
The entire Roseburg is undergoing the largest scale of construction ever. As of the eve of the Spring Equinox, a small number of extremely strong wooden walls have been completed, and five standardized grain storage warehouses have been completed and filled with grain.
The permanent temple construction was completed on time!
Its appearance is very similar to the old priest's longhouse, but its length has been reduced, but it reveals novelty everywhere.
There is only one room inside the temple, and six statues of gods with different styles stand in the room!
When the temple was completed, the two huge wooden doors were deliberately opened by Rurik. Facing the thousands of people who gathered, he shouted in public: "This is the sanctuary! It is you and Asgard who Communication tools! Look at these idols! Odin! Frigga! Frey! Freya! Thor! And our Sperosvilia! Kneel down before the idols! Offer a silver coin, there is always a god Your prayers will be answered!”
The temple was brightly lit. Rumia, the Coven girl Lumi, and Rurik's ten Slavic maids were all under the command of Rumia and became priestesses who were completely obedient to Rurik's orders. Of course, they Another identity is that of wife and concubine. The power of sacrifices was actually firmly controlled by Rurik, who even "invented" the concept of "incense".
The right of interpretation lies in Rurik's hands. It is said that if you pay a sum of money as a fund for prayer, the statue will respond in some form.
This had never happened before. Because of Rurik's explanation, all the tribesmen realized that they could really interact with the gods! Rurik must be the son of God, and with his endorsement, your prayers will definitely get results. Of course, Rurik also made restrictions. It is said that each Russian has only one opportunity to pray every month, and the funds paid are only one silver coin. There is no point in investing more.
The priestesses headed by Lumia performed a sacrificial activity, which is the so-called "consecration", facing the statue that had been plated with a layer of gold, the eyes were plated with silver, and the texture of the clothes was painted with lapis lazuli powder. . In this way, Rurik announced that these mortal gold and silver statues had established spiritual contact with Asgard.
People live for what? Ordinary men want to get rich, while women want their families and children to be safe. Everyone hopes that their work will go smoothly, they will be free from disease, their marriage will be happy, and their family will prosper. All the good long-cherished wishes of people for a better life are fulfilled by this vote of gods! Of course, Sperosvilia, the Valkyrie born from the Rus, has opened the door of Valhalla to all Rus warriors.
If you can get blessings from the gods by paying a silver coin, why are you still hanging around?
Not to mention, Rurik really turned the temple into a Buddhist temple. He placed a box containing silver coins outside the temple and put a leather mat on it. People paid the silver coins one by one and knelt down to pray.
The whole praying scene gradually became heated, and even businessmen who were staying there came over.
Guests like Biyoni from Balmok and the old Eric family from Denmark did not just act as spectators, but actively joined the prayer army.
The Russian people's spring equinox ceremony in 832 lasted until late at night with unusual excitement. People who had silver coins rushed to the temple to kneel down and then left happily and contentedly.
No one questions that there is something wrong with this behavior, or that everyone needs a clear God deep in their hearts. In the past, every time there was a large-scale sacrifice, the Ross tribe would crowd into the stone ship altar and be overcrowded. Rurik was clearly aware of people's demands and built the temple.
A small square was built at the temple, and there would be no problem in squeezing in three to four thousand people. The future "Temple Square" will also be the best place to carry out public activities. The Spring Equinox Sacrifice can be regarded as a special stress test. The results of the test are fantastic! Of course, what is even more amazing is that Rurik obtained more than 4,000 silver coins by very reasonable means, which means that so many people participated in the prayer! He amassed a fortune, and the people also found spiritual comfort.
Seeing everyone's smiling faces after praying, Rurik didn't feel guilty at all! This is not deception. The people paid a silver coin to buy spiritual comfort and hope for the future, while Rurik directly recycled a batch of funds to make the finances more stable. Everyone gets what they need.
Time has quietly entered April, and the frozen sea is already showing signs of thawing. Construction at Roseburg accelerated dramatically as temperatures became warmer.
The temple began to be guarded by Rurik's elite mercenaries, and the temple became open regularly. During the first opening in April, another large group of people came to kneel down and pray with silver coins. For this reason, Rumia stood in front of the temple for a whole day, wearing a deer-antler helmet and holding a wooden staff. Of course, in order to reward this woman who had worked hard to make a lot of money for herself, Rurik also kneaded her calves vigorously that night to relieve the pain of standing for a long time. Rurik kept what he said. After the longhouse of the priests was demolished, Rumia would be by Rurik's side every night. After all, from the beginning, the seat on the side of Rurik's bed was reserved for this woman.
Rumia felt so comfortable being rubbed that the pain in her legs almost disappeared, and even...
When the palace is completed, the whole family will move out. Rumia was moved that she was Rurik's first woman, but she was still not a real woman.
"Rurik, why are you still a child? I'm ready, but you're still a child."
Rurik knew exactly what the girl meant, and he muttered softly in the night: "Why are you in such a hurry? I am powerless now. I am waiting for two years!"
"I don't believe it." Rumia said angrily, "You are decisive in killing. You are obviously a man. Why don't you give it a try? I will give you many children. They will be hereditary high priests and will always be loyal to Ross. "
Rumia's words were full of urging, and Rurik couldn't make up his mind for a moment.
"I……"
"You're a strong bear and I'm a deer. I'm just lying here. Come on!"
Stimulated by these words, Rurik's heart couldn't help but cheer up. He asked himself, he had a Nordic body, and the newly grown golden hair on his lips was clearly a beard, right? And there is already hair in that area. Has your masculine power awakened and you never noticed it while you were busy with other things? It should...have awakened.
In the night, Rurik finally started his great attempt, and Rumia fully cooperated.
A miracle happened! In other words, this inevitable thing happened ahead of schedule beyond Rurik's own estimation!
After this night, on the second day of the Vernal Equinox, the high priest of the Rus gained the favor of Rurik, the son of the god, and she finally became a woman.
In the early morning, Rurik looked at the dark red on the linen sheets and Lumia who continued to sleep soundly. He couldn't help sighing and beating his chest: "I am indeed a Nordic! What a precocious Nordic! I was born at the age of eleven. He’s become a man! Maybe that’s a good thing.”
