Winter has reached its coldest peak, 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 its 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 rope, baleen and deer sinew, 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 snowfields.
They carried crossbows and continued to hunt with unprecedented efficiency in order to capture a large number of squirrels and minks to obtain leather and make a fortune at the market. As for whether they would face the dilemma of extremely low leather prices again, no one had the foresight. At the very least, if you obtain a large amount of leather and entrust it to professional craftsmen to process it, you and your family can get warm leather clothes.
After immigrating, 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 elephant seals with big tusks.
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 booming this winter. The trade route runs through the entire eastern land (Finland), from Rossburg, to the city of Kovinstad in the Principality of Rus (the mouth of the Oulu River), and then to the southern part of Finland. The territory of the Suomi people (County of Finland), reached the coastal city of Herminki on the Gulf of Finland, and finally reached Novorosberg on the Neva River.
Ice and snow provide a universal path, and reindeer sleighs become the best means of transportation in winter.
If he was simply on the road, a sled driver from Narvik Port 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.
There would be no sled team traveling long distances around the world of ice and snow if they didn’t have to.
Therefore, New Roseburg has almost lost contact with the group of hunters in Bear Festival Town, even though they are separated from each other by the frozen Ladoga Lake.
In the autumn of 834, the army of the Rus' Principality was personally led by Prince Rurik, and severely damaged the Karelian forces in the north of the lake. Through crazy killings, they crippled the northern overlord in one fell swoop.
If you have more people, you can dominate. In the past, the Karelia people could indeed trample the Suomi and Tavastia people. However, the Principality of Rus has a larger population, more sophisticated weapons, and the combat effectiveness of individual soldiers is also better.
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 Karelia people fled like cowards, and the Russians naturally concluded that the enemy's retreat 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 work of fortifying the settlement entered the fast track.
The wooden walls should be thickened, the walls should be double-layered, and earth 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, the other faces the marina and Lake Ladoga to the south.
There are only more than sixty old guys and a dozen old women who are really willing to settle here for a long time. They were fishermen in the summer and hunters in the winter. As for their sons and grandsons, they were all thrown into Fort Ross.
During the warm period, the number of people settled here was the smallest. 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. For most of the past six months, except for the wandering small herds of deer, bears, and wolves, there have been no There are no other humans. Occasionally, a black bear would stand up and rub against a tree to relieve its itch, pretending to be human, but all it would receive was a shot from a hunter's crossbow.
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, but nothing happened.
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, and Rurik is busy with other affairs and has forgotten the existence of the settlement.
He is such a noble man who forgets things so much...
The ruling core of the Principality of Rus has completed its relocation, and the people will fully accept the farming life. Even in winter, the development of various settlements will continue.
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°C. The weather has been pretty good in recent days. In the afternoon, people can clearly feel that the air is not too cold. The fact that water left outdoors does not freeze in the afternoon is a testament to its warmth.
As the winter solstice approaches, a grand ceremony is being prepared with people's enthusiastic anticipation.
The prince gave an order to build two wooden towers in Novorosberg and Novgorod, which would 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. There is always an empty area reserved in the northeast of Harvest Square, which is perfect for building the temple. 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. This is a key pillar of the temple, which has the responsibility of bearing load and will also be used later. The base point for stacking stones. Another group of people were properly manipulating the stone pier, pulling it up to the sky with ropes, and smashing it to the ground. They persisted in tamping the relatively soft soil beside the Neva River into a hard stone.
Even if the entire Gulf of Finland freezes, there is still a long distance from the Neva River estuary to Gogeland Island, where granite is produced. 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 accepting of 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 would cost a lot of money and food, and it would indeed be a strong boost to the king's rule and authority, and even enhance the sense of glory of the entire people of the Principality of Rus. It would also be based on this temple to integrate Viking beliefs and Slavic beliefs.
The construction of 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, and the brighter the flame burns, the more visible it is to 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 great altar of the Rus to join the winter priesthood.
As many as 3,000 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. Fuhe advanced and successfully reached the principality capital before the festival.
Rurik was not surprised at all when they arrived, and he teased his daughter and son, as the wives and concubines embraced each other.
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 28 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 there was no "day of complete darkness" here. 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 a whole day of complete light or darkness.
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? All they have to do is support the prince.
Finally, even the winter hunters of Bear Festival, far away from Roseburg, retreated across the ice lake to join the High Priest.
The number of people gathered in the city of New Roseburg actually exceeded 10,000 people. This was purely because some Suomi hunters also came to New Roseburg nearby to take advantage of the commemorative event to sell the leather they had recently caught. There were many of them. , causing a large number of temporary wooden sheds to appear in the open space outside the city, and even bonfire formations as dense as stars at ordinary nights.
Rurik would look at his city from a high place, and he would be filled with emotion. He would pull Rumia and let her take a good look at this ever-greater royal city, and then he would enthusiastically say: "Such prosperity is all to witness the greatness." ceremony. Only you can preside over this ceremony."
The wooden tower made of pine and fir became increasingly bizarre. It seemed 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 the roots. It was carried by more than fifty strong men. The shipbuilders used the same technique used to erect ship masts, so that the wooden pole was stuck in the pit. . A large amount of firewood was piled up around the pillar, and almost every spectator cut some branches and threw them towards the tower.
Before the sacrifices began, the market at New Roseburg was bustling with trade due to the unprecedented population.
So some bad things were discovered.
There were always people who wanted to steal and profit, and 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 didn't want to see the fire tower anymore. They couldn't be free until they cut down a hundred pine trees.
finally! Festival!
The winter solstice is today, and Rurik's "instant effect" operation can determine that today is the day with the shortest sunlight, 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, domesticated game animals are all on the barbecue menu. The meat is skewered on wooden sticks and served with onions and sliced carrots, creating a new barbecue experience.
The traditional Viking Hanukkah is all about indulgence. Although the Slavs are more conservative, they also join the carnival team.
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.
It was 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.
There were seven statues of gods standing in the altar, and as many as ten strong stags were sacrificed. Rurik personally killed them with his sword in front of the statues, and allowed 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 a bronze plate.
Wearing a deer-antlered helmet, she held up the ancestral scepter of the Ross priests and looked up to the sky. She suddenly twitched deliberately and faced the people with a straight face: "Let us light the fire tower! Let the gods see our glory!"
People like to see the complexity of rituals. No, Rurik even made some tricks in the fire tower lighting ceremony.
Otto was no longer a spectator. He held a burning torch in his hand. At least he could 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.
In front of everyone's attention, the wooden tower first started to billow with smoke. 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 just stood upright and watched quietly, even the children didn't cry naughtily.
It is because of mastering the power of fire that apes turned into humans. People worship fire deep in their souls. Even when people see flames, they have an instinctive sense of security in their hearts and a way to add more firewood to make it burn brighter. desire.
The flames of the fire tower became more and more outrageous, and finally turned into a little winter sun.
Even the altar is no longer a place for people to stay, and even the standing statues of gods have been roasted into a frying pan.
People's faces were burned by the heat, but even so, everyone just stepped back and stayed around the fire tower, unwilling to leave.
The Russians and other Vikings simply looked at it, thanking the gods for the warmth, and silently praying for prosperity and peace in the coming year.
Someone yelled, and that person must be a Slav.
"What are you doing standing still? Dance!"
Originally, there were no native priests singing a lot of hymns in praise of the Slavic fire god Peron in the sacrificial activities of the Slavs. Moreover, all the Slavic priests had been dismissed by Rurik and turned into servants serving Odin.
The fire god Peron 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. In the same way, some gods of Finnish tribal beliefs have also been 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, and the enthusiasm infected everyone. Around the blazing fire tower, everyone held hands and formed five concentric circles.
Rurik joined in the fun, the priests' wives and concubines were all dancing, and Noren stepped up to play cheerful tunes to further enhance the atmosphere.
Perhaps only John Invall and those Catholics in New Roseburg did not participate in the carnival.
They didn't even go out of town, but held Christmas Mass in a separate wooden house.
Everyone celebrates the grand holiday 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!
