Rise of Rurik

Sunlight has become extremely luxurious, and the sunless winter solstice is coming.

Although people have adapted to the short and young Rumia and presided over the sacrificial ceremony as a high priest, at that time Logisville was still alive in a withered form, and now Veria has gone to the sky.

The inevitable end of an old age, as the high priest's house was destroyed, and a group of lower priests was buried for Vilia. The temple that rises from the ruins and the statues of gods standing in the interior have been worshipped by people for nearly a year.

The people of Roseburg have adapted to the new way of worship. They don't think it is weird, but they think that the distance between the equally divided individuals and the gods is drawn.

The only constant is the stone boat altar that is still located outside the tall wooden walls of Roseburg.

That small pine forest is the "land that will never be cut down", the pine forest with a lot of snow is full of precision, the black soil in the forest is covered with snow, and the rocks on the stone boat altar are like monuments in the snow.

Its black soil is not natural, but the ashes of bonfires sacrificed year after year.

Rurik is busy overseeing the construction of ships these days, and the reality is far better than expected.

The hull of the Mercury has not been completed, and its propeller mechanism should indeed be able to operate in seawater, that is, the operation effect should be reflected by sea trials.

Rurik did not dare to install a set of this on all newly built ships. He had been ambitious, but the cost of the first set of finished products he owned more than a month later was far beyond his expectations. If it's not very useful and you build too much, it's a waste of money.

But the two newly-masted ships that stood on the frozen beach, waiting for the ice to melt and to be pushed into the sea, did become a beautiful scenery line, echoing the other three large ships.

The people of Roseburg are getting ready for Hanukkah celebrations.

How to spend this grand festival? Take the family to take part in the sacrifice, and then eat and drink at home, light bonfires everywhere, talk, laugh and dance, and revel until the dawn of the East cuts through the darkness.

It was a cold night, and Rurik had gathered the ten Slavic maids who were actually wives and concubines into his palace.

This time, he assembled all his wives and concubines. This arrangement is by no means a personal matter, it is the matter of the Hanukkah sacrifice in Roseburg.

If there is a festival? Which ceremonies are there? What ancient songs and mantras are to be sung? Rumia was already familiar with it.

Rurikben is not worried about this, but now Rumia's physical condition is the most dangerous.

Rurik sat upright, and his women were obediently doing their best.

He was too lazy to be polite, and looked at Rumia's calm face and said bluntly: "My high priest, even if you have a big belly now, there should be no problem in going to the sacrificial activities this year."

Your man actually uses very formal words?

Rumia was stunned, and hurriedly replied: "Yes! I will persevere. I will wear a thick leather coat so that no one can see that I am pregnant."

"Courageous! Maybe I should let you rest. I have predicted the birth time of the child. The earliest is 15 days, and the latest is 20 days."

Rurik spoke with peace of mind, but Rumia and the other women were heartbroken.

"This! Is this true?" In shock, Rumia's face gradually turned into the happy smile of a new mother.

"Of course. Velika is about to be born. Whether it's a boy or a girl, this is his name, and becoming a high priest is also destiny."

"That's it." Rumia sat on the side calmly, and stroked her stomach, "Although it is across the belly, this year will be the first time this child has participated in our sacrifice. He was born for sacrifice, and belongs to Odin. servant."

"So, you must persevere and complete all the work step by step in the ritual activities. You! You must not fall down, let alone be exhausted. You must hold back any difficulties." Rurik continued to emphasize.

"As ordered, even if I am tired, I will insist on holding on to the wooden staff."

Rurik nodded, Rumia knew what to do, and he didn't want to say any more.

It would be too bad if the rituals were the same every year.

In his opinion, the annual Hanukkah of the Rus is exactly the same as the Spring Festival in the East, even more concrete than the East! In the public opinion, the beginning of the year lies in the first swipe of the rising sun that cuts through the long dark night. Everyone should revel in the endless dark night, and wait for the sun to regenerate before taking a good rest for a day or two.

This is how the Rus people "New Year", but the population structure of Rosburg has changed a lot, it must add some Slavic elements, such as more worship of fire!

Rurik must take into account the feelings of those Slavic women who have married, even though they have given birth to a new generation of mixed-race Rus on a huge scale, but this is after all the fusion of two different cultures and even blood-related peoples, for the sake of internal Steady, this year's priest Rurik decided to build a giant torch right next to the stone boat altar!

Fire makes people excited. Children playing with fire is also an instinct written in human genes. Only when the child's hand is burned by the fire will they know the danger.

Wouldn't it be better to have some accompanying music, or even drums, by the campfire, at the stone boat altar.

"Noren, how's your business going?" Rurik asked, changing the subject.

"It's all set, now my sisters have learned at least three pieces."

Rurik knew that the songs she was talking about were actually choreographed by her hometown in Balmerk. They were distant and ethereal. As long as you closed your eyes and listened to the playing of the eagle-leg bone flute, you could think of the cold and long-lasting ice and snow world. and quiet.

Maybe Hanukkah should have some cheery tunes?

You don't have to.

This sacred sacrifice just needs special music to make the people feel the sense of holiness contained in the music.

"Looking at your self-confidence, you should really know it."

"Otherwise, let's find a chance to play it for you." Noren laughed in a timely manner.

"That's what I mean. Now let's continue to talk about the specific details of the sacrifice..."

In the Duchy of Rus, Rurik controlled the monarchy, military power and theocratic power. People's hearts have gradually weakened Otto's influence, and Rurik was regarded as a great hero and a great saint who must meet the warrior salute.

As such a sacred being, naturally, it must also be greatly expressed in sacrificial activities.

The blood sacrifice of Odin with the blood of slaves, especially the blood of captured enemy warriors, is the consistent operation of the grand sacrifices of various powerful Viking tribes.

Rurik also learned from the return of the fat man Snowleva, who had become a little bit more aware, that the Danish leader Hafgen, who was killed by his own ship, was killed on the summer solstice this year in order to stabilize his power. Kill 111 slaves to sacrifice to Odin!

Human sacrifice has reached this point? Is it still going to rush towards the Aztec sacrifice?

But the human sacrifice did not exchange for Hafgen's victory, in exchange for his simple and rude death and family destruction.

From the very rational point of view, these sacrificial models are a waste of manpower, and they are inhumane, and even bring no good results.

Why sacrifice? Rurik expected to kill ten stags with large horns with his own hands, and let the blood of the deer stain the red stone boat altar, just like the sacrifices in the past.

When the priest reaches the end and Rumia sings her final hymn, the final and grandest ceremony begins.

Thousands of people will see a fire dragon rise into the sky, forming a pillar of fire that can be seen at least twenty nautical miles away, and this huge bonfire will continue to burn until people see the new year's sunrise.

On this day, Noren was on the third floor, bringing his sisters to Rurik, the man everyone shared, rehearsing the music that he was performing during the sacrifice.

Ten bone flutes played melodious music, and the maid named Anna held a leather drum and beat to stabilize the rhythm, making the whole band's performance very orderly.

After chatting and laughing with his friends, Otto returned to the mansion and listened to the beautiful music from the upper floors, so he leaned on the fence and went upstairs. At this moment, Nia had already climbed in search of the sound, and sat down to feel it with her heart.

Nia was already moved by Noren, who also had extremely beautiful blonde hair just like his son. This girl is a natural musician, she is beautiful and brings joy, the point is that the girl doesn't show what she wants.

Compared to Svetlana, who was sitting here and listening quietly, Nia liked this Noren more. It would be great if this girl became the son's wife.

At least in Balmerk, she and her son did have a local wedding, the people of the Allies admit.

Otto and Nia listened to the performance, and Noren was happy to have such a large audience.

"That's really good!" Rurik clapped his hands.

Noren smiled and quietly put the flute under him.

"It comes to my mind that we in Roseburg have a very old harp. Noren, maybe it will work for you too."

"I know." Noren pouted softly and said regretfully, "The harp is broken, unfortunately it can't be used as a musical instrument during sacrifices."

"Okay. You can continue to rehearse, it's not far from the sacrifice..."

The entire old group of priests was physically wiped out, and a few lower-level priests either changed their professions early, or were dispatched to distant strongholds early, and the old priests who could threaten the monarchy were gone.

However, the new group of priests under the orders of the Duke himself is basically a large group of children, and they preside over all the ceremonies safely. Otto is really sweating for them.

They sat here listening to their son's teaching. But in Otto's eyes, these beautiful girls should lie down and accept Rurik's favor, not necessarily participate in the sacred ceremony. Especially Rumia! Otto really didn't want the mother of his first grandchild to be exposed to possible danger.

Everything is out of the hands of this delegating old leader. Otto is not a fool who has been the leader for so many years. He clearly knows that even if he intends to take power now, how much support does the brothers still have? Besides, it is pointless and unreasonable to collect rights.

The day of worship is coming!

A batch of pine logs was felled, they were stacked in parallel, and beside the altar of the stone boat, a tower made of pine wood was rising. Although it was extravagant, Rurik instructed a spruce pestle from the extreme north to put a spruce pestle in the earth hole dug by the shovel as the center, and let the "pine tree tower" go 20 meters away.

This is already a very high altitude, and the people who built it are very excited to learn that it will eventually become a flaming pillar of fire.

Because the day of sacrifice is also exclusive to the Rus, the Valkyrie Sperosville will parade. As long as she sees the huge firelight on the earth, she can instantly find the location of Rosburg and achieve some kind of connection.

People were convinced of this, and the more they thought about it, the more they longed for the time of the old priest Vilia.

Times have changed. Like in times past, who would have thought of setting up a grand pomp like that in Rurik?

It was a chilly morning, and the sun sank into sea level with a lavish spread of light.

No one is scared because the festival is finally here!

The world is covered with snow, the sea is frozen, the sun is no longer shining, the world is still bright, and the people protected by the high wall of Roseburg spontaneously gather to the stone boat altar with their families and mouths under the emerald green aurora. .

In the temple in Roseburg, Rumia wore an antler helmet, and Rurik and other elites from Rus knelt before the statues of many gods and worshipped.

Since a statue is erected, it should be worshipped, and it is not surprising that the statue worships Rurik. The rules are set by him, and this is also a necessary procedure for large-scale sacrifices in the future.

More importantly, a statue standing here represents the dead high priest Vilia. She has been conferred a god, and worshipping her is like worshiping ancestors in Rurik's heart.

"The gods bless us! The gods give us glory! The gods bless us with prosperity..."

Kneeling Rumia held the wooden board that recorded the ancient hymn and recited it aloud. The smoke and dust of rosin filled the entire temple, and there were still some onlookers standing outside. Kneel down and pray.

This is just the beginning of the grand ceremony.

Of course, when the positions of the stars are agreed upon, especially a few special stars, they can only appear in the "day without the sun". They are considered to have mysterious powers and are symbols of the gods.

After most of the day, the magnificent streamers of the emerald green aurora swayed under the clear night sky, and as many as 4,000 people have gathered in the forest of the stone boat altar!

This grand opportunity attracted the public, and even more attractive foreign businessmen who stayed in Rus.

A temple fair was suddenly formed next to the altar, and merchants sold strange goods, most of which were wooden handicrafts.

Small elves, big elves wood carvings, statues wood carvings, and even boxes and boxes.

A large and small bonfire has been lit, and hundreds of people stand under the wooden tower beside the stone boat to discuss the huge torch of the future, and then discuss what new tricks Lord Rurik will come up with.

Finally, the stars are about to reach the agreed position.

There are pure girls playing drums, and ten girls playing the flute and walking away.

In front of them, Rumia was wearing a antler helmet and holding a clinking wooden staff, and Rurik ran to the altar, arm in arm.

Rurik weaves a parade! This is not only to participate in the sacrifice, but also to assemble the duke's elite soldiers to show their illustrious martial arts!

All were very thickly dressed, with the exception of white robes on the outside.

The girl playing the flute and drums was Rurik's wife and concubine, and was also a lower priest.

The accompanying soldiers were all dressed in military uniforms, uniformly sewed with blue stripes and white robes, they held shields and spears, and the spearheads were also tied with blue and white cloth strips.

The uniformity shows the majesty of the sacrifice, and the hanging colored glass beads and amber show the splendor.

People listened to the melodious music in the complex emotions of inspiration, praise, shock, and envy, and witnessed the team arriving at the altar.

The warriors formed a circle around the altar, and then half-knelt down with the wooden shield beside them.

A bear head (removed house decoration) is placed on each stone pillar of the altar, and the girls serving as lower priests still play melodious tunes.

Nearly 8,000 people gathered here, whispering and laughing as a large number of children were crying and laughing in their best clothes.

Until Rumia looked up at the aurora in the sky, the girls playing the flute paused, and the crowd fell silent for a short time.

People are listening to the chanting of the priest headed by Rumia, praising the greatness of Odin, the greatness of Sora and the greatness of the gods.

There are new tricks, and they are heard singing about the greatness of Lord Rurik, the glory of the heroes of Rus, and the victory of the war

It was also seen that ten stags were led into the altar.

Rurik killed the deer one by one in the priest's chant.

The altar was stained with deer blood, the liver was cut out one by one, and Rumia also smeared Rurik's face with deer blood.

Rumia, finally holding the open deer liver aloft, shouted: "Odin give us prosperity! Give Rurik glory! Odin says! Light the fire!"

Everything is ready, the wooden tower has piled up a lot of grease-rich turpentine, and also directly threw a lot of solidified whale oil and seal oil.

The strong man on standby approached the wooden tower with a torch, and the wooden tower gradually burned, eventually turning into a sky-high fire.

Look at this flame! Dispel all the cold!

This is not the end, those deer carcasses were all thrown into the fire and turned to ashes in the fire.

Right under this flaming tower, people danced wildly, and the married Slavic women were also screaming in happiness. Because the Peron god they believed was the Slavic god of fire and war. Now the flames are burning their faces and the children in their arms. They feel that their children have been blessed by the two supreme gods, and the future will be peaceful.

In this warm atmosphere, although John Ingvar was wearing a cross on his chest, he prayed to God, and was immersed in this lively atmosphere.

The young serf, who had been freed by serving the young man, swayed from side to side with John's hand, and fell into a strange madness.

Everything was happy until that moment!

Hundreds of people stood on the solid wooden wall, looking at the rising sun in the distance, while the flames of the wooden tower were still burning...

The sun reappeared, albeit only briefly through the sky.

The people were finally exhausted in the last cheers, the joyous period finally came to an end, and people returned to their homes, looking forward to the melting of the snow in 833.