Rise of Rurik

Chapter 561 The Tavastia Tribal Alliance ignites the desire to conquer

I don't know when, a group of people living in the Gulf of Finland began to move north.

They settled among the hills and lakes, forming as many as fifty villages, large and small. These villages once attacked each other, and finally the strong among them slowly integrated the people in this area and formed a regional power.

They naturally believe that their location is the center of everything, that mountains, rivers and lakes are the gift of God, and the territory they recognize is the sanctuary. "tavast".

They are the Tavastians, the most powerful tribal alliance in the Eastern Lands (Finland).

Even in the course of history, they knew other peoples and had economic contacts with travelers in ancient Rome, but overall they lived their lives behind closed doors.

Until the general trend of historical development, when the Karelian people of the East began to compete with them for the resources in the forest, the war inevitably broke out.

Perhaps, only when passively involved in the war can the Tavastians know their strength.

They began to take the initiative to expand, began to trade and fight with the Suomis in the south, began to attack and drive away the Kovins, and began to build large and small mountain forts to resist the erosion of the Karelians.

They became stronger and stronger in battle, and traded for a lot of iron weapons. It is very regrettable that the lake in the central part of modern Finland that the Tavastians control is indeed rich in water and grass. They can live by fishing, catching squirrels and ferrets, and raising a small number of sheep, basically nothing more than that. That's it.

After all, the climate here is cold, and with the current level of technology, it is impossible to think of this kind of wheat, and only a small amount of vegetables can be harvested.

Circumstances are so bad that, knowing that there are better areas in the outside world, it is only natural to take it for yourself.

To make matters worse, there is no ore in this mountain, forest and lake. Even if they know how to smelt iron, any iron and ore must be bought from the Suomi people in the south.

There is no currency in the world. When the value of some scarce products is agreed by everyone, it has a certain currency attribute. In the small area of ​​"Eastern Land", it seems quite closed due to the limitations of the times. Only a small amount of old silver coins from the Roman era are in circulation, and squirrel skins have become currency!

The squirrel is obviously a very fertile small animal, and it can't stand the capture of humans.

The military threat of the Karelians forced the chieftains of Tavastia in recent generations to find ways to improve their armaments, which required a large number of metal weapons.

Knowing that attacking the Suomi people is a very costly behavior, but it is necessary to transport batches of squirrel skins to the south to exchange iron tools. All became extremely alert and difficult to catch.

If you can't sell squirrel skins and ferret skins, how can you get metal?

Then you can only expand the territory and go to the north to find new resources.

Didn't those Kewen people go to the north to open up? Just chase them and snatch resources!

The old chief Tavastia died, and the elders of as many as fifty villages gathered in their sacrificial centers in the mountains for a meeting.

The old chief's son Watkad (strong arm) was in his prime, and he was naturally able to have the influence of his deceased father, and was naturally elected by many elders as the new leader.

But who can guarantee that there are no doubters and opponents in the alliance?

The new chief is actually not too young. He is almost forty years old. His brown hair is already mixed with white silk, and there are already some deep wrinkles on his face to cover up his beard. This man's figure is tall among many Tavastians. Now that he is a little old, people still know that this man can twist the neck of a reindeer with his bare hands when he is young.

What used to be just his nickname is now his name.

How does the new chief convince the public? Of course, through some external battles,

Play your own prestige instead of performing a "broken deer's neck" to the people.

He took the alliance warriors to attack the Karelian mountain fortresses, and creatively used some new methods in the war, such as making wooden ladders to make the warriors fight after climbing the piled stone walls, and even using fire attacks.

Flames can cause fire to kill the enemy, and thick smoke can also choke people, and thick smoke is the best cover. When the opponent can't see the void, the warriors of the alliance can rush in continuously.

The Karelians suffered, but when they retreated to their territory in the northern part of Lake Ladoga, the offensive and defensive situation was different.

The war was accompanied by attrition. Tavastia killed some warriors and consumed a lot of supplies.

Anxious to make up for the loss and worried about the enemy's retaliation, Chief Watkad can only step up the plunder of the mountains and forests.

He didn't know what the Suomi who got the fine fur would end up doing with the leather.

A great dream is brewing in Watkad's heart - my warriors must all have iron spears, iron clusters of arrows.

At least half of this dream has come true.

He counted the men (boys over ten years old) who could fight in the entire tribal alliance, and unexpectedly found that he could organize an army of up to 5,000 people.

In people's mathematical concept, this is already an extremely amazing number. With such a powerful force, everyone is an unbreakable alliance of mountains and forests. If this is combined into one fist, is it not an invincible hand?

Not necessarily, in everyone's concept, the Karelians are strong enemies, and the Suomis are friendly and long-term trade partners. There are these three forces in this "Eastern Land". On the other hand, the Kewen people and even the wandering deer breeders in the farther north are like squirrels and ferrets, all of which can be hunted.

But the Corvins escaped, and where they escaped to, only a few Tavastia forest explorers know a general direction.

Ordered by the chief, an armed expedition began its journey north.

This group of people went north along the stream and walked the equivalent of 250 kilometers to stand beside a large lake.

They encountered hunters here, and after a short battle, something unexpected happened suddenly!

It's Cowen! They are here!

However, these Kewen people were as humble as docile pets. Three tribal leaders showed their favor to the leader of the explorers, and at the same time emphasized their own experiences.

The expedition has yielded great results. The leaders of the three Kewen tribes jointly declared that they would take their troops to the chief of Tavastia.

The eager explorers hurriedly took the Kowens home, and finally the three chiefs knelt in obedience in front of Watkad.

In a house built of wood and thatch, the bonfire in the hall warmed the whole house.

Watkad walked on a wooden chair covered with bearskins, and his feet deliberately stepped on the head of the hideous black bear to show his strength.

The Kowen people and the Tavastians have the same language, and seeing the leader of the Kowen people in this way really made him surprised and proud.

Because killing the Kewen people is not his goal, as many as three Kewen tribes have taken refuge in him. If they are sincere, it means that the power lost in the war will be greatly supplemented in this way.

"You... are all Kewen people! I thought it would take an expedition to completely defeat you, but I didn't expect you to surrender without a fight. You... Are you truly our servants? What are the names of the three of you?"

The three named themselves.

These three are none other than Bakan (Arctic), Terjo (Acorn) and Ojedo (Bear).

One of them, Bakan, explained his experience very anxiously: "We live in the upper reaches of the flood river. We fish for salmon and catch squirrels, and we live a peaceful life. But the salmon that the big river enters the sea, they control it. Salmon fishing rights..."

"Wait, what do you mean? You're perfunctory me?!" Watkad waved his hand, indicating the warrior standing on the side to take a martial posture.

Bakan looked at the warriors, his lips trembled and said: "Every autumn there will be a lot of salmon, there is an inexhaustible supply of fish, if you Tavastians occupy there, fishing can guarantee everyone's food and clothing. No worries. It was an endless catch, but the hateful salmon guy took over the river."

Hearing this, Watkard became interested: "So, when you were defeated, you surrendered to us obediently?"

Bakan hurriedly looked at his two buddies and exchanged glances.

Now Terjo began to speak: "It is true, but the west of the sea is the new enemy. They are coming and attacking us. Those who controlled the salmon took refuge in the enemy who came across the sea. They..."

"Wait!" Watkad slapped his thigh: "The enemy from across the sea? Isn't it the Varyag? The Varyag who attacked the Suomi."

Although unfamiliar with the term, Terjo hurriedly said: "Perhaps so, but those guys call themselves Russ. When they come, they will make us miserable slaves. We have gathered a thousand men, and they are Defeat. Many men died in battle, so the three of us turned to you and brought many women. We believe that you can accept us and stop asking us to hand over 10,000 squirrel skins every year."

Terho's remarks are true or false, but this flattery has made Watkad think a lot. Indeed, the three Kewen tribes who asked to join the tribal alliance had an incredible number of women among their tribes, which was incredible. Now the problem is clear, it turned out that the large-scale death of men in a war led to this situation.

Women are the most important strategic resource of a tribe. As long as they are still giving birth, even a tribe that has entered a low ebb and has declined, has hope of rapid revival.

Really incorporate their three tribes and let these three leaders meet in the family alliance? forget it! The women they brought back most interested Watkard.

Watkad did not comment for the time being, and asked the last leader, Ojedo, to speak.

"We...we were defeated. We didn't want to be slaves and ran away. The north was too bitter and cold. We ran to the south, and now we can only get your shelter. However, you should also be vigilant, because those Rus who came across the sea. , they are hungry wolves who can't get enough to eat, they are the most dangerous attackers. They have a lot of iron, and they even have iron sheets all over their bodies. Their spears are iron, their axes are iron, their swords are iron, and their arrow clusters are all full of iron. Iron. I even noticed that they had bows made of iron."

"Iron bows? Ridiculous! You're terrified." That's right, Watercard chuckled. "But they do have a lot of iron, don't they?"

"That's it." Ojedo said cautiously.

Whatkad nodded in satisfaction. "Plenty of squirrel ferrets, an inexhaustible supply of fish, and a new iron-clad enemy coming across the sea. Even the salmon-catchers you're talking about have become what those are called? Ross? Man's slave. Is that so?"

"That's it." The three of them said in unison.

It seems that this Tavastia chief suddenly has a strong interest in conquering the north, but they don't know that the chief's attack was aimed at the Kewen people.

Bakan took this opportunity to deliberately release the war alarm: "Those Rus have a huge demand for squirrel skins, and we have learned that when they know who is rich or whose territory is rich, they will definitely start war, just sooner or later. the difference."

"What did you say?!" Suddenly, Watkard became vigilant again.

"As you can see. The Rus will attack Tavastia, and if you don't show your might, they don't think you're strong. Now they actually hold the northern squirrel hide, even if you want it. Leather, you must fight them too. Don't try to negotiate with those people, they see us as a kind of prey and will..."

"Shut up!" Watkad stood up in a rage, then sat down with a smile.

"I heard it. You are persuading me to send troops to attack them. You... are trying to take revenge through our strength."

This is indeed the case. The three defecting leaders looked at each other and claimed that they had plans in this regard. What they said was more thorough, as the so-called three tribes have already existed in name only, and the people have been displaced without stability. As long as everyone can be stable, the three chiefs dare not expect any power. The only thing is that they hope to be accepted by the Tavastians, even if they are ordinary people. As for the fleeing women, the three hoped that Tavastia would disregard their past suspicions and accept them as members of their clan.

The only condition for the three of them is to beat the Ross people and make them pay the price of blood.

Knowing that these guys had no choice, Watkad relented when he didn't expect them to be so self-aware.

"Okay, I can accept you, and I also want to attack the north. I will include your clan now, but the three of you are no longer honorable leaders. You all listen to my arrangements."

Any war will inevitably cause one's own losses, but if the gains of the war far exceed the losses, it is worth the risk. With this mentality, Watkad convened a meeting of the elders of the alliance to discuss the "mysterious and seemingly powerful Rus", and everyone reached a consensus.

Because after Watkad became chieftain, the Tavastians were never defeated again.

The people have unprecedented self-confidence, claiming that they are indeed loved by the gods, and they are the natural kings of the mountains, forests and lakes. The enemy's people can only submit to this way.

Behold, the surrender of the three Kewen tribes with a large number of women is the best proof!

To organize an army to rush north, find that lake, and walk down the "Flood River" that leads to the sea, the fortresses of the Rus and their servants can be overturned, and their iron can be plundered.

As long as the victory is achieved, everyone does not have to desperately get fur and go to the south to exchange iron. Isn't it easy to solve the problem by capturing it on the battlefield?

Sending troops to occupy the Oulu River Basin to continuously grab local resources, as well as defeating the local Rus people and annexing all the Kovin tribes, became Tavastia's new strategy.

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