Rise of Rurik - Chapter 689

[Chapter 690 The Giant Red Tower]

The wooden tower burned until the next morning and finally turned into ashes, and the last relic was collected by Rurik himself.

Rurik obviously gathered the last remains of his wife and concubine Mary, and a wooden box carried the last relics.

In a secluded place right by Lake Ilmen, Rurik buried her in a tomb.

This area has also been drawn out along the way, and it will be used as a noble cemetery.

Neither Otto nor Niya said anything loudly. They used Mary’s death to tell their son what happened afterward.

“Novgorod is a good place. We will be buried here, and many people say they will be buried here. One must die, and my soul will go to Asgard, and my body will be turned into ashes and buried in this land.” Graveyard. A stele shall be erected for me, so that posterity may know their ancestors.”

The cemetery is the link between the settlers and the spirit of the ancestors.

No matter how priests and priests describe a wonderful soul destination, maybe it exists, but the living always hope to face their ancestors.

As a result, the marble coffin lid was engraved with reliefs of the deceased. The nobles did this to let the descendants know the appearance of the ancestors.

This is not idolatry, and even a Frankish diehard like Eskil would not say a word on this issue.

Because the iconoclasm in Europe is over.

Otto is very old, old soldiers don’t die, he just fades away slowly.

Rurik guessed that Otto might wish to die in a battle, and this idea was destined to fail.

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Many old people will pass away in the coming years. A group of old guys from Ross will settle in Novgorod this winter, and they will die here in the future.

Stone monuments should be erected for veterans, and skilled sculptors should be hired directly to make busts of them.

Presumably this form of tombstone should also become a Slavic feature, just like what the residents here did more than a thousand years later.

The winter solstice of the Julian calendar finally arrived, and before it arrived, a tall tower was erected on a piece of wild grass by the lake.

The snow has been cleared, and the pine and fir towers are very tall and tapered as a whole.

It has ten stikas and is four floors high. The base is a fairly regular rectangle with a length and width of six.

Rurik made it by employing local labor that was readily available, and local Slavs had a reason to do so.

In the past winter solstice “Vulcan Festival”, they would not build such a huge tower. Firstly, it was unnecessary, and secondly, it was too expensive.

The Varyag people, mainly Rus people, decided to settle down and built a magnificent tower in the first winter. Then the flames it ignited can also warm the people, and even melt the snow in a large area, like a small sun.

Salt and silver coins are paid for building the tower, and the tower is quickly built under the drive of real interests.

Once the wooden frame was erected, a mass of grease-laden pine branches was piled upwards, making it a flammable building.

But it takes a process to make it burn as a whole. When it turns into a fire tower, it is also the most critical moment for sacrifice.

The sun has become stingy, and the days have shortened rapidly in recent days, which anyone can really feel.

The Julian calendar has not yet been revised to the Gregorian calendar, so the winter solstice is postponed to December 28.

With the current calendar, this date will continue to be postponed.

But every year, it still trembles for more than ten hours before and after.

This place is much better than Roseburg’s hometown, and there are many benefits of not having polar nights. Rurik decided to make good use of this winter.

Rurik selected a woodblock and gathered a group of people to establish the etiquette standards for this year’s sacrifice.

The priests and witches from White Tree Manor were invited and sat in front of Rurik anxiously. They wanted to say something, and they were worried that their words about the ceremony would anger Prince Ross.

Rurik also made arrangements. Seeing that the local priest was stunned, he took the initiative to ask: “How many ceremonies are there in your grand sacrifice? Don’t be afraid, tell the truth, I am ruling here, and I am very interested in your ceremonies.”

A male priest with a bald head dared to whine: “Just walk around the fire tower and sing some songs. Then kill a few animals and throw them into the fire. This is how we used to be.”

“That’s it? So simple?” Rurik felt that this person was perfunctory.

“My lord, we… that’s what we did, otherwise what else could we do?”

Rurik scratched his head, and asked those sorceresses who were good at smearing their faces with chalk to explain.

But seeing these sorceresses whining non-stop, Rurik didn’t understand after all.

“Forget it.” Rurik waved his hand. “It seems that you don’t want to preside over the ceremony. It just so happens that I intend to preside over it myself. As long as you continue to cooperate with me, you can continue to enjoy the special treatment.”

Since White Tree Manor is a traditional large commune of the Slavs, the small group of priests, witches and pharmacists in it are the ones who receive the supplies of the people.

This situation is very natural, but they are not yet capable of competing for the right to rule the manor.

Then the monarch who holds the theocratic power, military power, financial power and other powers of the Principality of Ross is a blow to the local Slavic priests.

The local priests and witches were very clever to express their unconditional servants, and the prince was the high priest, so things were much easier.

Rurik nodded, and looked sideways at the wives and concubines of the generals and low-level priests who were sitting in front of them, mainly Noren.

“Noren, as we have arranged, I want you to play.”

“Yes, my sisters and I can play as long as it is the piece you have told me.” She said firmly.

“Not just playing, but singing.”

“Which one is it?”

“That’s it. Rossia Vith Svietaheimr (Ross Our Sacred Homeland).”

Noren nodded: “Is there any more?”

“Of course, there is only this song, which represents our Principality of Ross. Others play the flute, but you are the only one. Your singing voice is the most beautiful, and it can directly touch everyone’s heart.”

“Ok.”

Rose should have a song that represents her will, or the will of all Roses.

Rurik is not a musician, but he moved a well-known melody very naturally.

The melody originally belonged to Ross, and the beginning was a standard classic tongue-tattling sound, which shouted out Ross in a concise manner.

As for the lyrics, Rurik made some magic changes to deal with the current situation.

Therefore, it is also divided into two dialects, the Ross dialect of the Norse language and the Ilmen dialect of the Slavic language.

Singing and playing music are an important part of the ceremony, and Noren will show his skills to the fullest here.

It’s just that the instruments are too limited. The only eagle bone flutes and leather drums can form a classic medieval music performance mode. Rurik currently only has these two instruments.

As for the harp, its volume is limited, and it is not suitable for public performance. Not to mention, the Principality of Ross does not have one in stock.

My own wives and concubines can be priests, and most of the rituals are done according to the one in Roseburg’s hometown.

The ceremony is also logically divided into two parts, the first is the traditional Viking ceremony, and the second is the Slavs’ “circling around the fire tower”.

When the local priest gave up the treatment, Rurik felt that he had a golden opportunity.

He wants to get in touch with the spiritual level of the local Slavs through this ceremony.

He is sure that anyone is willing to take the initiative to accept novel gadgets. If it is just going around the fire tower, this kind of ritual is indeed lively but not entertaining enough?

Any sacrificial activity is a popular opportunity for gathering, which essentially becomes an act of entertainment.

Then make it truly entertaining!

New music and songs must be conveyed to the hearts of the people through this winter solstice gathering.

Rurik successfully arranged the rules for the ceremony, and the boat-shaped altar built with wooden piles in front of the wooden tower was also completed.

As soon as the people of Ross came, they had to talk about the show, and it was the prince of Ross who had the financial resources to talk about the show!

Rurik had learned that Hafgen, the Danish leader who had been killed by him, beheaded one hundred and eleven slaves in public as sacrifices to Odin before deciding to take revenge on the new Swedish kingdom.

The Principality of Ross did this kind of human sacrifice in the ancient tribal era, but it has obviously not been done in the following decades. At least the “note board” left by the deceased Velia is not described in the sacrificial records.

I think this kind of thing has something to do with the fact that the Ross people have not been able to get slaves for a long time.

And now that the Ross people have walked out of the cramped fjords, and a strange principality is rising, there is no need for such things as plundering slaves, or there are smarter ways to use them in vain.

Five cows were selected as sacrifices, and Rurik actually bought these aged cows for money, and the owner of the cows was very happy to sell the cows.

The cow is old and unable to produce milk and calve. It is fate to be slaughtered, and it is also suitable to be sacrificed now.

In addition to the old cow as a sacrifice, there are also fifty chickens that have been killed in the past few days, and one hundred perch that are frozen hard.

This is an animal offering, and there is also a sack of oats for a grain offering, and a roll of patterned cloth for a special offering.

The local Slavs had never seen such sacrifices, and Rurik also knew that doing so was a wasteful act, and he felt it was necessary to do it on special days.

Everything is ready to go!

The people of the entire White Tree Manor walked out of their homes, out of the wooden city walls of Novgorod that sheltered them, formed a mighty army of torches, and walked along the frozen Volkhov River to the shore of Lake Ilmen.

A conical giant wooden tower stands in front of you, and it turns orange red under the soft light of the setting sun.

It is a huge red tower!

The Slavs all like red, and the Krivich Slavs made it even more outrageous. The color of blood, flames, and sunset are red, so the name of the Krivich tribe was derived from it.

This group of Ilmen Slavs also called themselves Slavigne, the so-called “glorious ones”, and now they began to call themselves Novoslavs.

Merger now means strength, and the Slavic people of White Tree Manor, who have been enjoying the sweetness for several years, not only accept Varyag’s winter solstice ritual, but also look forward to seeing the world.

Rurik has released news about the so-called sacrifices used in the ceremony, as well as some necessary and fresh procedures…

Thousands of people gather by the lake, they are very thickly dressed and furry.

They stood on the snow with extremely thick boots, trampling it into ice.

Otto held two-year-old Velika, and Niya held Regalaf, who was only ten days old. Young children must participate in this ceremony.

Because he is not only a ceremony, but also the spiritual sustenance of the Ross people.

Bonfires were lit in many areas, illuminating the entire venue.

Waiting for the moon to rise again, the snow-capped world has become clearly visible.

Rurik has been waiting for the time, and it would be best to start the ceremony at midnight, but unfortunately he still can’t determine the time through the Big Dipper.

It doesn’t matter, when the moon rises high enough, that’s when the sacrifice begins.

The basic city of Novgorod is indeed White Tree Manor, and she has indeed become a city in various senses. Now, due to the first batch of Varyag permanent residents moving in, the population has swelled to 7,000 people.

Seven thousand pairs of eyes saw a fantastic procession.

Rurik is white and furry, followed by a group of girls in plain clothes with gems (stained glass) all over them.

Girls play flute or drum, the sound of music is very beautiful.

They are none other than the prince’s wives and concubines!

Svetlana, Rigus’ youngest daughter, is also here, and she’s actually playing the flute!

Alas?

The Governor’s younger sister, Rigus’ youngest daughter, she actually became a priest!

Is this also a priest?

!

Without chalk, they intervene in the ceremony like fairies.

Indeed, Rurik couldn’t feel the slightest sense of sanctity from the local priests whose faces were painted with chalk and mud. God knows why they did this and made themselves ugly.

Since it was a sacrificial ceremony, any priests who participated in it must at least keep clean.

Behind them are some people who are leading cattle and pushing and pulling two-wheeled carts.

Cattle and carts loaded with goods are sacrifices.

A group of people deliberately slowed down and walked into the wooden boat altar very ostentatiously.

It was wonderful that there was no wind tonight, and oil lamps were lit on each stake, and Rurik stepped into it.

Norn led the other girls into the altar and began to play the songs.

The roaring crowd at the beginning was very strangely quiet almost instantly.

This is not the power of music, but their awe of the gods.

Even a fool can see the current situation, and the official ceremony has begun.

Noren has a melodious voice, a three-dimensional face and blonde hair. She is the most typical Viking, like an elf born in ice and snow.

The song “Ross Our Sacred Homeland” was sung by her loudly, accompanied by the sound of flutes and drums to further enhance the atmosphere.

The Norse ballads were largely incomprehensible to the natives until Norn began to sing in Slavic.

Those who only thought the melody was beautiful and interesting immediately straightened their bodies, and the originally quiet scene became agitated for a moment.

People with sullen faces began to smile, even though those who stood far away could only hear the general idea, some key lyrics were still heard.

The Prince of Ross sings praises to this land!

Although the prince is an outsider, the prince does not want to be an outsider!

The young prince of Rus promised everyone that Novgorod would become better.

Rurik manifested his will through a series of ballads and music. These songs are far better than the short folk songs of the locals. The melody is gentle and the meaning of the lyrics is very profound.

It’s like a concert, it’s Noren’s home field!

Rurik noticed that his concubine really enjoyed the attention of the audience, and at this moment she was a singer.

Her voice has a limit, and Rurik doesn’t want Canary to break her voice.

When the music stopped, Rurik opened his arms and raised his sword.

The most important sacrifice is led to the altar, where he cleanly slits the cow’s throat.

The blood of the five cows melted into the land, and they gradually became quiet and cooled.

The joyful atmosphere became suffocating again. The Slavic people saw the young prince slaughtering the cow himself. That technique is really sophisticated!

“Pull the cow to the wooden tower and prepare to light it!” Rurik stretched out his bloody hand, ordering his subordinates to hurry up.

The cattle carcasses are still hot, and some cattle are still alive.

The cattle were pulled down the tower, and other sacrifices were simply thrown directly into the tower.

The final grand finale is now!

It was at this time that the native priests and goddesses, smeared with chalk mud, appeared.

Rurik yelled Viking prayers from the altar, and now the Slavic priests yelled some words.

But people are sharp-eyed, the local priests are muttering, and as a result, the people are also whispering, making the whole scene chaotic.

This was not the case in the past. When the local priests shouted prayers, the people kept quiet.

Rurik was very satisfied with all of this, he knew that he had become the focal point of the whole ceremony, and the torch held high attracted everyone’s attention.

The torch was thrown into the wooden tower. It was just a small flame at first, and it was slowly becoming more intense…

The fire burned more and more, and Rurik, who was nearby, consciously felt the power of the sun. The night was illuminated, and the people nearby were sweating, and their faces were burned. Many people took off their thick clothes and retreated spontaneously. .

A tower of red fire was born, the largest torch ever built on the shores of Lake Ilmen!

All the manors around the lake were celebrating the festival, and they all noticed a red sky in the north.

Rurik chose the place by the river, which is a little far from the city, and he just wanted to let other people take a good look at the fire tower.

His plan has indeed achieved the desired effect. The few farms not far away can be seen most clearly. It is a huge flame, which must be the incarnation of Peron!

Has Peron come?

It must be so.

But God Peron is actually in the northernmost part of the lake, and this god of fire and war actually chose Novgorod!

Just because Maharaja Rus was there?

Some people in the farm began to chew their tongues: Prince Ross has been approved by God Peron, and he will be punished by God if he violates the prince’s will.

Over there, the Varyags and the Slavs have officially started a substantial party!

Six or seven thousand people gathered together and circled the fiery red giant tower.

They turned and roared, and concentric circles appeared one by one. Everyone enjoyed the hot and dry feeling that this severe winter should not have, as if midsummer had come…

In such a warm atmosphere, the Ross people went crazy, and children of all ages followed the adults and yelled in circles, including infants.

They have their own plans, and the Slavs hope to continue to be blessed by the power of God Peron, so that there will be no disasters in the future.

The Ruthians were also circling, each intently looking at the sky for signs of the Valkyrie’s parade.

This crazy joy did not end until the second night, because the fire tower collapsed naturally and turned into scorched earth after burning out.

Rurik slept in a tent in the snow all night. Many people had already returned to the city on foot or by horse-drawn sleigh, but he couldn’t leave.

The sun on the winter solstice is very meaningful, and most of the Ross people did not leave. They waited for the wonderful sunrise on the ice lake, and many people saw the sunshine of the winter solstice for the first time.

This is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Rurik stands tall, and his wives and concubines immediately record the data.

Rurik directly calculated the precise latitude of Novgorod, which is of great significance to the military.

It’s just that being completely drowned in festive joy.

Welcome to 835 AD!

[End of this Chapter]