Not long after Rurik returned to the capital, a new snowstorm came unexpectedly, so that the snowstorm that had been dormant on Tombstone Island for some time was more like a prelude to winter. Now, the real winter tunes began to play.
Even the cold-resistant reindeer are kept in pens as much as possible to avoid accidents, and the cattle, sheep, rabbits, and poultry raised are kept tightly. Families with financial resources even light special fireplace bonfires in the pens.
Let your livestock survive this difficult time safely.
In the past, when facing a snowstorm, everyone would hibernate at home. In order to save limited supplies, the family would gather together to keep warm, and then sleep together to reduce internal consumption. This is a kind of hibernation in disguise. When the snowstorm is over, people will go out of the house again.
The snow on the roof was shoveled away immediately to prevent the house from being crushed.
Houses that are not strong enough will face this problem, and this problem cannot be solved by Rurik's order.
Are there slums in the capital?
To a large extent, yes. Even if Rurik is unwilling to describe those houses in derogatory terms, at least the people living in them are shanties. There is a large area of unclaimed land near the capital, and the flat coastal wasteland is mostly used for grazing cattle and sheep.
A large number of new immigrants lived here temporarily. At the beginning, such immigrant families had limited financial resources and could only build simple houses. When they accumulated enough wealth, they built warm houses with fireplaces and even double-storey or even three-storey houses like those in the inner city.
.
The largest number of new immigrants are not Vikings. They speak Finnish dialects, and their identities are all Suomi.
The Finnish count family is the great vassal of the Rus. The Suomi people, who constitute the main population of the Finnish countenance, have long been an all-round alliance with the Rus. They submit to the Rus royal family, and although they have the first place in the kingdom than the old Rus and their descendants
Wait, that is basically the same as people from other Viking tribes.
However, these people are too poor.
This snowstorm made the shanty town built by Suomi immigrants another disaster-stricken area. Although the people carried out some self-rescue and protection, many people were still trapped in the collapsed shanty towns and later froze to death.
In fact, this kind of thing is a common winter event among various Viking tribes, and it was the same for the Ross tribe at that time. The Ross tribe had only lived a good life for more than ten years, and those who are slightly older still have fresh memories of the hard life in the past.
, as for someone dying from a house collapse? Oh, that’s fate. What else?
The remains of the deceased were buried in Chengnan Cemetery.
It is also true that many Suomi immigrants have been buried in the cemetery, and these dark-brown-haired Nordic residents are even more persistent because of the existence of the cemetery.
The persistent wind and snow finally passed, and the snow clearing work began immediately across the city.
As long as you stand high up, you can clearly see the masterpiece of this snowstorm - the frozen Kronshtadt moorings protruding from the Gulf of Finland.
The Neva River is completely frozen. Although it is not yet safe to walk on the ice, a discerning person can estimate that in at least a week, the extremely thickened ice will make winter fishing difficult, so much so that a curved pole must be used to cut through the ice for fishing.
Drill to drill holes. The old fishermen in the capital have been gearing up. It is windy and snowy outside, but the family gathers in front of the fireplace in the warm room, wiping their various tools by the firelight.
Over the years, people have made breakthrough progress in fishery exploration in the Gulf of Finland. People are no longer limited to fishing for herring in shallow waters after breaking the ice. Instead, they make extremely long hemp ropes as fishing lines. One fishing line can tie even
There are ten fishing hooks. The extremely long fishing line combined with multiple fishhooks makes it very heavy. Setting out the line and recovering it is no longer something that can be completed simply by manpower.
Several fishing families simply formed teams, just like their ancestors hunted together in the old days, and now they work together to catch cod.
The cod population in the Gulf of Finland sweeps the seafloor of the bay every winter. Their large open mouths eat almost anything. However, if you want to catch a large amount of fish, you are not allowed to sink the bait very deep to the seabed.
When someone discovers this secret, and when plump and frozen cod appears at the winter market, the technology spreads rapidly.
So, when Rurik had ordered preparations for this year's Hanukkah bonfire sacrifices, the cod fishing teams riding reindeer sleighs rushed collectively to the empty ice of the bay.
They rushed directly across Kotlin Island, unloaded their equipment, drilled holes in the ice to lay out bait, and then waited.
The wooden winch pulled two finger-thick hemp ropes and slowly retrieved the fishing line, and the cod fish, which were as dense as bunches of grapes, were pulled out. They quickly froze when they came out of the water, and soon became hard "fish bricks", which made them hard on the ice.
Fishermen who set up tents can collect enough catch before returning.
As long as conditions permit, everyone still likes to eat fresh fish. In early December, at the winter open-air market, the herring and cod shipped back are piled up by vendors. The large catch makes the price low. Fishermen rely on quantity.
It has great advantages, small profits but quick turnover, and the people also benefit from it.
These Gulf of Finland cod are real cod, and in this era they are still far from being exhausted. Although the fish meat is almost a whole piece of protein without fat, there is a lot of oil in the belly of the fish. Because the concept of vitamins does not yet exist, people do not know about fish oil.
Rich in vitamin A, we only know that collecting the offal of various fish can be used to refine oil.
There is even no recognition that fish oil is a special raw material for making high-energy explosives.
Households collect fish oil with a strong fishy smell not for eating, but for use as fuel and lubricant for electric lamps.
Because people have a better choice - butter.
The livestock industry in Yin Ermen Lake, centered on Novgorod, is expanding rapidly. In this era when safe milk packaging technology does not exist at all, every Slavic village that raises cattle and sheep is milking as many cows as possible to make butter.
Ghee, some village boyars personally organize fleets to bring these high value-added agricultural products to the capital and sell them at a good price, and then use the money earned to purchase high-end agricultural production materials locally.
The best oil is butter, followed by fat oil refined from reindeer, cattle and sheep, then whale oil and seal oil, and finally fish oil.
When it comes to eating oil, it’s about fragrant butter. Nowadays, it’s not like the hard times in the past. No one wants to eat the saucy salted shark anymore. Everyone just wants to eat and drink well.
It’s not just about satisfying the appetite, the entertainment of having children behind closed doors is too primitive and crude, people need spiritual enjoyment.
On boring winter nights, bored children pester adults to listen to stories, and adults will gather together to chat.
The various Nordic myths come from campfire chats for thousands of years. Interesting stories have been told, and even the made-up stories are believed to be true by those who listen to them a lot.
Well-informed people knew that the State-owned Printing Bureau, which was officially listed under the king's order, was publishing a magical book, and there was news that it contained all kinds of mythological stories.
Those who have spent huge sums of money to buy wine are also waiting for the book to be released, and they are ready to spend huge sums of money.
In fact, as early as late November, the Latin alphabet version of "Russian Saga" was already available for public sale.
Due to the heavy snowstorm at that time, the printing bureau was in a warm room. Their work dictated that everyone must settle down and work hard in one place. No matter how bad the weather was outside, it would not affect them. It was also the wind and snow that prevented people from going out. Everyone
My son was isolated and could only work hard.
Then when the snowstorm ended, Ella was ordered to adjust the printed text version. They had already published nearly four hundred volumes of the Latin version. Such a strong "combat power" made Ella realize that the workers under her command could not move quickly.
Finish binding it.
The book that had been bound in advance had been sent to the Great God and the palace. High Priest Rumia and her team began to study it all night long. Rurik also used the book as a teaching material to educate the children around him in the palace.
People need interesting mythological stories, not some dogma. "Russian Saga" is to a large extent the "Genesis" unique to the Nordics.
Rurik wanted to use this book, which he personally participated in compiling and reviewing, to become the ideological foundation for the kingdom to maintain unity.
This book ideologically determines that all Viking tribes, Finnish tribes and Slavic tribes come from the same ancestors, but they have certain differences due to their free development in different places.
The book's thoughts brought tears to the eyes, and the priests who studied it did not understand why their high priest was weeping so much.
Rumia, she understands its meaning best.
She herself is a Lapp, and based on the definition of this book, the Lapps are the long-lost relatives of the old Russians.
The people of Novorosberg use Norse as the lingua franca. Novgorod has both, but Slavic is the dominant language. If a person wants to show the nobility of his soul, he will speak ecclesiastical Latin. The so-called principle is defined by ancient Rome.
The standard version. If the king is good, young people who are trying to improve their social status are willing to learn.
And this does have practical significance. The Blue Fox, Red Fox and their followers who returned to the capital to report on their duties have become storytellers one by one because they have been around the Frankish world for a long time.
They introduced the customs and customs of the southern world, showed off and even boasted to earn the praise of the listeners, and also objectively attracted the people's desire to explore in the capital.
"You can learn more Latin and communicate with the nobles in the south. If you can speak this language, the nobles will feel inferior."
So can Latin really become the common language of the kingdom? Rurik does not feel that he has enough human resources to popularize it. It is feasible if it is used as a second language for the national elite.
Descendants of the old Russians need to learn Norse, Slavic and Latin. The former two can basically be learned naturally through family education, while the latter require solid education.
Just a week before Hanukkah, Ella personally reported to Rurik the phased results she had achieved.
It was a unique family dinner. Since there were so many frozen fish on sale in the market, the royal family also had a full fish feast.
The processing of fish is very particular. The cod meat is smashed into a meat paste, then mixed with onion puree, thyme, and pea puree to make special meatballs. This is where the meatball soup is made.
The dough is filled with surimi and cod dumplings, and then dipped in wheat vinegar.
To replicate Eastern winter catering in Northern Europe, Rurik has already done it this time. If the ale brewing environment is not carefully managed, the wine will be ruined. Now they simply allocate resources to deliberately brew vinegar. The royal family in the capital is a vinegar-making workshop.
For this dish of vinegar, Rurik had to eat dumplings. Besides, Viking Hanukkah is the winter solstice festival. In the past, even wheat was a rare item and there was no condition for it, but now you have to pay more attention to it.
This winter, the royal family either eats braised noodles or dumplings. Rurik wants to entertain his cronies and prepare these special meals.
This shows that traditional and improved versions of wheat cakes and breads are food eaten by ordinary people. They focus on keeping full. Only the royal family’s meals are truly delicious.
The brothers Blue Fox and Red Fox are the most frequently invited guests to banquets. They are official officials in the border areas, and they are also qualified to toast the king at the banquet.
Now, Ella comes with good news.
The royal family’s special meals are very good, and there seem to be new ones every year. Ella is not a person who indulges in food and drink. She spends a lot of energy studying Nordic stories. It can be said that no one understands Nordic mythology better than her. Now,
It was she who directly codified the standard Norse mythology defined by the Kingdom of Rus.
She was eager to explain how well she had accomplished her mission, and Rurik asked her to eat more.
"That's enough." She put down Kuai Zi with her graceful and slightly calloused right hand. Her face was flushed by the warmth in the room, and it became even more serious after drinking some wine. "My work was done very well. I printed a lot of books.
All completed bindings are ready for sale.”
Everything was as expected by Rurik. He signaled the other family members at the table to keep quiet, and then deliberately asked with his drunken head: "Are you still bragging?"
"I'm not bragging."
"Oh? How many copies did you print?"
"There are four hundred copies of the Latin alphabet version and two hundred copies of the rune version. Now as per your request, I have completed the version change while the blizzard continues."
"Oh, this is six hundred copies?! I thought a hundred copies would be enough, but I can't believe it." Rurik straightened his back, and everyone could see his excitement.
Ella just covered her mouth and smiled: "You underestimate me."
"Indeed." Rurik rubbed his head vigorously and patted his face to wake him up: "In my opinion, you can print a thousand copies this winter."
"No problem, it's just paper..."
"Not enough paper? Don't be alarmed. When Hanukkah is over, I will send someone to bring new paper as soon as I return to Novgorod! Or, we can build another papermaking workshop in the capital."
"That's unnecessary." Ella gently raised her chin and looked at the king tenderly, not shying away from the queen's presence. She smiled softly and said: "The paper made of birch bark is whiter, and the printing effect is very good. If you change it,
The effect of double-backed paper is not good. Our scriptures must be of good quality, so even the book covers are made of hard oak. This is to be responsible for the buyer and to ensure that the contents of the book can be passed on for a long time."
"Oh, that's true."
"The paper we brought was very worn. They were cut sparingly, and I also proofread the movable type templates carefully."
"It's really hard work."
"It doesn't matter. The high priest has already obtained the book, and I know she is studying it. This book may come in handy for this year's sacrifice."
Rurik nodded: "So, this year's Hanukkah will be grand. I want a grand sacrifice to commemorate the completion of the Saga."
"Eh?!" Ella cheered up a little: "Could we sacrifice another hundred deer?"
"Plan from this."
"Okay. It may be a bit extravagant. Those deer herds are yours. I am also yours..." Being slightly drunk, Ella said a lot of love words.
What did this woman want to do? Queen Svetlana, who is also a woman, knew it all clearly. She moved to the king's side and whispered a few words, then smiled and looked at sister Ella, and hugged her, feeling a little sleepy after eating.
The prince withdrew...
How to reward Ella for her meritorious service? Rurik has his own manly way.
Ella, who was born in a noble family, just wants to do her job as the "Supreme Clerk". She is a concubine of the king, the biological sister of the Duchess of Ostara, and the adopted daughter of the old king of Rus. She has multiple identities in one body.
She is the same age as Queen Svetlana, so she poses no threat to the queen. Svetlana intends to maintain a good sisterly relationship with her, and with this closeness, she can have a close relationship with the Duke of Ostara in the south.
To be fair, Svetlana was a little scared of Carlotta, the Duchess of Ostara. It must have been the hardships in her childhood that forced her to be extremely tenacious. She was a tough female general, and her ability was stronger than that of most men.
Her son is also a descendant of Rurik, so there is a possibility of estrangement from each other.
Because, this year, she noticed Duchess Carlotta's son Karl. The boy had pure golden hair, and his identity was only nominally not an old Russian. His blond hair gave him the inherent glory of Varyag. This boy
It is indeed unusual. He shows precocious traits at a young age, and he will definitely be a promising nobleman in the future.
Ella spent the night contented with the king's special reward.
The next day, those printing workers received a batch of physical rewards.
On this day, a wooden platform was set up in front of the great temple in Harvest Square. Rurik simply performed a small-scale sacrifice, and then the high priest personally started selling "Ross Saga".
The Latin alphabet version sold for one pound of silver, and the rune version went for two pounds.
The news has spread all over the world, and people are aware that there should be all kinds of stories in it. It is also said that King Rus got some wisdom from Odin and put it in this book. The text is traditional and anyone can understand it. It must have the characteristics
With divine power, buy it when you get the chance!
In fact, because there is a comparison table between the Latin alphabet and the rune alphabet, even if you buy the former version, people who don't understand the Latin alphabet can still read it, but it will take a lot of extra time.
Wealthy residents of the capital were willing to pay for this sacred book, and all six hundred copies available for sale were sold out!
Putting aside the cost, the royal family has made a lot of money, and knowing that the public has a strong demand for books, it can be seen that it can make a lot of money if it continues to sell in the future.
It can be said that for the majority of buyers, "Rossakya" is the first book they buy in their lives.
Books were still a rarity in Europe during this era. Parchment was the mainstream writing tool in Western Europe, while papyrus and parchment were used in Eastern Rome.
Ross's birch bark paper has lower cost and good quality. The materials are adapted to local conditions and the production technology is constantly improving.
Every household that believes in the Nordic gods has its own guardian elf statue. Now, families who bought "Rossaga" simply regard this book as a brand new object of worship. They actively read it to make the boring winter time better.
A novel story immediately replaces the old conversation piece.
For buyers, a whole new world seems to have opened the door to them. Through this book, it seems that everyone who still lives in Midgard can have a glimpse of the sanctuary of Asgard.
In "Rossaga" there are heroes, gods, justice triumphing over evil, sacrifice, kindness, Nordic morality, and lost relatives...
It works immediately!
On the eve of Hanukkah, Rurik learned something that was hotly discussed in the city: It turned out that the people who lived together were actually relatives a long time ago. It turned out that the Vikings, Finns, and Slavs from all walks of life were related. This recognition
The knowledge also spread to the "Pskov Expedition Five" who were temporary guests in Rosberg.
For these five unexpected visitors, Rurik specially prepared a rune version and sent it to them with instructions: "When you return to Pskov in the spring, bring this book to your boss."