Chapter 557 The Bright Ceremony of the Fire Tower Stone Ship
Sunlight has become extremely luxurious, and the winter solstice without the sun is about to come.
Although people have adapted to the short and young Rumia, who presided over the sacrificial ceremony as the high priest, Logisvilia was still alive in a haggard form at that time, and now Veriya has gone to the sky.
The inevitable end of an old era, just as the longhouse of the priests was destroyed, and a group of lower-level priests were buried for Vilia. In the temple that rose from the ruins, the statues of gods standing in the room have been worshiped by people.
I have been worshiping him for nearly a year.
The people of Fort Ross have adapted to the new way of worshiping. They don't find it strange, but think that the distance between them and God has been shortened.
The only thing that hasn't changed is the stone ship altar still located outside the tall wooden wall of Fort Ross.
That small pine forest is a "land that will never be cut down." The pine forest with a lot of snow is full of precision. The empty black soil in the forest is covered with snow, and the rocks of the Stone Ship Altar are like monuments in the snow.
Its black soil is not natural, but the ashes of bonfires sacrificed year after year.
Rurik has been busy supervising the construction of ships these days, and the reality is far better than expected.
The Mercury's hull has not yet been completed, and its propeller mechanism should indeed be able to operate in seawater, but the operating effect should be demonstrated by sea trials.
Rurik did not dare to take the drastic step of installing a set of these on all new ships. He had ambitions, but the cost of the first set of finished products he had more than a month later was far higher than he expected. What if this was not the case?
Making too many of them because they are too useful is a waste of money.
But the two large ships with newly installed masts standing on the frozen beach, waiting for the ice to melt and be pushed into the sea, have indeed become a beautiful sight, echoing the other three large ships.
The people of Roseburg are getting ready for the Hanukkah celebrations.
How to spend this grand festival? Drag your whole family to participate in the sacrifice, eat and drink at home, light bonfires everywhere, talk, laugh and dance, and revel until the dawn of the east breaks through the darkness.
It was a cold night, and Rurik had summoned the ten Slavic maids who were actually wives and concubines to his palace.
This time he gathered all his wives and concubines. This arrangement was not a private matter, but a matter for the Roseburg Hanukkah sacrifice.
If a sacrifice is held? What rituals should be included? What ancient songs and spells should be sung? Rumia is already familiar with it.
Ryuri was not worried about this at all, but Rumia's physical condition was the most dangerous now.
Rurik was sitting upright, and all his women were doing their best and obeying him.
He was too lazy to be polite and looked at Rumia's calm face and said bluntly: "My high priest, even if you are pregnant now, there will be no problem in going to this year's sacrificial event."
My man actually uses very formal words?
Rumia was startled and hurriedly replied: "Yes! I will persevere. I will wear a thick leather coat so that no one can see that I am pregnant."
"Your courage is commendable! Maybe I should let you rest. I have predicted the birth time of the child. The earliest is fifteen days, and the latest is twenty days."
Rurik said it with peace of mind, but Rumia and the other women were frightened when they heard it.
"This! Is this true?" In shock, Rumia's face gradually turned into the happy smile of a first-time mother.
"Of course. Velika is about to be born. Regardless of boy or girl, this is his name, and becoming the high priest is also his destiny."
"That's right." Rumia sat calmly and stroked her belly, "Although there is a gap in my belly, this year will be the first time this child participates in our sacrifice. He was born for the sacrifice, and he is Odin's.
servant."
"So, you must persist and complete all the work step by step during the sacrificial activities. You! You must not fall, let alone get tired. You must endure any difficulties." Rurik continued to emphasize.
"As ordered, I will insist on holding on to the wooden stick even if I am tired."
Rurik nodded, Rumia knew what to do, and he didn't want to say anything more.
It would be too bad if the sacrifices were the same every year.
In his opinion, the annual Hanukkah Festival of the Russian people is exactly the same as the Spring Festival in the East, and is even more concrete than the East! In the people's mind, the beginning of the year is the first sign of the long night.
Wipe out the morning sun, and everyone should have a carnival in the endless night, and wait for the sun to regenerate before taking a good rest for a day or two.
This is how the Russians "celebrate the New Year", but the demographic structure of Rossburg has changed a lot, and it must add some Slavic elements, such as worshiping fire more!
Rurik must consider the feelings of the Slavic women who have married over, even though they have given birth to a new generation of mixed-race Rus on a large scale. However, after all, this is the fusion of two peoples with different cultures and even blood. For the sake of internal
Stable, this year's sacrifice to Rurik decided to build a huge torch next to the Stone Ship Altar!
Fire makes people excited, and children playing with fire is also an instinct written in human genes. Only when children's hands are burned by fire do they know the danger.
Then wouldn't it be better to have some accompaniment music or even drums beside the bonfire and at the stone ship altar?
"Nolen, how did you go about explaining your affairs?" Rurik asked, changing the subject.
"Everything is ready, now my sisters have learned at least three songs."
Rurik knew that the music she was talking about was actually composed by him in his hometown of Balmok. They were long and ethereal. As long as he closed his eyes and listened to the playing of the eagle leg bone flute, he could think of the coldness and eternity of the ice and snow world.
and silence.
Maybe Hanukkah should have some upbeat tunes?
It's not necessary.
This sacred sacrifice requires special music to make people feel the sacredness contained in the music. The more remote and ethereal the better, and the sound of drums will enhance the atmosphere even more.
"Looking at how confident you are, I think you really know how to do it."
"How about we find an opportunity to play for you." Nolen said with a timely smile.
"That's what I meant. Now let's continue talking about the specific details of the sacrifice..."
In the Principality of Rus, Rurik controls the monarchy, military power and divine power. People have gradually diluted Otto's influence in people's minds, and praise Rurik as a great hero and great saint who must perform the warrior salute when meeting him.
As such a sacred being, it naturally has to be greatly expressed in sacrificial activities.
Using the blood of slaves, especially the blood of captured enemy warriors, as a blood sacrifice to Odin was a common practice among powerful Viking tribes in grand sacrifices.
Rurik also learned from the fat man Snoleva who had returned and became more knowledgeable, that the Danish leader Hafgen, who was killed by his own ship, actually killed him on this summer solstice in order to stabilize his power.
Kill one hundred and eleven slaves to sacrifice to Odin!
Human sacrifice has reached this point? Is it still heading towards Aztec-style sacrifice?
But the human sacrifice did not bring Hafgen victory, but his simple and crude death, reputation, and family destruction.
From a very rational perspective, these sacrificial models are a waste of manpower, are inhumane, and do not even bring any good results.
What is a sacrifice? Rurik planned to kill ten large-antlered stags with his own hands and let the blood of the deer stain the red stone ship altar, just like the sacrifices in the past.
When the priest reaches the end and Rumia sings the final hymn to the gods, the final and grandest ceremony will begin.
Thousands of people will see a fire dragon rising into the sky, forming a pillar of fire that can be seen at least twenty nautical miles away. This giant bonfire will continue to burn until people see the rising sun of the New Year.
On this same day, Nolen was on the third floor, leading his sisters to rehearse the music to be performed during the sacrifice to the man they all shared, Liurik.
The music of the ten bone flutes was melodious, and the maid named Anna held the leather drum and beat it to steady the rhythm, so that the whole band played in an orderly manner.
After Otto had finished chatting and laughing with his friends, he returned to the mansion. Hearing the beautiful music from the upper floors, he held on to the railing and went upstairs. At this moment, Niya had already climbed up in search of the sound, sitting quietly and feeling it with her heart.
Niya has been moved by Nolen, who is also extremely beautiful and has the same blond hair as her son. This girl is a natural musician. She is beautiful and can bring joy. The key is that this girl does not show any initiative to ask for anything.
What.
Niya likes this Noren better than Svetlana who is sitting here and listening quietly. It would be great if this girl becomes his son's wife.
At least in Balmok, she and her son really had a wedding there, and the allied people acknowledged this.
Otto and Nia listened to the performance, and Noren was very happy to have such a large audience.
"That's really good!" Rurik applauded as he said that.
Nolen smiled and quietly put the flute under his body.
"I remembered something. We also have a very old harp in Roseburg. Nolen, maybe it can be used by you too."
"I know." Nolen pouted slightly and said regretfully: "The harp is broken. It's a pity that it can't be used as an instrument for sacrifices."
"Okay. You have to continue rehearsing. The ceremony is not far away..."
The entire old priest group was physically wiped out. A few lower-level priests either changed careers long ago or were sent to distant strongholds early. There were no old priests left who could threaten the monarchy.
However, the new group of priests who took orders from the Duke himself was basically a large group of children, and they were responsible for all the ceremonies. Otto was really worried about them.
They sat here and listened to their son's teachings. But in Otto's eyes, these beautiful girls should just lie down and accept Rurik's favor, rather than necessarily participate in the performance of sacred rituals. Especially Rumia! Otto
I really don't want the mother of my first grandchild to be exposed to possible dangers.
Everything is no longer up to the old leader who has delegated power. Otto is no fool after being the leader for many years. He clearly knows that even if he intends to take over power now, how much support will his brothers have? Besides, taking over power is meaningless.
No reason.
The day of sacrifice is coming!
A batch of pine trees were cut down and stacked in parallel. Next to the stone ship altar, a tower made of pine trees was rising. Although it was more luxurious, Rurik ordered a spruce pestle from the far north to be dug with a shovel.
In a good pit, use this as the center and let the "pine tower" go twenty meters away.
This is already a very high altitude, and the people who built it were very excited to learn that it would eventually turn into a burning pillar of fire.
Because the day of the sacrifice is also the day when the Valkyrie Sperosvilia, who is exclusive to the Ross people, will parade. As long as she sees the huge fire on the earth, she can find the location of Ross Castle in an instant, thus establishing a certain connection.
People firmly believed in this, and the more they thought about it, the more they longed for the era of the old priest Vilia.
Times have changed. Just like in the past, who would think of setting up a grand ceremony like Rurik?
It was a cold morning, and the sun luxuriously spread a little light before sinking into the sea level.
No one feels scared because the festival is finally here!
The world is covered with snow, the sea is frozen, the sun is no longer shining brightly, the world is still bright, and the people protected by the high walls of Fort Ross gather spontaneously at the Stone Ship Altar with their families under the emerald green aurora.
.
In the temple inside Ross Castle, Rumia wore a deer-antlered helmet, Rurik and other Ross elites knelt in front of the statues of many gods and worshiped.
Since the statue was erected, it should be worshiped, so it is not strange for Rurik to worship the statue. The rules were set by him, and this will also be 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 canonized as a god. Worshiping her is like worshiping ancestors in Rurik's heart.
"The gods bless us! The gods give us glory! The gods bless us and prosper..."
Kneeling Rumia held a wooden board recording ancient hymns and recited loudly. The rosin smoke filled the entire temple, and there were still some onlookers standing outside. When they saw that the distinguished people had knelt down, they also knelt down.
Kneel down and pray.
This is just the beginning of the grand ceremony.
Of course, when the position of the stars reaches the agreed point, especially a few special stars, they can only appear in the "sunless day". They are considered to have mysterious power and are symbols of the gods.
After most of the day, the magnificent streamers of the emerald green aurora kept swaying under the clear night sky, and as many as 4,000 people had gathered in the forest of the Stone Ship Altar!
This grand opportunity attracted the people and even more attracted the foreign businessmen who stayed in Russia.
A temple fair suddenly formed next to the altar, with merchants selling strange products, mostly wooden crafts.
Wood carvings of little elves, big elves, wood carvings of gods, and even boxes and boxes.
A large bonfire has been lit, and hundreds of people are standing under the wooden tower next to the stone ship, discussing the huge torch of the future, and discussing what new tricks Lord Rurik will come up with.
Finally, the stars are about to reach the promised position.
There were pure girls playing leather drums, and ten girls playing flutes while walking around.
In front of them, Rumia was wearing a deer-antlered helmet and holding a clanking wooden staff, and was being held by Rurik as she ran towards the altar.
Rurik organized a traveling team! This was not only to participate in the performance of sacrifices, but also to gather the Duke's elite soldiers to demonstrate their illustrious martial arts!
Everyone was dressed very thickly, except for the pure white robes on the outside.
The girl playing the flute and drum is Rurik's concubine and a lower-level priest.
The accompanying warriors were all dressed in military uniforms, uniformly wearing white robes with blue stripes sewn on them. They held shields and spears, and the spearheads were all tied with blue and white cloth strips.
The uniformity further highlights the majesty of the sacrifice, and the hanging colored glass beads and amber further highlight the magnificence.
Amidst the complex emotions of encouragement, praise, shock and envy, people listened to the melodious music and witnessed the team arriving at the altar.
The warriors gathered around the altar, then half-knelt down with their wooden shields beside them.
A bear head (a dismantled house decoration) was placed on each stone pillar of the altar, and the girls who served as lower priests still played melodious tunes.
Nearly eight thousand people gathered here, whispering to each other and accompanied by a large number of children crying, wearing their best clothes and laughing happily.
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 were listening to the chants of the priests headed by Rumia, praising the greatness of Odin, the greatness of Sora and the greatness of the gods.
There are also new tricks. People can hear them singing about the greatness of Lord Rurik, the glory of the Russian heroes and the victory of the war.
People also saw ten stags being led into the altar.
Rurik killed the deer one by one while the priests were singing.
The altar was soaked with deer blood, the livers of the deer were cut out one by one, and Rumia also smeared Rurik's face with deer blood.
Rumia, she finally held up the cut deer liver and shouted: "Odin grant us prosperity! Grant Rurik glory! Odin says! Light the fire!"
Everything is ready. The wooden tower has been piled with a large amount of oil-rich rosin, and a lot of solidified whale oil and seal oil have also been thrown in.
The strong man on standby held a torch and approached the wooden tower. The wooden tower gradually burned and eventually turned into a fire that reached the sky.
Look at this flame! Drive away all the coldness!
It wasn't over yet, all the deer carcasses were thrown into the fire and turned into ashes in the fierce fire.
People were dancing carnivally under this huge flame tower, and the married Slavic women were also screaming with happiness. Because the God Peron they believed in was the Slavic god of fire and war. Now the flames were burning their faces, and
The child in their arms. They felt that their child had been blessed by the two supreme gods and would have a safe future.
In this lively atmosphere, although John Ingvar hung a cross on his chest, he prayed to God and was immersed in this lively atmosphere.
The young female serf who had regained her freedom by serving this young man grabbed John's hand and shook it from side to side, falling 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 across the sky.
People were finally exhausted in the last cheers, and the happy period finally came to an end. People returned to their homes and looked forward to the melting of the ice and snow in 833.