A tall wooden tower stands outside New Roseburg. It is conspicuous enough that people from a distance can see its phantom.
The tall object made people eager to try it, and some children even tried to climb it. However, they noticed that there was grease on their hands and left in tears.
A batch of harvested seal and minke whale blubber was refined into oil, which could have been used as lamp oil and refined into soap. During this holiday season, it became an excellent fuel for burning.
Various animal fats are boiled into liquid form and sprinkled on the wooden tower. Due to the low temperature, the fat hardens and forms a layer, even sticking to the charcoal at the base.
A large pile of hay is piled up, and on the night of the sacrifice, Rurik himself will light the haystack, and then the entire wooden tower.
Can you quickly create a fire tower just like this?
Rurik secretly prepared some special operations.
Two large sacks contained smelly white powder. Mortals had no idea what it meant. They only knew that these things were obtained from deliberately fermented dung.
It is soil saltpetre. The saltpeter that could have been used as fertilizer was sprinkled on that haystack. Now, as long as a tiny spark is likely to cause the haystack to burst into flames.
Rurik wanted to give the onlookers a splendid viewing experience, and secondly, it also systematically tested whether the saltpetre made from manure worked well.
The preparations for the festival are coming to an end, and people who have gone hunting in distant areas have returned with their prey to "celebrate the New Year". For a time, the ice fishermen disappeared, and the forest trappers gathered in the city. They returned with supplies, and the people in the city
The market became more noisy, and the sounds of hawking came and went.
Look! There are hunters selling squirrel skins everywhere, and even tough squirrel meat at lower prices.
In some areas outside the city, especially on the coastal sandbanks, open-air bbq stalls have been set up. Some families even brought their families and set up tents, just to participate in the ceremony up close and even see the burning of the towering wooden tower.
There is a news circulating that the so-called king will show a miracle, and the fire tower will appear a pillar of flames shooting straight into the sky, just like Jörmungandr breathing fire. The giant python Jörmungandr is said to be a terrifying sea monster, and some people even
I saw it coming out of the sea and spitting fire. I don’t know where this idea spread. In short, people from all walks of life have the same memory. They believe that the fire-breathing Jörmungandr really exists. (It is the Icelandic volcano that was erupted in a distant place.
Seen by a group of fishermen fishing for fish)
Of course, it is impossible for Jormungandr to appear in New Roseburg. Odin will not condone the appearance of such a terrifying monster.
So when the prince mentioned this giant monster, this year's fire tower must be gorgeous.
This is the reason why a large number of temporary tents have been gathered on the coastal sandbank. The cold wind from the north can sweep across this open area. The north wind is like a knife, but no one wants to leave.
Today is the shortest day of the year. In my hometown of Roseburg, it has fallen into "daylight without daylight", while the cities of Ellenborg and Narvik further north have simply fallen into complete polar night.
Although the New Roseburg dimension is lower, today's daylight is pitifully short.
What is pleasant is that the sky has been clear and clear in the past few days. It is precisely the cold wind that has been blowing that keeps the sky cloudless.
Now it can be said that the sky is clear and clear with few stars and stars. The moon hanging high in the sky is so bright that it even dims the emerald green aurora.
There was not enough time for the sacrifice, so some smart people found the positions of the Pleiades and the Big Dipper, and observed their current positions to determine the current time. This method can also be used in the polar night. In a sense, the sky is composed of a star disk.
A virtual big watch, the Pleiades and the Big Dipper can be used as the hands of the clock. Of course, among the Vikings, these iconic stars were all labeled as symbols of the Valkyries.
Rumia is making final preparations at the great temple in the city.
Even though I have a big belly now, the majesty and nobility of the high priest cannot be lost! What’s more, this year’s situation is really special!
For one girl, this year's Hanukkah sacrifice is the beginning of her fortune.
Among the many lower-level priestesses, a tiny figure stood out.
She is Velika, who is only four years old. Before she was born, her destiny in this life was determined - the hereditary high priest of the principality.
Even if a four-year-old girl lives a pampered life, she is still weak, even clumsy in walking and talking with milky milk. But now that she has learned to run, she should fulfill her destiny and responsibility.
Velica hasn't seen her biological mother for a while. She obeys her mother's words. How curious is her mother's current reindeer-like dress?
Lumia also arranged her big braids with the help of lower-level priests. As the saying goes, psychic braids should not be lost, so all the female priests wore the same big braids. Her long black hair reached her waist and was tied up like
The whip of the cable can be coiled on the head. The fact is that the uniform hairstyle of the temple priests has attracted some women who go to the temple to worship the gods to imitate it. Their blond hair does not have to be vertically downward, but is coiled on the head and fixed with wooden branches to form a look like
There are many people wearing flower garlands.
Four-year-old Vilia also had her hair tied up in braids. Seeing that her mother had no time to take care of herself, her curiosity drove her little body to embrace the ancestral antlered helmet of the Russians with both hands.
The antlered helmet was placed on the table, but she suddenly took it off. The heavy helmet fell, and the poor child was knocked down.
The sound attracted Rumia's side glance, and she saw her daughter sitting on the ground holding her helmet, her eyes wide and aggrieved as if she was about to cry.
The mother came over in a hurry, bent down and picked up the helmet, but this move made Velika burst into tears.
"What's going on? I heard the child crying as soon as I came in."
Rurik's arrival was too coincidental. When he first came in, he saw his precious daughter covering her face and crying. Rumia, who was already holding a huge antlered helmet, was embarrassed.
"What's going on?! Why is this perfectly good child crying?"
Hearing that her father was coming, Villa immediately cried out in a milky voice: "Give me back..."
"Give it back to you? Okay, okay, I'll give it to you." Lumia quickly looked at her helmet, and with a hint of anger, she put it directly on her daughter's little head.
For a moment, Vilia stopped crying!
This move really surprised Rurik, Rumia, and even the other lower-level priests present.
In other words, Rurik is more happy.
At least Vilia held the giant helmet on her head with both hands and giggled, as if it belonged to her.
"Lumia, it seems that she can't wait to be the high priest. She... fully accepts her destiny."
Rumia was overjoyed by Rurik's words, but she still took the antlered helmet back and warned her daughter: "It will be yours from now on, at least not now. You have to attend the ceremony in person tonight, promise me not to be afraid."
No crying allowed."
"Um!"
"Don't scream when you see your father killing a deer. Don't scream when you see a wooden tower on fire."
"Um!"
…
The young mother personally taught her ignorant daughter verbally. Rurik watched with amazement and felt extremely happy in his heart. He was very happy to see this funny and heartwarming scene, but the memorial ceremony that would follow was destined to be too exciting.
The wives and concubines brought by Rurik must all participate in the priesthood as lower-level priests. His daughter Velika is the youngest priest. She is too young. This year's ceremony is just a show of her face. As she grows older, she will
Gradually becoming the natural deputy of the high priest.
The stars are changing, the constellations are drifting to their proper positions, and the sacrifices will begin as soon as the positions are completed.
The Great Sacrifice held on the Winter Solstice in 837 AD was the most grand sacrificial event since the founding of New Roseburg, and it was also the first sacrificial event after the completion of the "Crystal Great Temple, Valhalla on Earth".
The main place of worship is of course the open-air stone boat altar near the sandbank at the mouth of the Neva River, with its towering wooden tower.
The sacrificial activities started from the big temple, and the priests walked to the altar outside the city in the form of a torch parade.
Everyone was looking forward to a grand parade, and Rurik gave everyone a splendid display.
Look! All the towers on the walls of New Roseburg were lit with turpentine torches. Harvest Square was crowded with people. A large number of people held torches high. The world, already illuminated by the moon and lasers, became even brighter.
Looking at those cavalry units, the Pechenegs, including Kagan, also participated in the Hanukkah Festival in the Principality of Rus as riders. From Kagan's point of view, today's Japan is the Karajin Festival of the steppe people.
One hundred and thirty horsemen all held torches high, and they were dressed as standard Russian warriors. Even the horses were wrapped in a layer of white cloth stitched with blue stripes.
Of course, there is something special about the appearance of the cavalry. They escort the walking priest team to the altar. The so-called escort is to show their nobility. Idealistically speaking, they should show the principal's new cavalry regiment to the patrolling Valkyries.
All the soldiers of the Ross Principality in the city put on their own uniforms, and they spontaneously gathered for an armed parade that was very appropriate for the occasion.
The sacrifice began at Harvest Square, where thousands of torches gathered into brilliant light and shadow, and a fire dragon made of one of the torches began to walk on Nevsky Prospekt, heading straight for the west gate of the city.
Rurik was riding a tall Turkic horse, and Lumia, who was wearing a deer-antler helmet, was sitting sideways on the front of the saddle.
She was classified as a high priest and was treated like this. Svetlana, Nolen, Carlotta and other wives and concubines who were walking on foot were really envious.
I am envious because now I am a low-level priest wearing plain clothes. Thanks to the woolen coat and leather coat underneath, I am not shivering.
A cheerful girl struggled to catch up with the team. Velika could no longer care about her fatigue and trotted happily on the snowy road.
Many people accompanying him noticed this cute little guy, and it was no secret that they underestimated Velica's identity.
At least with the grown-up Vilia serving as the high priest, any criticism of the choice of high priest will disappear. After all, Rumia was born as a slave and was appointed by the late high priest. She was the first domestic slave of the prince.
Just to achieve her current status, her status is inherently unable to completely convince the public, but Vilia is completely different. This innocent girl is the princess of the principality. She will be a great high priest in the future.
The ten deer used as sacrifices were led, and finally the deer were placed in the stone boat altar outside the city.
Regarding the smooth flow of Hanukkah sacrifices, the principality has retained written instructions since the tribal times, but now it is simply copied onto paper. In theory, as long as Rurik is willing, printing and mass production can be carried out immediately. This is the so-called "Hanukkah Sacrifice"
The official document of the Code of Etiquette is to be preserved from generation to generation, and its wood-engraved version directly becomes one of the sacred relics of the Principality.
According to tradition, Rumia led the middle and lower-level priests to perform an ethereal "Nordic chant", during which the sound of drums and horns was added to enhance the sacred feeling.
The onlookers maintained an absolute tacit understanding. They spontaneously shut up and scolded the naughty children to keep quiet.
Neither Kagan nor Ragnar had ever seen such a sacrificial scene.
Sacrifices on the grassland are more about priests performing divine dances, and then there is a connection between heaven and man with Tengger, and the gods declare from the mouths of humans that the next year will be good and prosperous for cattle and sheep. After that, people eat, drink, sing and dance at the Karajin Festival.
The Hanukkah that Ragnar experienced in his lost hometown had a routine similar to that of the Russians, but the liveliness of the ceremony and the number of tricks were unmatched by the Russians.
The Pechenegs and Danes opened their eyes and watched what would happen next.
Thousands of eyes were staring at the dagger held by Rurik.
Look! Ten stags were brought down one by one.
This move is really a reserved part of the ceremony, and the sacrifices are slaughtered by the prince himself, so that he can communicate with Odin most conveniently.
The deer livers were dug out one after another. Rumia held up a deer liver with her own hands and let the deer's blood drip on her face, announcing the omen of "good luck".
As soon as she finished speaking, Rurik put away his dagger and raised a torch.
In this situation, the scene that everyone is looking forward to is now, the prince is going to light the fire!
Rurik knew that everyone was paying attention to him, but his daughter Vilia, who he had ordered to keep calm, suddenly ran over and grabbed his pants.
His daughter's reckless behavior was very inappropriate, but Rurik couldn't get angry in public now.
But looking at her daughter's serious face, it seemed that she knew exactly what she was doing.
For a moment, Rurik shuddered.
Velika calmly smiled and muttered: "Fire Tower. Give me the torch."
"For you? Why?" Rurik asked softly.
"You said it, and my mother said it, I will be the future high priest. This is my first time, I want to make a fire."
The daughter's attitude was stubborn, but Rurik knew that he had added a lot of violent materials to the haystack, and the entire giant tower was piled with charcoal and poured with oil. It was already a dangerous "powder keg."
If Villa threw the torch unreliably, he would not hurt himself, which would be contrary to the omen of good luck.
"How about we come together?"
"good."
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the situation developed into the prince holding the torch holding the hand of the princess of the principality.
Standing in front of the haystack, Rurik knew that he would throw the torch over and the explosion would begin immediately.
Velika was simply picked up by him, and the father and daughter held the same torch.
"Are you ready?"
"Um."
"Now, let's throw!"
Rurik exerted great force, and Vilya's little hand easily let go of the torch. It was Rurik who threw the torch with great force, only to see it contact the haystack with added materials, and the expected explosion occurred decisively.
The saltpeter started to burn, and the dry reeds that had been deliberately piled fluffy suddenly burst into flames. What everyone saw was a fireball appearing out of nothing in an instant, and the entire haystack burned.
Rurik could feel the heat wave from the explosion. He subconsciously covered his daughter's face in his arms while squinting to watch the birth of the fireball.
People roared and cheered!
Just like the explosion of haystacks, the quiet people released their pent-up emotions in an instant. People from all over the city came to participate in the grand event. More than 5,000 people roared at the same time, and the sound waves even shook down a lot of snow.
The haystack turned into a fireball, and the flames encountered dry charcoal and grease, and the combustion was rapidly expanding.
The tree branches rich in rosin began to burn, causing smoke and dust to rise into the sky. The onlookers were not choked to tears, because the hollow structure of the wooden tower that Rurik deliberately made actually became a chimney, or a blast furnace.
Indeed, the temperature in the core area of the lower layer is enough to burn bronze.
The gray smoke is getting thicker and thicker, but...
what is that?!
It's flames! It's Jörmungandr's breath of flames!
No. That is the fire tower that everyone has been waiting for.
People watched the burning of the wooden tower with great interest. The initial smoke and dust had been dispersed by the flames. A giant torch stood outside New Roseburg. The wide area was illuminated by this burning object that was comparable to the sun. The light actually returned.
The cheering people began to retreat. Even so, the brave warrior wiped his face with snow, rushed to the fire tower with the sacrificial deer carcass, risked being scalded to death, threw the deer over, and then hurried to the distance and jumped
Go into the snow to cool down.
The snow in a large area is melting, and people are evacuating to safe areas in joy, including but not limited to the complete evacuation of the priests from the Stone Ship Altar.
It is like the sun, with fatal heat and a sense of security. It touches everyone's heart. Everyone is inexplicably excited when they see fire. Now this giant torch directly arouses everyone's excitement.
Ragnar and Kagan were stunned. They didn't expect that the Russians actually liked such a grand spectacle. Looking at the pillar of fire rushing into the sky, they didn't understand the chimney effect, so they really thought that this was the miracle of the prince.
Everyone saw a pillar of flame that was similar to the fire tower itself, and the entire fire tower was also burning fiercely.
It is destined to burn for a long time. In this case, everyone will party as long as it burns.
The festive carnival begins with the flames of the fire tower.
In this way, the Principality of Rus ushered in the dawn of AD 838!