Chapter 848 This big tree is actually connected to the tree of the world
The people of Russia are numerous and powerful, and a huge fleet is right in front of them.
The Uppsala people's military power had no ability to stop the advance of this large fleet. Although the Russians' intrusion into the Holy Land made leader Svinned very unhappy, as a smart man, he immediately understood his new situation.
Swined showed great support. He had only one request, that is, he hoped that Rose would join the team so that he could fulfill his promise.
An open grassland became the camping ground for Ross's army.
The camp deliberately kept a certain distance from the settlements of the Uppsala people in order to prove to the local residents that they had a peaceful attitude. However, a powerful army was right in front of them. The Uppsalas who fled into the woods and then retreated back in the dusk
The people of Sara remain extremely wary of these outsiders.
Those who retreated quickly noticed this strange scene.
I saw some large livestock suddenly appearing on the grassland controlled by the Russians. They were all large animals with antlers of different sizes. If I looked closely, they were all reindeer.
There used to be wild reindeer herds in Uppsala, but they were all eaten up by people's hunting, and they didn't even have time to tame them. In fact, they had better choices, such as taming cattle and sheep. Compared with reindeer, these two animals are
The economic value is higher.
They were very worried about the sudden appearance of these large animals eating their wheat fields, and they were also very worried about the Russian army trampling on the young crops intentionally or unintentionally.
Oats are what the Uppsala people depend on, and most of their lakeside areas are surrounded by wheat fields.
Rurik issued some orders, that is, the landing Russian army was not allowed to trample on the young crops and was not allowed to leave the designated station without permission. This move was not to draw a line as a prison, but to ensure that the Russian army would not be hasty and reckless.
A smart move that frightened the locals.
But for the army that has been sailing all the way, the first priority is to set up camp, make a fire and sleep after finally arriving at the destination.
Running around? Forget it!
What's more, this area also houses the largest temple in the world in Sweden.
The pine trees in the inland area can be cut down at will. If the strong men of the Russian army can cut down a patch of pine trees and fir trees, the Uppsala people are willing to see it.
The Uppsala people have always intended to ask for land from the forest. However, logging, especially felling large trees, is a dangerous physical job. Now that they lack strong men, they have temporarily lost the motivation to do this.
Logging is indeed a physical job. A group of Russian warriors of different ages carried their own forest axes, double saws, and cables, and ran into the forest area in groups.
The collapse of a large tree causes strong vibrations, and when the tree trunk falls, it often hits nearby trees, causing violent noises.
Either felled or sawed down, pine and fir trees each have their own uses.
Because the king's enthronement ceremony must show the customs of the Russian people.
What is the custom of Russia? It is the custom of Russia to build a huge steep wooden tower and then burn it down. This is the custom of Russia, even though there is a so-called sacred tree here in Uppsala.
Thick tree trunks will be piled into wooden towers by building blocks, and a large number of small tree trunks or relatively straight branches will be processed into wooden strips on the spot. The Ross army will build a serious camp on the grassland in the controlled area.
, from the perspective of others, it is undoubtedly to build a city. A big hole is dug in the grass, some thick wooden stakes are set up, and thin wooden poles start from the wooden stakes to build a circular wall.
Several towers are also included in the construction plan, but their construction will be postponed to a later date.
Within the wall is the living and accommodation area for the Russian army. It is planned that the army will live in Uppsala for a period of time. If they stay for a long time, they cannot stay in tents. If it rains, the tents will become meaningless. The army
A group of wooden houses with rough wooden floors will be built within the wall, and more than ten people will live in a large wooden house.
The construction of the siege was just a small beginning. Most of the soldiers lit bonfires on the shore and rested on the spot, while a small number of people still stayed on the boats.
Let's put a lot of hard work tomorrow. When night falls, the logging work has completely stopped.
The camp of the Russian army was filled with the strong aroma of wheat. There were a large number of iron pots and earthenware urns cooking oats. Some long-lasting onions and bacon were thrown into the pot and cooked, and the army ate this delicious hot rice.
, and in the foreseeable future, eating such meals will become the norm.
Rurik himself was naturally not in the army. His wives, concubines, and children returned to the boat to spend the night shortly after landing. It was not that he was worried about anything. It was just that some things on the shore were not done well. He could only anchor and float safely on the lake.
A big boat is a good place to sleep peacefully. Of course, the reason why boats are safer is irrefutable.
Rurik and Otto, as well as several Swedish nobles present, were invited by Duke Swined of Uppsala to enter a palace in his house.
Even though he was a Duke, Swined's mansion was just a few large longhouses.
The Uppsala tribe has a small population, and a settlement gathered together is basically a large village. Swinned has no motivation to build a grand house, especially now that he is short of money, and he does not want to waste money.
Then when the envoy sent out whispered to him that ordering a large Russian ship would cost two hundred pounds of silver coins, he couldn't believe it at first. Facing the current situation of a finished ship, his legs trembled faintly.
Half of the large ship ordered has been deliberately stranded. It is indeed a large ship drifting in the waves, like a slender fish, and the price is very outrageous. Prince Rus wants to be the king himself, so it is really unreasonable to bargain for the cost of the ship now.
, in any case, the Ross army is right under his nose, Swined can only give in strategically, and wait for the prince of Ross to be crowned king before respectfully sending him away.
It’s better to think about it! At least after Prince Rurik landed, he claimed to build a city to accommodate his army of thousands of people. Can the Russians take the city away after they have finished their work?! "If you leave, the wooden city will be mine."
Yes! Just in time I moved the mansion and the private soldiers there." Swynedd had such a little Jiujiu.
Now, King Bjorn of Sweden is just one step away from abdicating the throne. He has never received any courtesies from the king, and he is even less so now.
In Swinned's mansion, Rurik was the most distinguished guest. Obviously the old Duke Otto was also present, and Otto's status was already lower than that of his son.
Eighteen-year-old Rurik faced a group of smiling nobles. After some polite remarks, the most important matter of proclaiming himself king and offering sacrifices was naturally discussed.
The person who started the conversation was faced with a bit of embarrassment. Swined, who was stroking his beard, was polite again: "It's a good thing that Lord Rurik wants to become king. You are a hero! Especially the one who will conquer Denmark."
The teacher brought me here, and it also made me feel the glory that I have never experienced before. So..."
Rurik felt warm all over at the flattering words: "So what should you do?"
"The most important thing is that I understand it very well. You will be crowned king under the holy tree, and only then will you be recognized by Odin."
"That's what I'm planning to do."
"So..." Swined knew that the next words might be a little offensive, so he said: "You should perform the ritual according to our rules here, and my high priest should bless you."
"Your high priest?" Rurik did not object for the time being. He was very curious and didn't know what the role of the high priest of the Uppsala people was. He couldn't be a young woman, or someone with a wrinkled face.
The old lady said, "Have your high priest come quickly. I want to pay you a visit."
When he spoke like this, most of the nobles present brightened up. Everyone had known about the Russians' plan for a long time, but now only Swined didn't know. Could it be that Rurik suddenly changed his mind and wanted to use the Uppsala people's big guns?
A priest presides over his own enthronement ceremony?
Swined felt that something was going on, so he urgently sent people to the great temple and invited the priests, big and small, who had been worshiping the gods all day long.
After a while, a man wearing a cowhide, carrying a deer's head (with obvious stag antlers), and holding a wooden staff, accompanied by some junior priests, entered the house where the nobles were meeting.
The high priest's eyes were sharp, and Rurik's dress was too gorgeous. The two of them stared at each other for a while.
"You? Are you Rurik of Rus? A noble nobleman, a hero protected by Odin..." followed by some vague-sounding spells.
The whole scene was so noisy that the arrival of the High Priest of Uppsala attracted so much attention that even Otto looked straight at this somewhat rickety man.
This man was wearing a cowhide and a deer's head. If he stood on the edge of the forest at dusk, he would look like a monster coming out of the forest.
Otto thought of the late High Priest of Rus and the current Rumia. However, the two priests of Rus were both short women. This Uppsala priest was obviously taller. It was obvious that he was also a strong man when he was young.
.
"Do you know my name?" Rurik asked with interest.
"When your heroic deeds spread among the people, we also learned about it. I had doubts, but those heroic deeds were indeed real. We have been waiting for the moment when you become king, and now we have finally waited."
Rurik glanced at the corner of his mouth and smiled: "Great priest, are you also flattering me?"
"This is your destiny. It seems that I will preside over your enthronement ceremony. This is my honor." The high priest was indeed flattering.
Rurik didn't know what the person sent by Swined to report the news said to the priest. This guy really thought he could get the glory? Should he let this old man with whom he had no familiarity crown the new king?
A golden laurel wreath is placed in a wooden box stuffed with wool, and Rurik will wear the laurel wreath as king under the sacred tree.
He still kept his plan deep in his heart, and now asked the priests of Uppsala to take off his antlered helmet.
I saw the old priest showing his bald head and his gray beard covered by leather clothes and shadows. Although the priest was bald, his head and face were covered with black patterns. The patterns were actually easy to identify, and they were all the same color.
The phrases spelled out in Nepalese characters form spells one after another.
Many warriors who claim to be brave will have words and phrases about working hard tattooed on their bodies. Once they clarify their ambitions, they believe that this can bring some mysterious power.
The high priest's decision to make the tattoo even more outrageous is the epitome of this belief.
But Rumia, the high priest of Rus, does not need such measures at all. After she assumes the position of high priest of Rus, she cannot be treated as a woman. She is one of the incarnations of faith and a person who maintains people's faith.
As a tool, she is also recognized as a woman who has received special favors from Odin, so there is no need to use some strange tattoos to strengthen her legitimacy.
The tattoo of the high priest of Uppsala aroused Rurik's intense trypophobia reaction. He had never wanted to use this priest to crown him, but now he felt a strong disgust in his heart.
Rurik did not explain verbally and continued to endure the discomfort in his heart. He invited the priest to sit down and continued to cover his head with his antlered helmet to participate in the meeting.
He continued to ask: "I heard about some of the rituals of your Uppsala people, but I didn't hear them very well. You know these things best, can you explain them to me?"
"Can."
"Then let's talk about some of the most important ritual steps."
The high priest nodded: "Since it is a king-making ceremony, the ceremony must go beyond the ceremony of succeeding the leader. You will kneel down and pray to God Odin, God Sola, and God Ubo in our great temple. And offer you
blood, and smeared the three statues with blood."
"Sacrifice with blood, I can understand."
"You should know that our holiness is not Yggdrasil, but it must be related to it."
Rurik hurriedly sat up straight and raised his head slightly: "Could it be that the roots of this big tree are always connected to the World Tree?"
"It's very possible." The high priest's words immediately became divine: "I can be sure that the earth veins of the big tree are connected to the World Tree, although the gods are all high in the sky." The priest's finger pointed to the sky first as he spoke.
, then pointed to the ground: "But here, the best way to contact the gods is this tree. Your prayers will pass through the earth's veins, from our Midgard to Asgard.
"
"There is still such a statement? Is it true?"
"Indeed." The high priest emphasized again.
Even Bjorn had never heard of this. Otto, who was already very old, had never heard of it either.
Otto then started to talk eloquently: "I've heard that you Uppsala people built a big temple. You spent a lot of wealth on the construction. I didn't expect this to be the reason?"
"This is indeed the reason." The high priest immediately affirmed.
Otto sighed softly, his aging face showing sharp eyes under the oil lamp: "But you Uppsala people are still a small tribe, and you have never been glorious in the past. Does this mean that although you are sitting on a tree connected to the World Tree?
Big tree, but not religious enough?"
There were thorns in the words, and the nobles felt that this was Otto's sarcasm, and they felt secretly happy. Undoubtedly, these words were a mockery of Uppsala, and they also made the high priest look embarrassed.
But this is a fact!
Otto glanced at his son Rurik lightly and gave him a meaningful look.
In this way, Rurik accepted his father's words without hesitation, and immediately spoke with this help: "It is a real holy tree on earth, and it is waiting for a real king. So I am here."
"That's true." The high priest hurriedly took over the words.
"Are there any other major ceremonies?"
"The blood of warriors is still needed to water this sacred tree. Lord Rurik, you... need to hand over at least one warrior to nourish it with blood. At that time, you must at least prick your finger and smear the blood on the trunk of the tree.
superior."
"Human sacrifice?" Although Rurik asked knowingly, he still sounded shocked.
"Exactly, human sacrifice." The high priest emphasized solemnly: "I heard that the former King of Sweden, Olegin, killed five or ten slaves and used the blood of the slaves as a sacrifice to the God of Melalen (the God of the Great Lakes).
He sacrificed to the wrong person and did not receive Odin's blessing, so he died in battle. As for the person who did not even perform sacrifices and became a king, he will not receive any blessings from the gods."
The words of the high priest are very untrue. Bjorn himself is here. Even if his throne is a joke, he is still the king of Sweden in name only.
Bjorn didn't bother to get angry. Looking at the situation of the Uppsala people themselves, they couldn't compare with the Melalen tribe in terms of strength.
Rurik became vigilant: "Are you asking me to hand over a warrior so that the warrior can sacrifice for me to become king?"
"That's right."
"This is really unreasonable!" Rurik suddenly stood up in anger, and a strong bear became angry.
But at this moment, the high priest's expression remained unchanged, his head raised, and the oil lamp shone on his patterned face: "Only in this way can you gain the recognition of the gods. And the sacrifice of the warrior who died was not in vain, his soul
Will go directly to Valhalla."
"No need! This set of rituals you have is completely meaningless to us in Ross. I understand what you said, and I will not carry it out. I will not let a warrior die in vain for me to become king. This is not honorable at all.
It’s even more meaningless.”
"But..." The high priest of Uppsala wanted to emphasize something, but was ruthlessly interrupted by Rurik.
Next, Rurik preached about the Russian people's understanding of the World Tree in front of the great nobles present, and what he said also gave the high priest with a patterned face a huge shock.
Is it credible? Maybe very credible.
The late high priest of the Rus was really upgraded to a Valkyrie, and the warriors of the Rus have a shortcut to the temple!
Is this the reason why Russia is opposed to human sacrifice? But they are not opposed to blood sacrifice. The so-called sacrifices are none other than the reindeer herds that were transported off the ship.
The High Priest of Uppsala realized that he was just a footnote in Rurik's King Ceremony. The Rus' people moved the entire group of Rus' priests here. Now they already know some of the essentials of performing ceremonies under the sacred tree.
The rest is obviously up to them.
However, the sacrifice was actually one hundred and eleven reindeer?! A huge herd of reindeer had to be sacrificed for the birth of a king? How grand is this.
The high priest of Uppsala was so shocked that his mouth trembled: "What a grand occasion this is? The deer's blood will turn into a lake. Such a blood sacrifice is so spectacular!"
"High Priest? Do you still feel that such a ritual is incorrect?" Rurik looked down upon him.
"Don't dare, don't dare! You are the king, and we... all of us, the Uppsala priests, are willing to contribute our help in your enthronement ceremony."