Bjorn came a little earlier, and he could clearly see the grandeur of the Rus' army, and he is still filled with emotion when he sees it now.
What he was most emotional about was that he saw the legendary Uppsala Temple for the first time in his life, but it felt so strange.
In a short period of time, the Russians made some repairs to the temple and replaced some rotten wood. It can be seen that without the repairs of the Russians, the temple would be in tatters.
The great temple built by the Russians on the banks of the Neva River is covered with a layer of crystal (glass). It is crystal clear and is a sacred object!
The current Uppsala Temple really has just a name, but if you look closely, it is nothing more than that.
This huge tree can be called sacred, and a wooden platform has been erected under the tree. There is a shrine on the platform, and a large golden statue is enshrined in it. It must be the god Odin.
Why is there just a circle of earth pit surrounding the big tree? If the platform base is part of the altar, so is the ring pit?
Naturally, Bjorn suddenly realized: "Human sacrifice! The Uppsala people have long spread the tradition of human sacrifice. Are these pits used for human sacrifice?"
Bjorn really can't tell anyone about this. His Mellaren tribe also has a tradition of human sacrifice, but the Uppsala people sacrifice people to big trees, while Mellaren sacrifices humans to the lake god. At least.
Bjorn felt that was not necessary. He was very harmonious when he became king. In other words, Bjorn's "human sacrifice" was the assassinated King Karl, and this was not strictly a human sacrifice.
However, the Russians stood in Uppsala.
"Rurik, you...won't suddenly change your mind and kill slaves for sacrifice, right? As a man blessed by Odin, does that matter?"
He suppressed his doubts in his heart. He met Rurik himself, highly praised the arrangement of the altar, and congratulated the new king on all the success of the coronation ceremony.
Rurik also highly praised Bjorn's retreat, and emphasized in a secret location that the secret agreement between the two parties was valid. He continued to emphasize that the two parties were allies in the past, are now, and will remain in the future.
"My coronation ceremony is just around the corner. After all the nobles arrive, we will hold the first meeting of the All-Swedish Assembly. When I complete my coronation, we will hold the second meeting. I will try my best to solve the problems we have with each other as much as possible.
Solve it once and for all. When the time comes, you must publicly support me as king! Uncle!"
Rurik did call Bjorn his uncle and patted him meaningfully on the shoulder.
Bjorn was in a great mood, which made his abdication less painful. But then he thought about it, didn't this seemingly respectful gesture also hide a knife? Naturally, he had no choice but to keep his smile and hold on to Melalen.
people's interests.
The ceremony will be held at noon on June 28, a day when the daylight hours are longest and the midday sun is the warmest.
The good weather lasted for many days, and the weather will remain bright in the foreseeable future. Everyone said that this was because the gods gave Rurik a lot of face.
The central hall of the Great Temple of Uppsala, which was once moved empty, still looks empty at first glance. Some new furnishings have been added inside, making the whole place more orderly and solemn.
The ground in the temple, which was originally rammed into solid porcelain, was laid with a layer of pine boards by the Russians. The ground became cleaner and the indoor air was always filled with a faint scent of pine, which was very refreshing.
Rurik transformed the place into a place for discussion and made a batch of simple stools.
Now, all the Swedish nobles who are willing to support the Russian nobles as king have arrived, but there may still be some who are not, and even if they are, they are insignificant and small roles.
The heads of several important tribes across Sweden organized envoys to arrive, and they were looking forward to a meeting and a king-proclaiming ceremony.
It was the eve of the ceremony, and the central hall was brightly lit!
A large number of bronze first-class seats brought from Ross were installed by surprise, and a matrix of oil lamps was also hung overhead.
The world outside the main hall was dark. The stars and moon in the sky illuminated the world so much that it was difficult to see. There were lit bonfires everywhere, the whispers were drowned in the faint sound of wind, and the air was filled with the aroma of grilled fish.
Inside the hall were as many as thirty Swedish nobles, large and small, and more than ten Russian male and female nobles.
The climate at the end of June was already mild, and the countless oil lamps brought light but also made the hall very hot. The nobles wore cool single clothes and took off their hats to show off their colorful braids, beards, and
The skull on the top of the head.
There were two distinguished women crowded among the men. They were none other than Queen Svetlana of Russia and Princess Carlotta of Ostara.
Having seen a lot of big things in the world, the two women showed no fear in the face of a group of men who seemed to be fierce. On the contrary, they were quite arrogant, deliberately raising their chins to declare their unattainable value. Because their men were about to
Be king.
After some polite greetings, Rurik deliberately gave ambiguous answers to many pointed inquiries.
Many nobles gathered together with many inquiries, and countless questions were combined into one, that is, everyone needs to know what Rurik will bring to everyone after he becomes king.
"You will all get a satisfactory answer. Your life will only be better than now. Those who recognize my rule, whether nobles or subjects, will receive long-term benefits. We will discuss the detailed terms later. Now I
I will soon be king. Those who recognize me as king will continue to sit in the temple. Those who do not want to recognize me can leave, and I will not keep them."
This is like an unequal transaction. The buyer has to give the money to the merchant first. As for the payment the merchant will give, it actually depends on the merchant's choice.
The nobles all understood that they must first recognize Rurik as the king before they can make subsequent political transactions and gain possible benefits for their tribe.
No one is willing to leave. Leaving the hall now means denying Rurik's throne. Once done, it will give the Russians an excuse to crusade. In recent years, the Russians' method of crusading against dissenters has been crazy wars. The handsome man in front of them
Rurik was originally a murderous monarch, and they had already understood the principle of "unpredictable punishment and unfathomable power" after hearing the blood of others. They could only base their future well-being on Rurik's own conscience.
It was Bjorn himself who took the lead in advocating that Rurik must be king.
Everyone saw this man's low-profile declaration in public: "Friends, the era of Mellaren ruling all of Sweden is over. Ross is a part of our Sweden. Rurik led Ross and made great contributions to our Sweden.
I have abdicated. Sweden needs a real king to rule, and that king is Rurik. I support him very much, and you must support him too."
Hearing this, the elderly Ungrif of Unclas cleared his throat and solemnly announced in a hoarse voice: "I have experienced too much. Rurik is the best man I have ever seen in my long life, and the bravest."
A warrior. He is a man blessed by Odin, and my Unclas supports him as king."
In this way, Swined of Uppsala, who had completely surrendered to the title of nobility, did not hesitate to explain his new identity. Even today, he explained it in public, which was enough to shock the leaders of the small tribes present who did not know the specific situation.
It was surprising. A large tribe with thousands of people suddenly became part of the Principality of Rus. All of them, the Uppsala people, became de jure Rus' people.
Swined said excitedly: "Rurik is the real king. He really considers the welfare of everyone. If Frey, the god of wealth, comes to the world, that will probably be the case."
This description immediately aroused strong emotional resonance between Princess Carlotta of Ostara and Duke Svalgard of Glen. Both of them tearfully pointed out Rurik's kindness and greatly praised Ross for challenging Danish hegemony on behalf of the entire Sweden.
and the fact that it was a great success.
The so-called dukes of many small tribes present were deafened by what they heard. For their own benefit, they must rely on the strong. It is not surprising that the female nobles of Ostara became Rurik's wives and concubines to speak for them. The same goes for the Koglan people.
A small tribe like everyone else, the leader Svalgard cried when he said that he was so excited. This would have been the case if he hadn't received huge benefits from supporting Ross.
The choice of the Gran people has played a significant role as a benchmark, and many small tribes yearn for it.
At present, only Longstall, the great nobleman of the large tribe Yermalen people, has not made a clear statement.
Longstall was surveying the atmosphere. Although he had a lot to say to Rurik, he decided to suppress it first based on the current situation. He punched his heart with his right fist in front of everyone, seriously but not disrespectfully, and said in a measured tone: "
We Yermalen people support Rurik as king."
He did not add any attributive modifications to his speech. It was such a concise and brief statement that proved that he was a man of many words.
Looking at each other, Rurik could feel the emotion and nodded: "Very well, Duke Longstall, you support me as king, and I also support you as duke. I guess you still have a lot to say,
Rest assured, any questions you may have will be answered."
Having said this, Rurik, who received the support of everyone, specially invited his old father to come out.
Old Otto's hair all over his body turned silver. With Rurik's support, he stood in front of the Swedish nobles.
In the Nordic world, the so-called filial piety does not exist. When a person gets old, he will most likely die silently, and it is extremely rare to be cared for by his own children.
"My father is older than you. He is a guest from the old era and has entered the new era we created. But the prosperity of Ross was not created by me in a short time. It is like a great building.
Someone needs to lay a solid foundation. I myself will be the King of Sweden, and my father will also be the King. I hope you will support..."
At this moment, Otto stood simply and majestically, accepting the side glances of many nobles. The nobles did not expect that Rurik would make such a good show. Could it be that a father and son would become the king of Sweden one after another tomorrow.
Bjorn didn't know this beforehand. To be fair, he respected Otto very much. In other words, Bjorn didn't know that Rurik had received many powers from his father when he was only nine years old.
In the past, Ross has achieved many major military victories. In external publicity and in the recognition of many young Swedish nobles, this is the achievement of Old Otto, Duke of Ross. It was not until recent years that Rurik officially showed his achievements.
With his dazzling style, he took over the power from his father.
Bjorn sized up the situation and took the lead in applauding: "The heroic Otto should also be king. This is the honor he deserves."
When everyone saw Bjorn's statement, they completely unified their attitude. For a moment, there was thunderous applause in the hall, accompanied by stamping of feet and roars of cheers.
Looking at Otto again, he still had a sullen face, relying on his willpower to suppress the desire to cry, but deep down he was laughing wildly. He actually knew that he did not have enough merit to be the King of Sweden. Since his son strongly requested that the old man be allowed to
Why wouldn't dad enjoy his life and enjoy the glory? He just lamented that his life was originally confused as he got older, but because of the birth of this old boy, his life had a purpose again.
Otto always remembered the secret conversation with the late high priest Vilia that day.
"Rurik is a child blessed by Odin. Only he can lead Rus to strength. Your task is to raise him well."
Now he can comfort Vilia's soul in Asgard, saying that he has completed his final mission.
The nobles left one after another, and when they returned to their respective residences, they were not in the mood to sleep peacefully again tonight.
Tomorrow is the summer solstice, and Rurik becomes king!
The nobles were busy with their own affairs, and Rurik was also extremely busy this night.
Tonight was a sleepless night for most of the Russian princes, nobles and even the soldiers who were temporarily visiting Uppsala. A strong sense of excitement enveloped people's hearts, and they did not feel sleepy at all. They spent a lot of time dressing up, and they must be dressed in the same way.
The gorgeous image participated in the memorial ceremony and became the perfect foil for the king.
The summer solstice cult in Uppsala in 839 completely gave way to Rurik's coronation ceremony.
What will the future country be? The Swedish nobles have already learned the name of the new country in advance, namely the Kingdom of Rus-Sweden. Rurik is first the prince of the Rus principality, and secondly the king of all Sweden. This is somewhat like the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, or the
Or the merger of Castile and Aragon, the so-called two countries ruled by one family. This model is not uncommon in Europe. The country name pointed out by Rurik really gave the Swedish nobles face, and he also pointed out that
, there are inevitable differences between Russia and Sweden.
Rurik actually made some compromises. According to his wishes, the name of Sweden could have been ignored. Sweden should be regarded as a part of Russia and can only continue to exist as a cultural concept, and its own royal power is also the royal power of all Russia.
It's not just the King of Sweden.
The work of Ross completely replacing Sweden will have to be done step by step. First, the Swedish throne must be won.
In the early morning, the sound of horns broke the tranquility.
A group of people who had not slept all night still kept their heads clear. A large amount of firewood was put into the slow-burning bonfire again, surrounding the sacred tree and the huge campsite around the big temple. Smoke quickly filled the air, and soon the rich aroma of wheat filled the air.
.
Rurik just took a nap, and early in the morning he saw his wives and concubines putting on priestly attire and gathering in the slight coolness of the morning.
Only the high priest Rumia had put on a deer-antlered helmet and her clothes were filled with glass beads, amber, lapis lazuli and gold ornaments. The clothes were quite heavy, but she had the strength to persist for a long time and for the sake of her precious Ruri.
Master Ke will not be discouraged at all.
In fact, all the priests of Rus are very gorgeously dressed, and Rus has enough gems to decorate their beauty.
There is also an important statement here. They are actually playing the residents of Asgard, the legendary heavenly sanctuary. Legend has it that the souls of noble men and women can ascend to Asgard, and they can live an incomparable life every second.
What is a wonderful day? From the perspective of ordinary people, a wonderful woman must be a gorgeous jewelry.
Rumia is the high priest, and Queen Svetlana is the deputy priest.
In principle, my concubine Norun is also a priest, and she brought a full set of bands that she personally trained as a major ceremonial guard for the entire sacrificial event.
All the distinguished people from the Principality of Rus who were able to come were in Uppsala, and even Spyut and the Dane Ragnar, who acted as royal pirates, rushed from Bornholm Island in June to support the event.
For example, the old fat man Gould, who was almost dead, was also arriving in Uppsala in a sedan chair to witness Rurik becoming king accompanied by his family.
Hundreds of Russian flags were flying around the great temple, and the flag hunting scene was majestic.
Thousands of Russian warriors were dressed in blue and white attire. They held up their halberds, with ribbons flying on their heads. Their leather helmets reflected the intense sunlight, and the huge goose feathers stuck on top of their helmets were also swaying in the wind.
These thousand warriors guard a boardwalk made of wooden piles and wooden basins, which directly connects the central temple of the great temple and the platform under the sacred tree. This is a stage belonging to the great nobles, and the ceremony venue will be surrounded by
The crowds of people who were watching could all see the heroic appearance of the king!