Chapter 95 The Servant's Silver Jewelry and a Pile of Magnetite
Now, Rurik is more concerned about the issue of silver jewelry.
The next casting process is not complicated. Kawei first poured silver water into the semi-ellipsoid concave mold, and it began to gradually cool.
When Kawei felt that the cooling time was almost up, he pulled over the still hot and soft silver ingot, and a wonderful semi-elliptical silver ingot was born. Using it, he pressed the ruby into the silver ingot. While the silver ingot was still soft enough, he started to use it.
I hammered it hard with a small hammer, including the edges and corners at the lower end. I knocked out a convex part, and then used an iron to make a hole.
There is no doubt that this hole is used to string the string around the neck.
Klavasen was responsible for the remaining silver water, which was poured into the bracelet's mold and gradually became a larger silver ring.
Rurik was very interested in Kawei's technique of making a silver pendant. As the pendant gradually took shape, his eyes saw Klavasen making a bracelet.
It was still a surprise operation of the small hammer. The rough but soft silver bracelet, Klavasen did not dare to touch it directly with his hands. A small pliers clamped it, and the hammer in his hand knocked the edges and corners flat. It was really a delicate process, Rurik didn’t know
As long as he paused to watch, he had to admire the blacksmith and silversmith in the ninth century AD. He actually underestimated the achievements of the Clavarsons.
These professional blacksmiths are fully capable of precise processing. I am afraid that the obstacle that restricts them from further progress is the problem of smelting technology.
After the key hammering was completed, Klavasen personally used a mixture of fine iron sand and ordinary sand to polish the silver jewelry. The silver pendant and silver bracelet reflected an extremely beautiful metallic luster, especially the smooth and flat back of the silver pendant, which was completely
Just like a mirror.
Although he was processing small objects, Klavasen, who was tall and round and had an exaggerated beard, his hair and beard were smoking, and his face was red. It was not that he was sweating too much because he was burned by the fire, but
It's precision work that requires full concentration.
Klavasen finally let out a long sigh: "Ah! It's done here, great leader, and Rurik. You see, my son and I didn't spend too much time. I hope you like us.
work."
The two exquisite ornaments had completely cooled down, and he presented them personally, especially to pass Rurik's inspection for a satisfactory answer.
"Kid, what do you think?"
"I think...it's okay." Rurik carefully played with the silver pendant. From the perspective of a jewelry, it still needs further polishing.
Its back is flat and smooth, and some text can be engraved here.
Rurik looked at Rumia and then at Karavasin: "Blacksmith, engrave some words on the silver jewelry for me."
"Yes, I can even engrave words on the bracelet. Now what do you want me to engrave?"
Right, what should we engrave? For example, some words of blessing. After all, the two ornaments are meant as gifts.
Seeing his son's hesitation, Otto took matters into his own hands and said, "Klavasen, you can engrave my son's name on him. This way, this little servant will remember it for a lifetime."
"Dad! Isn't this inappropriate?" Rurik felt something was wrong.
"It doesn't matter." A big hand covered his head: "Just listen to me. There are also some words engraved on the bracelet, which should be as beautiful as possible."
Rumia, she is not very happy to get two pieces of jewelry now. In fact, she still does not fully understand the value of silver. She only feels that if she wears a pendant around her neck, she may become better, at least the owner will retain it.
Rick thinks so.
Before forging the sword, Clavarson had to complete the delicate work of engraving the silver.
He has a very small iron awl and taps it lightly with a small wooden board, leaving clear dents on the silver. His professional level is limited, the tools at hand are rudimentary, and there is no help from a magnifying glass.
, his aging eyes are simply unable to perform the most detailed carvings.
He tried his best to engrave the words "Rurik" and "Servant" in runes on the back of the silver jewelry, and also engraved a so-called mantra on the bracelet that Otto himself told: "I am Rurik's servant."
I will serve with my whole life.”
Otto insisted on making things very ritualistic today. In the blacksmith shop, he made Rumia kneel down on her knees and raised her head.
"Rurik, put it on your servant now."
"Okay...okay."
Rurik hesitated a little, and the pendant in his hand was polished again. The silver was like a mirror, and the ruby was like red suet. It was originally a very happy thing, but it was turned into a ritual by his father.
but……
The short time left Rick with many things in his mind.
When a medieval monarch enthroned a vassal, he would make him kneel down, then tap the vassal on the left and right shoulders with his sword. After that, the vassal would also kiss the monarch's right hand. This ritual is the relationship between the rights and obligations of the monarch and his vassals.
conclusion. Moreover, vassals are indeed servants of the monarch.
Thinking of this, Rurik felt much better.
He gently bowed his low body, held the pendant in both hands, looked into the corners of Rumia's eyes, which was trembling with excitement, and brought the silver pendant up.
What about the bracelet? Rurik had some difficulty because Rumia was still too young and her wrists were too slender. Although there were women who wore anklets, her ankles were just as slender.
Rurik quickly thought of a brilliant trick. The hemp rope of Lumia pendant was made into a buckle, which just happened to hold the entire silver bracelet.
The bracelet looks like a halo, and in the middle is the pendant inlaid with gems.
Including gems, the weight of this set of silver jewelry has exceeded fifty grams. It is worn around the neck of a thin little girl who is only ten years old. It cannot be said that she becomes more beautiful because of it, although she will definitely become more beautiful as she grows older.
Maybe it is like a spiritual shackles, and the words engraved on the silver jewelry are simply a label.
"Get up." Rurik ordered.
Rumia slowly stood up and couldn't help but touch her baby with her hands. She subconsciously moved closer to Rurik and said thank you several times in Norse language.
"Okay, my son. In this way, your servant is no longer an ordinary servant. He is your personal servant and the most important servant. Are you satisfied now?" Otto asked loudly.
"Satisfied! Next..." Rurik couldn't help but look at the sky outside. He had spent a lot of time because of the silver jewelry. No, the sun was already setting impatiently.
He thought for a while, maybe he could postpone the matter of forging the iron sword?
No! I want a steel sword!
He quickly asked Klavasen: "Wise blacksmith, are you feeling tired now?"
"Not tired at all! My child, do you think we are out of breath just because we are making silver jewelry? The work of silver jewelry is completely over. Now I implore you to tell me how to make a hard and excellent best iron sword with beautiful patterns.
A sacred sword that can easily cut through ordinary iron swords!"
"Okay, since you are very insistent. Before that, I want to see your skills and finally tell you how to make a good sword."
Klavason's beard was trembling, and his strong thirst for knowledge wanted to grab the child by the collar and ask him how to make a good sword. Klawason finally gained the upper hand, and even his beard was trembling.
"Since you want an ordinary iron sword, I have one ready-made here." He suppressed his excitement and told his son Kawei: "Go and take out one from the box."
"No!" Rurik refused directly.
"Why?"
"I am your buyer, and I want to see the ore turned into an ordinary iron sword. I don't want your ready-made goods!"
"But what difference does it make?"
"Of course there is a difference. I just want to see your work." Rurik said this very honestly. He must understand the entire iron smelting process of the Ross tribe so that he can improve it. He had an idea and said:
"There's another reason!"
He put his left hand on his right arm and muttered regretfully: "Look, I'm just a child. I can't hold the iron sword used by adults. I need a short sword, as long as my forearm, and I want you to make it carefully."
, and it should be inlaid with silver and precious stones. I will always carry such a sword with me and pass it on to my children."
Klavason couldn't help but think that this child was indeed different, and his words were so far-sighted.
The more I look at Rurik's servants, the more I feel that my speculation will turn out to be true. He must have deliberately upgraded his "close servant" to a real wife, otherwise he wouldn't have spent money making silver jewelry for a little girl. What's wrong with that?
The sword is passed down to descendants.
This kind of thing is not impossible no matter how you think about it, because the location of the Ross tribe is too remote, but there are many brother tribes in the south. It is normal for powerful men there to have multiple wives and maids.
In comparison, the leader Otto was really loyal to his married wife!
Klavason laughed boldly. "I understand! Then come on, kid. As long as you don't feel tired, stay here. My son and I will work all night long. I hope you can finish it."
Rurik also smiled with satisfaction, "My servant and I can accept it. I even intend to stay at your house for one night, of course, if you can accept it."
"Ah?" Klavasen was suddenly stunned, "I... my place is very simple."
"It doesn't matter, it's decided." Rurik deftly turned his head and looked at his father: "Dad, you won't object, right?"
"That's okay. Since you insist, I agree."
Because this Klavasen is a trustworthy old guy, Otto has always been very satisfied with the way this guy made the most gorgeous decorations for his swords passed down from generation to generation. Klaavarson's skills are excellent, and the sword is inlaid with a thumb-sized diamond.
The large ruby is still firmly attached to the hilt of the sword more than ten years later.
It’s okay for the son to have more contact with the old blacksmith. As for the steel sword-making technology that the son learned from Odin, it’s best to turn it into reality.
Steel, as it is known in Europe, was introduced to Europe along the Eastern commercial trade lines. In the ancient German region, that is, the central and northern region of the Frankish Kingdom in the ninth century, people here called imported steel "stakhlijan", which originally meant "
"The hardest iron", this word has evolved over a thousand years into modern English "steel".
Old Norse is part of the ancient Germanic language. This word for "hardest iron" is pronounced "stolla" when it comes to the Rus tribe.
So Rurik didn't think anything of it when he heard this word. As an old guy who had passed CET-6 in English before time travel, he also understood the changes in English to some extent and understood the languages of the Nordics and the British. In a sense, they are Germanic to each other.
The dialect is completely understandable.
Steel, it is indeed the "hardest iron", so hard that it can cut iron like mud.
At Rurik's urging, the Kravassins took a short break and began the so-called most primitive iron smelting operation.
Rurik and Rumia became spectators. They sat on leather mats not far from the stove and watched the details of the blacksmiths' work.
I have to say, their manufacturing process is really primitive!
For stoves that are not high and made of mud, most of their structures may have turned into hard pottery due to the high temperature of the charcoal.
The stove is small and primitive. It at least has a larger outlet and a larger feed port at the top. Directly above the feed port is a hollow facing the sky, and a simple chimney made of clay is built around the cave.
, in this way, the thick smoke of combustion can be discharged, but the heat in the room is also easily lost.
The blacksmith doesn't care, because a series of blacksmithing processes involve sweating profusely, working around the boiler, and even on the coldest days, he is more willing to wear a linen tailor's undershirt and hammer away.
There is only one outlet for the furnace. Obviously, Klavasen's furnace has not yet advanced enough to set up an additional slag outlet.
Let's go ahead and see what he will do.
Rurik was the first to see Klavasen coming with a large amount of dark charcoal and putting it vertically into the furnace. Soon, his son Kawei picked up several stones piled together and struggled to
Throw it in.
Those stones are iron ore! They are actually black ore!
Rurik had quick eyesight and quick hands. He stood up suddenly and rushed to the stove in a few quick steps. Regardless of the dirty charcoal, he hugged what looked like a small piece of ore with both hands and tried his best to take it out.
His efforts were simply in vain.
"What? You think it's weird? This is ore, and it's also a very strange ore. Small pieces of ore can actually stick together. An adult like me must be able to separate the two." Klavasen reminded him, and kindly put the
Take out all the ores to satisfy the children's curiosity.
Rurik's eyes were still wide open, observing the ore at such a close range and trying to separate it.
Finally, he called Rumia over and finally separated a small piece of ore.
"Is this a big magnet?!" He observed confidently and found that there were a lot of debris on the ore. He could easily remove the debris with his fingers. Just put the debris on the ground and hold the ore and shake it above it.
, the debris is absorbed again.
Ah! This thing is a magnet! It’s actually a magnet!
Now, it was Rurik's turn to be shocked. They actually used high-quality magnetite as raw material. Look at its overall black color and the crystal-clear and reflective luster on its rough surface.
Rurik actually knew very well that Sweden produced the best quality iron ore in Europe, so historically Sweden quickly became the dominant power in Northern Europe by selling iron. Even in the ninth century AD, Sweden was still a huge tribal alliance, and Sweden became
Overlord, the Russians did not take a share of the pie from this region.
However, there is no historical record at all. The early Russians were already using local high-quality iron ore.
Rurik could not have imagined that the so-called "highest quality iron ore" was actually magnetite. Among all iron ores, it has the highest iron content!
The truth was even crazier than what Rurik suddenly realized.