Chapter 1,325 The 1st Blood Eagle

This is not the first time Heda came to the high altar, but it is definitely the most meaningful one.

The once prosperous forest city has now completely turned into a large Russian military camp. The empty forest is no longer filled with priests who have touched their faces pale, but with thick-skinned Varyags with blond hair.

They are all good at speaking the Varyag language, which is enough to prove their identity.

It's just that Heda didn't understand why the King of Rus was proficient in Slavic. It was this advantage that made many close relatives in the north willing to obey him.

Heda could only explain the alliance between the Russians and the northern Slavs based on his own knowledge. It seems that he will now join this alliance.

The Svinets River, a tributary of the river, was frozen into a lump of ice. The treeless open spaces on both sides were used for intensive cremations. Traces of burned corpses could be seen everywhere, completely covered in ice and snow.

There were large and small earth mounds on the hills on both sides of the river. They were extremely dense. Heda noticed that these earth mounds had experienced damage.

"The Russians are digging graves? Just to get precious funerary objects? I'm afraid you nobles have never imagined that your whole family was killed and your ancestors who were sleeping underground were also looted by them, right?"

This situation made him shudder. What was even more shocking was that a special "hill" was deliberately built on one side of the open space of the big altar. Of course it is not a mountain, but a mountain of corpses piled up with countless corpses. The completely gray-white corpse must have come from the local dead. Covered by a large amount of snow, it became less terrifying. At least the Russian conquerors wandering here had no fear of it at all.

Is this the Russians’ special way of offering sacrifices? The height of the mountain of corpses was actually higher than the rammed earth foundation of the altar.

Heda's eyes widened throughout the whole process, and accompanied by Rurik, he took a good tour of Gniezdovo, where the Russian flag was flying everywhere.

"How's it going? It seems like you're not so scared that you can't walk anymore." Rurik walked the whole time with a sullen face and asked casually as he passed by the Jingguan.

"I'm okay."

Heda relied on his willpower to suppress his fear. When he saw the mountain of corpses called Jingguan, his favorable impression of the Russian people that had grown up with difficulty suddenly dropped by more than half. He had to think, if the Vyadzic tribe rebelled for some reason, would the Russian army build another Jingguan in retaliation?

"You don't have to be afraid. I have commanded armies in battle when I was a child, and I have seen more tragic scenes. For example, I once walked in a swamp made of blood. Just get used to it, because this is how Ross treats powerful enemies. "Fortunately..." Rurik paused deliberately and looked at Hedoda with a dull face: "We are friends."

"Yes. We are friends." Heda inevitably showed a sense of fear, hiding his fear with a smile on his lips. He quickly changed the subject: "What's next? Where are the priests? Could it be that they were all killed?"

"certainly."

"Ah? But without the priest, how can you be the high priest?"

"This? You don't have to worry about it. Because I! I am the man favored by the Great God of the North. I don't need a high priest, I am the high priest myself."

Arrogant? arrogant? Or is it true?

Heda still lacked understanding of the various Varyag people, so he could only openly recognize Rurik as the "Son of the God of the North."

Priests are considered to be the spokespersons of God, and their status is extremely noble. Naturally, they have to accept donations from all people. Even nobles from all walks of life must treat priests with respect.

The priests of Smolensk are a group, and which children can be recruited to become lower-level priests all depends on the identification of the high priest. Priests must devote all their body and soul to worshiping the gods. In the Klivich community of Smolensk, priests are almost all men, and naturally there are a very small number of female priests.

As for the status of these female priests in the group, the nobles knew full well and there was no need to rebuke them.

The new generation of high priests is identified by the previous generation. Maybe that person is the illegitimate son of the previous generation of high priests.

They shaved off all their hair even to their eyebrows, smeared their faces with chalk mud, and wore simple clothes, they were priests. After removing these disguises, they can secretly have relations with civilian women, who hope to rely on

Such a relationship with the priest can reduce some tributes for one's family.

Now, the priests have been uprooted and their houses have completely become the palace of King Rus.

Only then did Heda learn that the bodies of all the priests were mixed in the temple. During their lifetime, these nobles despised the farmers, but now their nobleness and lowliness are meaningless. They die together and will be turned into ashes along with the fire.

That Jingguan was part of the sacrifice, and the Russian garrison was already cutting down trees on a large scale in order to burn it. listen! Loud noises often come from the forest, as if the Nordic frost giants are moving.

Not long after accompanying King Rus to inspect the high altar, Heda frequently saw reindeer sleighs dragging wood with branches removed from the forest and piled up in a mess.

Heda couldn't help but ask again: "So, do you know how to make human sacrifices?"

"Human sacrifice? Of course, the mountain of corpses I piled up will be burned."

"No. I mean...live people...used to..."

Rurik nodded and understood what he meant: "There is no need to kill innocent people. There is only one person! Let's go, follow me and take a final look at the culprit of everything."

A simple wooden house was opened, and there was a simple wooden cage inside, as if a bear-like being was being closely guarded.

"He has stopped moving? Could it be that he is dead?" Rurik asked the guarding soldier harshly.

"Your Majesty, Vadim is not dead, he is just too weak." The guard swallowed hard and replied.

"Weak? Could it be that he is really a hibernating bear? It doesn't matter, this man is about to die anyway. Even if he becomes a piece of frozen meat, he still has to be a blood eagle. Come! Open the wooden cage and take him out."

So Vadim, who was wearing a bearskin to keep out the cold, was stripped off some of his disguise. A defeated man with only a fig leaf left on his body huddled up in a ball in the snow outdoors.

He was so unkempt that he looked like he was pretending to be a stone.

Heda was shocked! Although he knew that King Rus wanted this man to make a grand sacrifice, he never expected that Vadim, who was previously arrogant and arrogant, would become like this. It was here that Vadim publicly sacrificed his own blood to the Slavic gods, as evidenced by the huge wound on his left hand that had not yet completely healed.

"Is he Vadim?" Rurik asked, kicking the croucher casually.

"Yes, it is indeed Vadim."

"Oh." Rurik kicked a few more times, bowed slightly and ordered sternly: "Vadim! Open your eyes and look at me! Look carefully, the Vyadich people are now standing in Ross's position. You are A complete loser!"

Vadim, who was planning to play the role of a stone, narrowed his eyes when he heard this. Then he discovered that the old guy standing next to Rurik was actually Hedado, and his eyes widened suddenly. He wanted to say something, but his mouth was stuffed with cloth and his head was tied with a rope. He could only whine like a beaten dog.

"He seems to want to say something?!" Rurik said casually, glancing at Hedoda from the corner of his eye.

Afraid that something about him would be exposed by the defeated boy, Heda took an angry step forward and kicked Vadim's chin with the instep of his right foot. The blow was very powerful, and of course Vadim would not be kicked to death. However, the kid's mouth was covered in blood afterwards, and some of his teeth were kicked out.

At this point, Rurik's guards hurriedly controlled Heda, fearing that this man would kick Vadim to death in advance.

"You are extremely angry with him?" Rurik was not too surprised by his behavior.

Heda hurriedly complimented: "It's because of him that we almost fell into a war. Fortunately, the noble King Rus is kind to us Vyadich people."

"Very good. Remember this kindness, it is very important for you." After that, Rurik didn't want to talk nonsense anymore and ordered his subordinates to stuff him back into the wooden cage.

After this experience, Vyadzic leader Hedado truly saw the strength of the Russian army. Everything was beyond his understanding of the "army". The soldiers here were well-equipped and uniformly dressed. There were very few women, but their physical fitness seemed similar to that of Varyag men.

When a war breaks out, it is not surprising that men and women go into battle together to kill the enemy. What is strange is that women can also be cavalry?

No! There is a blond woman here, who is actually a female noble and a powerful military leader.

Carlotta is not as deep as Rurik. She is full of hatred for this war. To a large extent, the war is caused by the Principality of Ostara. Carlotta's participation in it is revenge.

She didn't quite believe that the leader of Viadzic in front of her would really surrender honestly as her husband said, so she deliberately explained her great achievements.

So Heda finally solved a mystery - the army that attacked the Smolensk village in the past few years, including a large number of cavalry, was hers - a young woman similar to Rurik.

But things are far more complicated than Carlotta claims.

Tonight, the village chiefs who arrived at the big altar in great numbers were arranged in the open areas on both sides of the Svinets River named after the flames. This seems to be a hint to hundreds of leaders - we will all be burned as sacrifices by the Rus.

However, everyone has no reason to protest. Now that they are here, they can only hope that King Rus will recognize everyone's surrender.

These leaders and their followers seemed to form a group. Because many villages were so scattered, it was not an exaggeration to say that they "did not interact with each other until they died." They all nominally belong to the large Smolensk community, and today's forced gathering is an extremely rare opportunity for communication.

They were naturally monitored by the men sent by Rurik. The army was stationed by the river openly, and secret posts were arranged to ambush them to prevent any conspiracy activities by this group of people.

At the same time, the largest house owned by the priests in the past became the scene of Rurik's banquet.

Since this expedition brought so many reindeer, it was appropriate to slaughter one and roast it for everyone to share.

Of course, one deer was not enough to eat, so they pulled out one of the local cattle and sheep and roasted them.

The perch caught on ice from the Dnieper River has also become a rare delicacy at the banquet.

Hedoda is not a guest, but he will not be reduced to a spectator. The Vyadzic leader was placed in the ordinary seats. His presence made everyone extremely curious and wary. However, as everyone got drunk, this wariness almost dissipated under the stimulation of alcohol.

As someone mentioned how to "entertain" Vadim, everyone started talking about it under the influence of wine.

"It's not appropriate to simply be a blood eagle."

"Yes! Anoint him with oil and burn him with fire."

"Then it's better to just anoint him with oil, and we'll watch Vadim being burned to ashes alive. It's even more exciting than the blood eagle."

"Wouldn't this be a replica of Horik, the false king of Denmark? He was made bacon at that time. I think it was too cheap for him."

"Otherwise? Why don't you stab his butthole with a red-hot sword?" It was Medved who suggested this, but because it was too disgusting, everyone booed him, and then burst into laughter.

Heda, who was in it, had the opportunity to taste the burning liquor. He had to cover his beard and drink this shocking "water of fire" under the coercion of King Rus. Then he felt that his whole stomach was burning, but the final result It was surprisingly good, as if he had gained the power of the God of Fire.

Heda was so dizzy that he realized that the so-called Rus' army was a mixture of various ethnic groups. Even the "amber diggers" from the Gulf of Riga were here, which surprised him. The group of people expressed their opinions on how to deal with Vadim, and their plans became increasingly bizarre and obscene. Some people even claimed that the person could be castrated in advance and then subjected to other tortures. Even the dizzy Hedoda could realize the horror in this.

"What do you think? It's your turn," Rurik ordered. Immediately, someone kicked Hedoda who was in the middle of the lake.

"I?"

"Tell me, if it were you, how would you deal with Vadim?"

"Me?" Pairs of blue eyes stared at him, especially Rurik, the King of Rus with extremely deep eyes. Are these Rus' people who exude murderous aura threatening them? "I think beheading is enough and then burned to ashes."

"Very kind." There was silence for a moment, and Rurik said with a shrug.

"But you can't be kind to Vadim. You Vyadzic people shouldn't be so kind.

Kindness. ” The speaker is still Medvet, the noblest among the northern Slavinians (Ilmen Slavs).

"Maybe. I... just want to simply execute him."

"It would be better to be simple. But I personally hate Vadim's family, and most of the Slavinians in our north hate him. This kind of person is a scourge everywhere, and the people of Smolensk are tortured by him. Fortunately, The Russian army is here, and everything will be fine for the local ordinary people of Smolensk.”

Since then, Medvet has blamed all the causes of the war on Vadim, completely concealing the fact that even without Vadim, Russia would still take action against Smolensk; even without Vadim, Northern Novgorod and There are also traditional contradictions in Smolensk in the south.

But this seems a bit hypocritical to Heda.

Heda had only just learned of the existence of a figure like Medvet. His Vyadzic had no contact with his close relatives in the north in the past, and there was no goodwill, let alone ill will, between them.

He estimated that without the large immigration from Russia, the close relatives in the north might not be able to make any splash, and would eventually be annexed by the Smolensk nobles who were interested in expansion. It's a pity... The ruler of all the Varyag people happened to be a young man with great strength and divine help.

Vadim will usher in a new era in the Smolensk region with his death.

Now, we are one step away from the High Priest of the Winter Solstice.

When the "Winter Solstice Fire Tower" has been built for ten consecutive years, it has been a custom since ancient times in everyone's eyes. If the Hanukkah sacrifice does not build a huge fire tower, it is interpreted as disrespectful to God.

Of course, in the capital city of New Roseburg, a giant fire tower must be built, and a large number of paper Kongming lanterns with words written on them will also float high into the sky, making it stand out and lively.

Just in Gniezdovo, a wooden tower was erected in a clearing in the forest!

Jingguan has been "violently demolished", and the deceased who were all mixed up were smashed into a mess, and then thrown into the wooden tower for final burning.

The heads of all the Smolensk nobles were placed on the rammed earth platform of the high altar, including those of Vadim's family.

Right here, a tall gallows stands.

Of course Rurik did not complete Vadim's execution by hanging, Blood Eagle did, of course, but the subsequent treatment was not as painful as others suggested.

The Kingdom of Rus has never implemented blood eagles, and the previous stories about blood eagles were just legends. The majority of Nordic people have not seen it with their own eyes, but they have some idea of ​​how to deal with it.

Now, the last day of the Winter Solstice Great Sacrifice.

When the sun rose on the last day of the year 842, nearly ten thousand people gathered at the high altar despite the chill.

The vast number of Rus warriors rushed to gather because they learned that the king and nobles were going to personally make the blood eagle - this legendary punishment was finally about to be seen, and no one dared to miss the opportunity to watch it.

As for the village leaders, they came with mixed emotions to watch the execution of the former leader Vadim.

Some people hate him because the violent war forced by Vadim forced the village to send his nephews to participate in the war. As a result, none of the people sent came back.

Some people feel that Vadim is more than that, and even if he executes the defeated man, it is not the turn of the Russians.

But the majority of the Ross coalition soldiers were busy making noises. They stood in a dense crowd, and their whispers caused the ground to shake. The snow in the nearby forest seemed to be shaking off quickly...

Rurik was dressed in fine attire, with a golden laurel crown particularly prominent.

He led the noble onlookers to look at Vadim who was lying on the ground and tied with ropes into a "big character".

At this moment, Vadim was already disheartened. He was also tortured to such an extent that he had no motivation to resist because he was deliberately starved.

"The sun has risen, do you want to do it?" Medved asked. In fact, he was the most eager to try.

Rurik looked around again, and even the youngest flag captain was standing here.

"Then let's do it! I'll be the first to strike."

So, Rurik took the lead with a sword in his hand and stabbed Vadim in the back. Next, the officer

They and the nobles took turns thrusting their swords.

Of course, this includes Heda. When it was his turn, Vadim was actually dead. It could be said that he died very neatly, but the appearance of his death was extremely hideous and terrifying.

Heda was stunned for a moment, but he still stabbed the rotten flesh with his Frankish broad-bladed iron sword. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that Rurik was actually looking at him...

"This is my certificate of surrender." Heda didn't say much, shook off the blood stains on his sword and stood aside.

Who will operate the Blood Eagle personally?

Rurik did not take action himself.

The executioner was handed over to Medvet, who volunteered. The Governor of Novgorod, as the eldest son of the White Tree Manor family, let him kill Vadim completely, which was a complete revenge for the past disputes. In this way, the White Tree Manor was completely Defeated the once powerful Pine Needle Manor.

The next treatment was too sad, and everyone saw that the broken ribs were like the wings of an eagle in their nervousness and excitement.

The gallows serves its true purpose.

Vadim, who had transformed into a blood eagle, was already dead. His arms were hung up, and the stretched ribs on both sides were tied with ropes so that they could be stretched to both sides.

Now, Vadim's last fig leaf has been torn off, and he stands on the big altar in such a weird posture and in the form of a sacrifice.

The blood eagle ceremony ended here, and then everyone was allowed to walk around the big altar to watch the death of the former Smolensk chief.

For the first time, people saw the Blood Eagle. The young Ross warriors were grateful that they had seized the opportunity. Through this experience, they could tell others what the Blood Eagle was in their future lives.

As for the village leaders, amid the surprise, fear and excitement, there was also a sense of sadness.

Just four months ago, this man was shouting and drinking in Gniezdowo. Three months ago, this man was so high-profile that he stood on horseback here and sacrificed his own blood to the gods.

Who would have thought that Vadim would actually become a sacrifice just three months later. But buried with him were his entire family and all the old Smolensk nobility.

A large number of heads were arranged in a circle, and in the middle was the lucky one, with a blood eagle soaring here.

The extreme cold soon froze Vadim into a lump of ice. His era was completely over, and he was about to turn into dust and mud.

As night falls, a grand bonfire sacrifice will also be held. It is the finale of the entire sacrificial activity, and its grandeur is far greater than some of the past sacrificial activities in the Smolensk area.

People still gathered densely at the big altar, waiting for King Ross to light the first pilot bonfire for the fire tower...

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