The Rise of Rurik

Liu Li got a new name—Rurik

Rurik, this name carries Otto’s hopes for the child, as its root word is the later vocabulary “rich”.

Ancient Norse greatly influenced English and German a thousand years later, and it directly evolved into Swedish and Norwegian.

Liu Li, after all, understands modern English, so learning the ancestral language of English in a short time is not a difficult task.

However, now, he is still a baby.

He is too small, even with a decent name, he still needs to be in his birth mother’s swaddling clothes. For the next few years, whatever he wishes to do, he is limited by his own weakness and can only be a spectator.

Liu Li, or rather Rurik. He returned to his mother’s arms, and next, it’s Otto’s return to deal with the cargo and the fallen warriors.

All the deceased were carried off the ship, and their relatives came to claim the bodies.

Here, a naive yet vigorous ten-year-old boy, his gaze blankly fixed on his father’s ashen corpse.

He just silently watched, as if isolated from the tribal members who were laughing and talking loudly due to the arrival of numerous goods.

This child is Arik, Otto’s brother, and Ogier’s only son.

Scandinavia, called the “Land of Darkness” by the Romans, is a place where every boy reaching twenty years old is considered a great miracle.

Not just men, a healthy woman giving birth safely is also a great risk.

Arik’s mother died in childbirth, and ultimately, the boy lost his mother and his unborn brother.

But he still had his father.

The Ros tribe is located in the northern part of the Baltic Sea, where it’s colder, and the harsh living conditions mean the population is always small, and worse, there are more men than women in the whole tribe!

If the environment is a test for the men of the tribe, then it’s an even more severe test for the women.

Times are changing!

A mood of departure has begun to emerge in the Ros tribe, with the sharpest idea being that instead of traveling thousands of miles to demand tribute from the Svear people twice a year, it’s better to just relocate and take over the towns of the Svear people, settling in those warm and comfortable areas.

In fact, the climate inthe Novgorod region is cold, but it is relatively milder than that of Ros Fort.

At least, the land there can grow wheat.

Wheat kernels and primary ground flour have a strong appeal to the inhabitants of all of Scandinavia.

A calloused hand pats a naive shoulder.

Arik turns his wooden head to see his uncle with a pale face.

“Uncle.”

“Arik,” Otto says in a deep voice, comforting, “Your father died in battle, don’t be sad for him.”

“I…”

How could he not be sad, looking at his uncle’s face, so similar to his father’s, tears flow from the corners of the Viking boy’s eyes.

“Silly child, you will become a warrior, you should not cry now.” Saying this, Otto pats the boy’s shoulder again, “Your father has gone to Valhalla, led by Brunhild herself. Arik, you must become a warrior, only then can you meet him in Valhalla.”

“Is that true?”

“Of course, it’s true!”

For the entire Ros tribe, their belief in Odin and Valhalla is unshakable.

After all, since birth, everyone has been exposed to these concepts, fighting and dying in battle, which are considered as much a part of life as eating and sleeping.

“Arik, from now on I am your father. You know our tradition.”

Arik nods deeply, without saying more.

In fact, Arik is very clear, becoming the adopted son of the chief, he will receive more care, and in future tribal affairs, he will also have more rights.

But during this time, the news that the chief’s wife had given birth to a child hailed as “blessed by Odin” was already known to the entire tribe.

Arik knows very well that this child is his cousin, and now, his blood brother.

The elders have already confirmed that the child has noble blood. As an elder brother, Arik has already realized that in the future as the child grows, he needs to fulfill his duties as an elder brother.

Otto continues to hold Arik’s shoulder, “Do you know what name I gave your brother?”

“What?”

“Rurik. Hehe, isn’t it similar to your name?”

“Yes. Is it because of me?”

“Not just that, but also because of that oracle. I also learned about the oracle when I returned. My child, your brother will lead our people to glory, and as his brother, you must help him well.”

Arik nods, “Like you and my father?”

“Yes.” Otto smiles and pats Arik’s shoulder again, “One day, you will fight side by side!”

Soon, all the deceased were buried in the tribe’s public cemetery.

Otto placed two Eastern Roman silver coins on Ogier’s eyes, then covered them with wood, and finally filled the grave with soil.

As for Ogier’s sword, naturally, it was inherited by his only son, Arik.

Now, the time is the autumn of 821 AD, and the Svear people of Novgorod have just harvested this year’s wheat, only to have it partially seized by the Ros tribe who rowed thousands of miles in the name of tribute.

The climate in the Novgorod region is relatively mild, but the region of Ros Fort is already quite cold.

Many tribes in Scandinavia do not have the concept of the Anno Domini era, nor even a rigorous method of year counting. Even in terms of writing, only a small number of Scandinavian groups, such as some Norwegian and Danish tribes, began using alphabetic writing.

But these tribes have very similar legends and myths, passed down orally among the elders.

How many years the Ros tribe has existed, the elders cannot give a clear number, after all, the tribe has existed for a long time. Therefore, the public cemetery of the tribe also contains many ancestors, corroborating the elders’ claims.

After burying all the dead and distributing the wealth, Chief Otto proudly went to the tribe’s ceremonial house to inform the elders about the events encountered during the voyage.

According to the captured battle axes and spears, as well as the special ships, it can be determined that the enemies were fishermen from Gotland.

The Ros tribe does not want to conflict with these people. Otto meant this, and so did all the elders.

But if they come to attack, a strong counterattack is necessary.

No one questioned Otto’s decision, and the elders even believed that losing only ten men to eliminate two hundred enemies fully demonstrated the fierce fighting strength of the Ros tribe! It also proved that Otto is the best chief.

Here, the most respected elder is the one known as “Grandma Vilia”, an over eighty-year-old woman.

Indeed, Vilia is not only the oldest in the tribe, but her body still seems robust. She is also the priest of the tribe, and people believe that she has established some kind of spiritual connection with Odin. Some even say that perhaps when she dies, she will regain her youth and become another Valkyrie in Valhalla.

Vilia, with her aging voice, specifically mentioned the boy’s matter.

She asked Otto with an authoritative tone that made him nervous: “I have only one crucial question to ask you. My child, have you named that boy?”

“Yes! I have named him.” Otto proudly declared in front of all the elders: “I named him Rurik.”

“It’s Rurik, I completely understand now,” Vilia said meaningfully.

Everyone watched Vilia, her wrinkled old face revealing a reassuring smile.

“Educate your child well, Chief,” Vilia said kindly: “When Rurik grows up, he will surely become our new chief, everything is arranged by Odin. Now, Chief, you may leave.”