The Original i30 Owners Club

GENERAL STUFF => GENERAL DISCUSSIONS => Random Chit Chat => Topic started by: bumpkin on January 27, 2010, 18:44:53

Title: Up Helly Aa
Post by: bumpkin on January 27, 2010, 18:44:53

The Up Helly Aa is an annual festival held in Lerwick on Shetland to celebrate their viking heritage.
This years was held yesterday and I thought our friends from Scandinavia/Iceland may be interested in the articles whilst it may also be of interest to our other international friends :)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8480757.stm

http://www.uphellyaa.org/

Enjoy

Title: Re: Up Helly Aa
Post by: eye30 on January 27, 2010, 19:18:46

I great to see customs are still alive and have not died out

Title: Re: Up Helly Aa
Post by: Dazzler on January 27, 2010, 20:35:14

Interesting thanks Brian.. That is certainly a strange name they have given the event... :eek:

Title: Re: Up Helly Aa
Post by: Shambles on January 27, 2010, 21:16:47

I'd have come up with a better name than "Up Helly Aa" :rolleyes:


I mean, what's wrong with "FireStarter" or "Night Of The Flaming Highlanders" or "The Grand Bridge Galley Burning Society" :eek:


Your friendly sassenach (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassenach), Shambles :P

Title: Re: Up Helly Aa
Post by: bumpkin on January 27, 2010, 22:10:00

Heh heh

I guess that it is from the Norse rather than Scottish, perhaps SRT-Metro may know more about the exact meaning :question: :question:

Title: Re: Up Helly Aa
Post by: SRT Metro on January 28, 2010, 00:22:26

Found this:

UP-HELLY-AA is a relatively modern festival. There is some evidence that people in rural Shetland celebrated the 24th day after Christmas as "Antonsmas" or "Up Helly Night".

The vikings celebrated "Dricka Jul" (Jól) = Drinking Christmas (Beer in large quantities)  :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: (and has nothing in common with Christmas nowadays.)
It reinforced the sacred ties with higher powers, the Viking Gods "Odin, Tor, Frej". Nowadays, our gods have other names, but that is another story....

Title: Re: Up Helly Aa
Post by: bumpkin on January 28, 2010, 08:40:30

Cheers SRT, note that by relatively modern we are talking about the late 1800's, some countries didn't exist then :wink:

Title: Re: Up Helly Aa
Post by: SRT Metro on January 28, 2010, 12:31:45

Quote from: bumpkin on January 28, 2010, 08:40:30

Cheers SRT, note that by relatively modern we are talking about the late 1800's, some countries didn't exist then :wink:

Cheers Bumpkin! Yes, much has happened over the last centuries...
The Vikings believed that mead and beer was considered to possess a divine force, that among other things, could give eternal life.
It would have been good if it was true...  :mrgreen:

Title: Re: Up Helly Aa
Post by: Hemmi on January 28, 2010, 14:54:22

interesting :)

Title: Re: Up Helly Aa
Post by: Hemmi on January 29, 2010, 02:39:41

Boston.com has great pics from the festival.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/01/fiery_european_festivals.html

Title: Re: Up Helly Aa
Post by: bumpkin on January 29, 2010, 08:33:41

 :eek: :eek:

Excellent pics, great find Hemmi :cool: :cool: :cool:

Title: Re: Up Helly Aa
Post by: Hemmi on January 29, 2010, 09:38:45

Quote from: bumpkin on January 29, 2010, 08:33:41

:eek: :eek:

Excellent pics, great find Hemmi :cool: :cool: :cool:

I never miss a photo series at boston.com's big picture, they're all great :)

Title: Re: Up Helly Aa
Post by: SRT Metro on January 29, 2010, 10:05:48

Nice pics Hemmi!  :) :) :)

Title: Re: Up Helly Aa
Post by: Pip on January 29, 2010, 11:27:00

Quote from: SRT Metro on January 28, 2010, 12:31:45

The Vikings believed that mead and beer was considered to possess a divine force, that among other things, could give eternal life...

Makes me feel a bit like that... oh well... bloody pity that wasn't true. I'm still having the odd beer though... just in case!

Title: Re: Up Helly Aa
Post by: SRT Metro on January 29, 2010, 20:01:27

Quote from: Pip on January 29, 2010, 11:27:00

Quote from: SRT Metro on January 28, 2010, 12:31:45

The Vikings believed that mead and beer was considered to possess a divine force, that among other things, could give eternal life...

Makes me feel a bit like that... oh well... bloody pity that wasn't true. I'm still having the odd beer though... just in case!

 :lol: :lol: :lol: