[bumpkin]

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

[eye30]

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

[Dazzler]

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

[Shambles]

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


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


Your friendly sassenach, Shambles

[bumpkin]

Heh heh

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

[SRT Metro]

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)   (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....

[bumpkin]

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

[SRT Metro]

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

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... 

[Hemmi]

interesting

[Hemmi]

Boston.com has great pics from the festival.

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

[bumpkin]

 

Excellent pics, great find Hemmi

[Hemmi]

Excellent pics, great find Hemmi

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

[SRT Metro]

Nice pics Hemmi! 

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!

[SRT Metro]

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!