Pictures: Amazing Viking fire festival in Shetland
- Published
Up Helly Aa is a big fire festival that's held on the Shetland Islands every year. It's a traditional festival that started way back in the 1880s.
People all over Shetland dress up in traditional Viking gear and march through town to celebrate their Norse heritage.
It's thought that Up Helly Aa developed from the ancient festival of Yule, which the Vikings held to celebrate the rebirth of the sun.
During the marches everyone carries a firey torch, over 1,000 are used every year. In the run up to the festival local kids, known as Torch Boys, make all the torches by hand using hessian sacks.
The men who dress up for the festival are known as guizers. They are led by the Guizer Jahl who can be recognised by the winged helmet he wears.
The Guizer Jahl and his squad tradionally design and make their own outfits. They have to have a different one each year and usually start making them nearly a year in advance.
The highlight of the night is when all the guizers stand in a circle singing traditional songs and throw their torches onto the galley (a traditional Viking boat).
The festival attracts thousands of people from around the world. The day after the festival is a public holiday to give everyone time to recover!
- Published28 June 2019
