Females take part in Up Helly Aa for first time

[Blackleaf]

Up Helly Aa is one of many quaint traditions held throughout Britain throughout each year.

Up Helly Aa is held every year at the end of January in the main Shetland town of Lerwick up in the far north of the country to mark the end of Yule.

Shetland was part of Norway until 1472 when Scotland bought the islands off the impoverished King Christian I of Denmark, Norway and Sweden in order for him to make money.

Up Helly Aa not only marks the end of Yule but celebrates the islands' Viking history as hundreds of people dressed as Vikings march through Lerwick with flaming torches before setting fire to a replica Viking longship.

Like Bonfire Night, the festival is one of those which is seen as bringing light on a bleak and dark winter's night.

Tonight, for the first time, women and girls took part in the ceremony.

Up Helly Aa 2024...

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

There are women and girls in the Shitlands?

When did they get there? The sheep must be FURIOUS at the competition!

Heh-heh. I crack me up. Furious sheep. . .

 

[Blackleaf]

There are women and girls in the Shitlands?

When did they get there? The sheep must be FURIOUS at the competition!

Heh-heh. I crack me up. Furious sheep. . .

Despite its Viking connotations, Up Helly Aa started around 200 years ago when squads of young men would drag barrels of burning tar through the streets of Lerwick. Many of the young men involved had recently returned from fighting in the Napoleonic Wars and so it's thought the resultant boredom at not being able to fight the French anymore led them to do this. Tar barrelling was outlawed around 1880 and so they carried flaming torches instead, the first time being in 1881. In 1882 the torchlit procession became enhanced and institutionalised for the visit of Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh - the great-great-great-uncle of King Charles III. It became associated with the end of Yule in 1876. In 1889 they decided to set fire to a replica Viking longboat for the first time. So this is why it was always a male event until tonight.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Despite its Viking connotations, Up Helly Aa started around 200 years ago when squads of young men would drag barrels of burning tar through the streets of Lerwick. Many of the young men involved had recently returned from fighting in the Napoleonic Wars and so it's thought the resultant boredom at not being able to fight the French anymore led them to do this. Tar barrelling was outlawed around 1880 and so they carried flaming torches instead. In 1889 they decided to set fire to a replica Viking longboat for the first time. So this is why it was always a male event until tonight.

You Brits sure know how to have funsies. Burn stuff.

It's OK, we'll get electricity out to you soon. And literacy.

And dentistry.

 

[Blackleaf]

You Brits sure know how to have funsies. Burn stuff.

It's OK, we'll get electricity out to you soon. And literacy.

And dentistry.

Well it's burning stuff on dark winter nights.

Wait until the spring when we have the cheese rolling festival down in Gloucestershire. It's a lot more fun and dangerous than it sounds.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Well it's burning stuff on dark winter nights.

Wait until the spring when we have the cheese rolling festival down in Gloucestershire. It's a lot more fun and dangerous than it sounds.

Warming up for the Morris dancing, no doubt.

 

[Blackleaf]

Warming up for the Morris dancing, no doubt.

Can't beat a bit of Morris Dancing. It's a great English tradition which goes all the way back to... the Plague.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Can't beat a bit of Morris Dancing. It's a great English tradition which goes all the way back to... the Plague.

Another great English tradition!