Girls & Boys
Posted: Monday, 11 February 2008 |
Shetland has many local Up Helly Aa’s. In fact Unst, which is the island to the north of us, has 2. One of these is at Uyeasound and dates back many years, whilst the other is Britain’s most northerly festival and has been held every year since 1985. For those of you reading this who don’t know what on earth Up Helly Aa’ is about, please see my recent Swords of A Thousand Men blog which attempts to explain.
The festival begins at the start of the day with the Jarl squad assembling at the Galley Shed before visiting various places in Unst. During the day the two schools are visited (Baltasound JHS & Uyeasound Primary) as well as the care centre and various other locations that I can’t remember.
Visitors have been known to come from many places.
By nightfall all the squads are in frantic preparation for the torchlit procession which starts from the galley shed and wends its way through Uyeasound, past the primary school, and down along the road next to the sea.
The squads are usually in a strange variety of costumes: this year saw Scotsmen in kilts, Frogs, The Spice Girls and Santas to name a few. The Jarl Squad, like their Lerwick counterparts, lead the procession and are dressed in chain mail carrying axes. Each squad has a different costume from previously.
The procession turns round at the hall before massing around the galley. The traditional Up Helly Aa’ song is sung and then the galley is set alight.
Unlike Lerwick the actual galley isn’t burnt, instead a replica is ‘fired’ next to the sea. It gets really hot!!!
After the burning of the galley the action moves to the hall, where the squads follow each other on stage to do their acts or sketches. These are usually topical, related to the Jarl, a dance routine with an Unst theme or a sketch, which is about something completely different.
Amazingly, unlike the ‘toon’ event, the squads in Unst also include females. This year there was a total of 12 squads and the festivities continued until early morning, before recommencing the following night at the dance or ‘hop’ as it is known.
That’s a brief account of one of the Unst Up Helly Aa’s. It’s good fun to watch.
Comments
Thanks MV. This is where Island Blogging comes into its own!
Jill from EK
Very good MV.
Tws from The Croft Lewis
I like the iced gingerbread dragonhead...and fpu says he's a handsome visitor from many places...you can almost feel the heat of those flames.
Flying Cat from burning ghat
It was a great night out too. Those are excellent pictures Muness.
Vatnsenda from A Twisted Adventure
Fantastic pics ! can i Pick yer local knowledge ?? Ive heard someone breeds kune kune pigs on fetlar, any idea who it is ?
Angela from fair isle broom closet
Twisted - were you in a squad? And will you be at Norik?
Ruthodanort from Unst
Miss Marple eat your heart out!
Flying Cat from the third degree
I'm trying to find out. Going to ask them. I shall (Gale providing) be at Norik.
Muness from Fetlar
Who is Gale???
Flying Cat from all agog
Gale is a frequent visitor to Magnolia Towers. She often passes by, making her presence felt, but she never comes in. She has been known to raise the roof. She can be riotous can our gale.
Muness from Fetlar
Things of importance will appear shortly or maybe they won't. More likely nothing of importance will appear. 
RSS Feed