THE VIKINGS, Up Helly Aa

[Captain Kong]

Up Helly Aa,
LERWICK , SHETLAND/.
Up Helly Aa
For 24 hours, on the last Tuesday of January, Lerwick leads the way for annual community celebrations of Shetland’s Viking heritage

Tuesday 29th January 2019

"There will be no postponement for weather". That's a defiant boast by Shetland's biggest fire festival, considering it's held in mid-winter on the same latitude as southern Greenland. But it's true: gales, sleet and snow have never yet stopped the Up Helly Aa guizers of Lerwick from burning their Viking galley - and then dancing the dawn away.

Up Helly Aa is a lot more than a sub-arctic bonfire and booze-up. It's a superb spectacle, a celebration of Shetland history, and a triumphant demonstration of islanders' skills and spirit. This northern Mardi Gras, run entirely by volunteers, lasts just one day (and all the following night). But it takes several thousand people 364 days to organise. Much of the preparation is in strictest secrecy. The biggest secret of all is what the head of the festival, the 'Guizer Jarl', will wear and which character from the Norse Sagas he'll represent.

It sounds wonderful, and it is; but if you miss the Lerwick festival, don’t worry: From Sumburgh in the South Mainland to Norwick in Unst, there are local versions of Up Helly Aa, all welcoming to visitors and each with its own unique identity.
............................................
I paid off a tanker in Lerwick in 1982 and stayed at the Queens Hotel , to wait for a flight to Aberdeen,
The weather was so bad I was there for five days before a flight could get off the ground.
Fortunately the`UP HELLY AA` Festival was on.
Everyone dressed as Vikings, some one stuck a bottle of whisky in my hand and after the ceremony of Burning the Viking Longship, we all charged around town into different halls dancing and drinking, it turned into oblivion. I lost my jacket just had a shirt and trousers, covered in snow. and then trying to find my hotel , "No you are not staying here , try the next one, " until I found the Queens Hotel, The young lady in reception said to me , " You are going to die of hypothermia, come with me to your room," we went into my room, she turned on the shower, hot, and stripped the clothes off me and sat me under the shower, "Stay there for half an hour " she says ,"I`ll be back."
She came back later and turned me into my bed. and left.

What a night that was, the most memorable night of my life, I was a Viking for 24 hours.
Well worth going there for an exciting experience.
Brian

[j.sabourn]

Round about the time you mention Brian, or shortly after one of the ABs I had on a supply vessel was an ex Falkland Islander. He went to live in Lerwick as reckoned it was very similar to. The Falklands. He was also the head Viking one year , forget what they call them now but often wondered what happened to him. Used to like Lerwick As got half the pilotage fee there if didn’t use. Kept all hands in the pub for the short time we usd to be in. JS.

[Bill Cameron]

Scalloway Up Hellya was yesterday, one of the many fire festivals in Shetland this month

[Captain Kong]

Hi John
The head Viking is called .... 'Guizer Jarl'

[cappy]

##my granfather will cram.....was a shetlander ..the family had a croft ....there was 5 brothers one tried the sea and didnt want that .....two were drowned sadly in the tyne going back aboard .....but in there youths there was always one to help on the croft while the others were at sea....they stored hundreds of eggs for the winters by cliff climbing and grew there own potatoes and veg they sailed in an open boat to shields where there was family...and shipped out from there.... i have a photo of the old great grandfather at the plough......he was a sailing ship man i have many of his oldest sons ..my great uncles. voyage certficates...i dont think they would cry on the tele ......cappy

[Bill Morrison]

John S. On charter to Shell late 1970's, we often were at the Holmsgarth base in Lerwick. Mike Davidson who ran the base was an Englishman and was invited to join the Guizer Jarl's squad a rare occurrence but the Guizer Jarl was also the quay foreman Gordie Leith. Did you know Mike John?
One for Brian. Taking off from Sumburgh Airport for me was always nerve-racking, sitting at end of the runway brakes hard on engines at full throttle then brakes off and down the runway like a bat out of hell heading straight for the sea and the relief as it starts to gain height. I always think of the Dan-Air flight that didn't make it!

[j.sabourn]

Bill Went up there one time overnight on the P and O ferry from Aberdeen.was better than fllying and arrived more rested. That is if you kept out of the bar. What does Jarl actually mean ? I assume it’s some sort of Viking prince?. The Seaforth Jarl I beleive sank off Newfoundland , the story I heard was she was backloading rig anchor chain and loaded too much , lost too much freeboard and put her deck air pipes accessible to the sea and. Just kept on going. The crew however had plenty of time for getting off. Did you hear any different story ? Saw Peter B when in uk last July, stillthe same old Peter,much slimmer though. Said Jakey Kerr had died, very sad. JS

[Doc Vernon]

Looks like a good hard Fun night Capt,where are you in the Viking Outfit mate!
Cheers

[Captain Kong]

I ended up wearing a helmet. I wanted an axe but didnt get one.
cheers
Brian

[j.sabourn]

Have been watching that TV series called Shetland about local mainly police stories. Didn’t know Lerwick had so many villains , all fiction though. One of the few places people left their doors unlocked, don’t know about today though.used to be a good place to buy Norwegian style knitwear. JS.