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Up Helly Aa |
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Heritage and Culture, Shetland |
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Article and Photography by Gary Buchan |
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On the last Tuesday in January, the annual gathering of the ‘Guizers’, this year (2008) having some 941, is a magnificent sight for both young and old, people gather from all over the world to view the spectacular event, which is known as ‘Up Helly Aa’. Up Helly Aa is certainly a part of tradition, and plays a huge part in most Shetlanders’ lives, but the festival is relatively modern.
Most of the people in rural Shetland used to celebrate “Anstonmas”, otherwise known as “Up Helly Night”, which fell on the 24th day after Christmas. Their Lerwick cousins did not celebrate this, and there is no evidence to prove otherwise. New Year or Yuletide festivities are known to post- date the Napoleonic Wars, when soldiers and sailors with rather nasty and rowdy habits came home with a taste for firearms. It was whilst visiting Shetland, a Methodist Missionary noted the uproar in the town with banging drums, banging tin kettles, firing of guns, shouting, screaming, bawling, drinking, fighting and the firing of guns. Around 1840, tar barrel burning became part of the proceedings, and at this time the main street of the town (Lerwick), was very narrow, thus causing great tension when rival groups met in the middle, the tension leading, of course to clashes between the rival groups. The middle class citizens of the town were forced to complain about this, and with the fact that this was very dangerous and dirty, as well as noisy and very rowdy, the Town Council came up with the idea of appointing special constables, to try and control the revellers at or around Christmas time, but this had limited success. It was the young Lerwegians themselves who had decided that it was the end of the tar barrelling around the early 1870’s.
1870 saw the introduction of new ideas into the procedures. First of all, they improvised the name of this elaborate new festival, calling it ‘Up Helly Aa’. The timing of this new improved festival was also changed, and it came to be that the festival be held at the end of January. The element of disguise, (Guizing), was introduced, and then a torchlight procession was also brought into the celebrations. The Viking theme or influence was thought up back in the 1870’s, but signs of this new development did not appear until 1877. The late 1880’s brought the idea of the Viking Longship, (Galley), and as late as 1906, before the first Guizer Jarl, leader of the Jarl Squad, and Chief Guizer, appeared. There was no squad consisting of Vikings until after the First World war, and after this they went on to have a full Guizer Jarls squad until the Second World war. Up until the Second World War, it was mostly a working class mans’ festival, women have never been involved in the procession. In the years of the depression the festival had to be run on quite a tight budget, and during the winter of 1931-32, there was a move made to try and stop the festival altogether, which was unsuccessful of course, this was because of the dire situation the town faced, economically. At this time the Up Helly Aa committee became a very self confident organisation, they would make fun of the pompous, in the well established Up Helly Aa “bill”. Because of the “bill”, the people who were having fun poked at them would sometimes be furious. They never had the festival at all during the Second World War, and it did not resume until 1949, and at this time, a lot changed and also a lot of it stayed the same.
The number of people involved before, during and after ‘Up Helly Aa’, has risen dramatically, and now, instead of having an open house to welcome Guizers, as they used to in the 19th Century, men and women come together to open different halls throughout Lerwick, to entertain the Guizers, the locals, and visiting tourists to the Islands at the time of the festival. This year, as I think, many years before, there were 12 Halls open for the celebrations. The ideas for the different squads, and the way they dress up or the themes they represent is spoken about within that squad, but the final decision has to be passed by the committee, I suppose to see if they are suitable, and to make sure there are no duplicate squads. Everyone makes their own costumes, and the Guizer Jarl squad outfits, this year, costs in the region of £1500-£1600. Early on in the morning, you can view the Jarl Squad, and the junior Jarl Squad, and the children have a fantastic time, being involved, this year was the turn of young Roy Wood, aged 14, to take on the role of Guizer Jarl in the junior squad. He was chosen to portray Sigurd The Dragon Slayer, quite a hero of Norse mythology. He has chosen the name ‘Kylie’ for his galley, which was named after his sister. They junior’s have 94 children making up an impressive 16 squads, with the junior Jarl Squad containing 15. The juniors’ galley is on display at this time at the Anderson High School. Then it can be viewed Islesburgh Community Centre until 3PM. The juniors light up their torches at precisely 5.30PM, then they have their short march, until ending up in the King George V playing field, where the last rites are held, before they set about burning their galley. They have what is known as ’The Feast, The Dance and The Song’, the following Monday for the junior Guizers and their friends whilst the Senior Jarl and his men pay them a visit. On the first night, as mentioned before, always the last Tuesday in January, the procession takes place, this starts with the squads assembling at an agreed place, normally Islesburgh Community Centre, at or around 18.50 PM. Here they receive their torches, 875 of the men marching receive a torch this year, which equates to a very entertaining 46 squads, 847 received a torch in 2007, and there were 932 guizers in total in 2007.
The pipe band and brass band will play music during the Muster and procession, at precisely 19.30 PM a flare (maroon) will be fired to signal the start of the squads lighting up their torches. After lighting up, the procession, accompanied by the visiting Orkney Pipe Band, the Lerwick Pipe Band, and Lerwick Brass Band, then starts to march singing the Up Helly Aa song. The squads and bands follow an organised route, before descending upon the King George V playing field, here they circle the field perimeter before heading to the final burning site, for safety reasons, the public are asked to keep out of the burning site. Around the galley, the squads form a complete circle, another flare (maroon) will be fired to signal the start of the Galley Song, after this there are cheers for the galley builders, the torch makers and for the Guizer Jarl himself. Then there comes the Bugle Call, when this is finished and the last note has been sounded, the squads throw their torches into the magnificent galley, which I think people find slightly emotional. The squads will then re- form their circle to begin singing ‘The Norseman’s Home’, at this time there is a fireworks display during the galley burning. The squads then disperse, jumping onto or into buses, vans and trucks to make their rounds of the different halls. There is also a second night, the Wednesday, (which coincidentally is a public holiday here in Shetland, and basically everything is closed, shops, garages, supermarkets etc.),this night is known as “The Hop”, and it is almost the same as the first night, except, there is no procession, and is one big party, all night long if you can handle the dancing.
And you can ask any Shetlander what they think of ‘Up Helly Aa’, and you will probably, guaranteed 100%, get the same response, it is part of the culture, part of the heritage, and everyone works together to make it a special time, and it seems like it gets better year after year. There is a spark, a passion and a great intensity in the build up to the two days of the festival, everyone gets excited, and none more so than children, they go around singing songs, cheering and so on. Andy Angus (Secretary Of The Up Helly Aa Committee) had this to say about his feelings towards ‘Up Helly Aa’, “it’s a celebration of tradition, it is great being involved in keeping the tradition going, and it is just simply doing the best that can be done to keep ‘Up Helly Aa’ as enjoyable an experience as possible for everyone involved ”. This is a festival that I believe is enjoyable to all ages, and there is every chance you will come back for a second year, or even a third or fourth, as it changes every year, with different squads representing different themes, and the Jarl Squad also changes from year to year. |
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Article published on 23rd February 2008 |
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Fact Box |
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There is an ‘Up Helly Aa’ exhibition which runs from May-September every year, this can be viewed at Islesburgh Community Centre You can also visit the Galley Shed, which is situated in St. Sunniva Street, Lerwick Booking accommodation early is a must, as places to stay are very limited at this time of year Fly to Shetland, from Aberdeen either by British Airways, www.ba.com or by Atlantic Airways, which you can fly straight from London, or connect via Aberdeen www.atlanticairways.com You can also choose the slower route, coming via ferry, either the Hrossey or Hjaltland, you can book your ferry places at www.nothlinkferries.co.uk Please Book Early As Places Are Scarce At This Time Of Year |
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