Today was #uphellyaa a Scottish Viking festival, which gives #people joy during the gloom & long cold nights of winter.

The tradition began in the 1800's.

At the end, they throw their torches onto a replica of a Viking boat.

Given what I've learned from Dr. Asa Hilliard & Theo Vennemann, it seems as if this type of boat comes from the lands of sunshine.

Merchant Navy #resistwar

Kemet
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Milwaukee_Public_Museum_January_2023_04_(Crossroads_of_Civilization--c._2100-1800_BCE_model_boat_from_an_Egyptian_tomb).jpg

Viking replica
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Hugin,_Viking_ship_-_geograph.org.uk_-_6018102.jpg

Israeli coins
https://en.numista.com/80490

LIVE: Shetlanders march at Scotland’s Viking festival in Lerwick

Hundreds of Shetlanders march through Lerwick, Scotland, carrying flaming torches to mark the ancient Viking festival of Up Helly Aa. The tradition dates to the 19th century. #uphellyaa #lerwick #shetland #scotland #vikingfestival Keep up with the latest news from around the world:

https://fllics.com/en/video/live-shetlanders-march-at-scotlands-viking-festival-in-lerwick/

Na, dann reicht die Zeit ja noch, sich einen siedend heißen Kaffee zu machen (und ggf. ein alkoholisches Getränk bereit zu stellen).

#UpHellyAa #Shetland #Lerwick
#stream

https://www.uphellyaa.com/

Just in case you want to see a thousand or so people carrying burning torches through a town...in 35mph winds...

...Up Helly Aa starts in half an hour.

No, we're not going. Yes we're watching it from our lounge. It's proper rough outside. Kudos to the Jarl Squad and others in the procession!

#UpHellyAa #Shetland #Lerwick

https://www.uphellyaa.com/

Happy #UpHellyAa for those that celebrate.

OK, there are plenty of other village events but #Lerwick #UHA is still the biggie.

The fire festival season is upon us once again! Starting today with Scalloway.

#UpHellyAa #Shetland

https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2026/01/09/jarl-sidney-scalloway-fire-festival/

I have never attended Up Helly Aa, although we did sail up and around Shetland two years ago. But I was reminded by this article and an extremely amusing (he pokes fun at everyone but in a very gentle way) program by Mark Steel from Lerwick, with an accompanying one from Unst. Highly listenable.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/dec/31/its-bigger-than-hogmanay-shetlands-up-helly-aa-viking-fire-festival

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002ln3w

#Shetland #Unst #Lerwick #MarkSteel #BBC #Radio #UpHellyAa

Torching tradition as first woman raises the axe for Shetland's Vikings.

The people of Shetland, a group of islands north of Scotland, are welcoming the arrival of spring in dramatic style – by burning viking longships.

Up Helly Aa was first celebrated in 1881 and is unique to these islands. But it's a tradition that is evolving, with a woman at the heart of it for the first time.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20250330-torching-tradition-as-first-woman-raises-the-axe-for-shetlands-vikings?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Shetland #Shetlands #Scotland #Vikings #UpHellyAa #History #Tradition