Up Helly Aa
Hit’s da Up Helly Aa saison o fire festivals. Da festival’s røts gings back ti’ da end o da Napoleonic Waars, at endit in November 1815, whin young Shetland men wan haem. Dey wir seen winderfil things awa fae haem an decidit tae hae a spree trowe da bleak Yül in Lerwick. Da onkerry cam tae be maed mair an mair inventive. Bi da 1840s da young men wir startit tae mak bombs wi dynamite. Dan dey startit hoidin demsels bi guizin an draggin barrels o tar dey wir set lowe til trowe Lerwick. Dis maed a aafil maess an wis deingerous, so eventually da young men startit tae rig demsels up in costumes, caa demsels guizers an caa dir sprees Up Helly Aa. Da first Up Helly Aa torch procession wis held athin 1881. In 1889 da first gelley wis brunt. In 1905 Haldane Burgess wrat da Up Helly Aa sang.
Da expression Up Helly Aa is aalder an comes fae da Scots Uphaliday, at markit da Feast o da Epiphany an da end o Christmas apø da 6t January. Da first attestation is fae 1478: vphalyday.
Da Shetland Up Helly Aa fire festivals irna a ancient Viking festival, but reidder a blend o history an reinterpretation at’s maed a unique Shetland tradeetion at embodies da unique identity o Shetland.
Read mair aboot da origins o Up Helly Aa an its sang here:
Brian Smith (2021) Up Helly Aa has a most interesting history.
Mark Smith (2022) Origins of the Up Helly Aa Song.
