Up Helly-Aa
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Up Helly-Aa to most people means the fire festival held annually in Lerwick on the last Tuesday in January. There are similar fire festivals held in other districts of Shetland, but the Lerwick celebration is the oldest and biggest with up to 1000 men carrying flaming torches through the darkened streets.
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History
Historically, the festival dates back to the 1870's when rival groups of town youths dragged sledges with burning tar barrels through the town as part of the old Yule activity. However there was much accompanying vandalism such as smearing doors with tar to the extent that the Magistrates banned the practice in 1874. Following this ban, there were occasional attempts at torch-lit processions around Christmas and New Year, until, in 1881, a procession was held on 29th January, the date being Up Helly-Aa day, or the 24th day after Yule, the pre-Christian festival which later became associated with Christmas. In 1908, for convenience, the event was held on the last Tuesday of January, and this has been the custom since.
In 1881 too, a "Worthy Chief Guizer" was chosen to lead the procession, and in 1906 the leader appeared in Viking costume for the first time and was renamed 'Guizer Jarl' (Earl). 1921 saw the first 'Jarl's Squad' with the Jarl's personal group all being dressed in Viking costume.
By this time, a model Viking longship " Da Galley",had been added to the procession to be set alight with the torches. In these early years there was sometimes a second ship model, made by the local ship's carpenters and joiners or "Dock's Boys", depicting, usually, full rigged ships, but this was discontinued and, ever since the "Dock's Boys" have built "Da Galley".
By the outbreak of the First War there were around 300 guizers taking part and by 1939 there were over 400. At the first post war event in 1949 there were over 600 guizers and the number steadily rose until it levelled out at around today's 900+.
Due to the rapid increase in population following the start of the oil era, in 1973 a five year residency rule was introduced for guizers taking part in the festival.
Present Day
Today, the event is organised by a committee of sixteen men and the Jarl is appointed at a
'Mass Meeting of Guizers ' held in October of the preceeding year. At this meeting the previous Jarl steps down from office and one new member is elected to the committee by the guizers present at the meeting. Thus, a new member has a fifteen year apprenticeship before he becomes Jarl. Mass Meetings are often occasions of great hilarity.
Another duty for the committee members is to act as marshalls at the procession, keeping the torch bearers strictly on course and making sure they all turn correctly when the counter-marching takes place. The guizers know what is expected of them and there are never any disciplinary problems.
The guizers are in squads, numbering from ten to 25 in each and no two squads are dressed alike. There is always great secrecy surrounding what they will represent and what their outfit theme will be.
The Music
There are three songs associated with the event, the oldest being The Norseman's Home, first sung in 1896. The words are of obscure origin and it is sung to a traditional Norwegian melody. The following year, J J Haldane Burgess wrote the Up Helly-Aa Song specially for the occasion and this is sung to music composed by Thomas Manson. In 1935, John Nicolson's The Galley Song was incorporated and this is sung to a Norwegian folk melody.
On The Day
In Lerwick, the day dawns with a large billboard, officially headed "The Proclamation" but always referred to as "Da Bill", being erected at the Market Cross before daylight. This gives nominal instructions for the guizers, but also details the misdeeds of local characters through the preceeding year and generally pokes fun at authority. A few people named on the bill may be offended but the majority take it in good part and are generally quite proud to have got a mention.
At the foot of the bill is the Jarl's large wax seal, stamped with the motto WE AXE FOR WHAT WE WANT.
And the statement There will be no postponement for weather.
At 10 am the Galley is taken from the shed where it has been painstakingly built over the preceeding months and is pulled to Alexandra Wharf, flanked by the Jarl and his Squad and the Lerwick Brass Band.
This is the first time the public will have seen either the Galley, or the Jarl's Squad, and there is always much interest in both the details of the Jarl and his Squad's costume and the colour scheme he has chosen for his Galley. After many photographs have been taken, the Jarl and his Squad march along Commercial Street and proceed to a reception in Lerwick Town Hall where the guizers are received by the Councillors and invited guests and where they are given the Freedom of Lerwick for the day. Toasts are drunk, including one to Måløy, Lerwick's friendship town in Norway.
Following this reception, the Jarl and his squad spend most of the rest of the daylight hours visiting the local schools, hospitals and residential homes for the elderly, no age group is missed out.
The Raven Banner, a red flag with a black raven in the centre, flies above the Town Hall and at intervals during the day, its clock tower bells ring out the festival tunes.
The Procession And Burning Of The Galley
At around 7 pm, with the street lights of Lerwick turned off, the squads of guizers are given their torches and start to muster in their prescribed order at the Lower Hillhead. At 7.15 pm the Jarl's Squad passes up the ranks with the Brass Band playing the Jarl's choice of music. At 7.30 pm a maroon is fired giving the signal for the torches to be lit.
This is perhaps the most breathtaking moment for the massed spectators. First total darkness, then all along the ranks the red flares to light the torches, then the blaze of a thousand paraffin-soaked torches held aloft, all done with split second timing.
After the light up, the galley with the Jarl on board, his squad and the Brass Band pass down the ranks to the head of the procession with the guizers counter marching behind them. The procession then moves off singing the Up Helly-Aa Song. After marching through a route, long or shortened depending on the weather conditions, in central Lerwick, the procession enters the North Playing Field, off King Erik Street, the galley is halted in the centre, and the squads form several circles around it. A maroon is fired and the Galley Song is sung by the guizers whilst the Jarl's Squad march round the Galley. From on board the Galley, the Jarl calls for three cheers for the "da boys dat built da galley"( Galley builders), " da boys dat med da torches"(Torch makers), and the festival " Up Helly-Aa". Another voice calls for three cheers for the Guizer Jarl (always the loudest), after which the Jarl disembarks from his galley. A bugle call is sounded, giving the Jarl and his squad time to retreat from the impending inferno, and after the last note and only after the last note the torches are thrown into the galley. The front rank of the encircled squads throw first, then retreat to allow the row behind to throw theirs and so on until all the torches have been thrown. Then, the guizers reform their circles and sing "The Norseman's Home". As the mast falls in the pyre there is cheering with further cheering as the head and tail are consumed. Thereafter the guizers disperse to begin their rounds of the halls and the parties being held in them during this night of revelry which will last until daylight comes again.
By Location
- Brae Up Helly-Aa
- Bressay Up Helly-Aa
- Hillswick Up Helly-Aa
- Lerwick Up Helly-Aa
- Scalloway Fire Festival
- Lunnasting Up Helly-Aa
- Nesting and Girlsta Up Helly Aa
- Uyeasound Up Helly-Aa
