The streets of a small Scottish city have been filled once again with fire and smoke, since hundreds participate in a historic Viking Festival.
Up Helly AA in Lerwick on the Shetland Islands, is celebrated on the last Tuesday of January of each year and celebrates the Nordic heritage of the area.
Participants do not give viking -style clothes and wear around 1,000 torches lit by the city.
Today’s event only marks the second time that women and girls have been allowed to join the main team at the head of the procession.
Every year two torch light processions take place, one in the morning and a second at night.
Vikingas celebrations are full of burning symbolism, camaraderie, narration of community stories and parties in the most United Kingdom islands.
Thousands of visitors travel to Shetland every year to see the event, which culminates with the dramatic burning of a replica of a long Vikingo ship.
Last year, women and girls made history by joining the main ‘jarl’ squadron for the first time.
The members of the ‘Jarl Squad’ of the UP Helly AA festival have fallen torches through the streets of Lerwick
Participants do not turn on viking -style clothes and transport around 1,000 torches lit by the city
Young people participate in the torch procession at the Junior Up Helly AA in Lerwick on the Shetland Islands
Viking celebrations are full of burning symbolism, camaraderie, narration of community stories and parties
Young people participate in the torch procession at the Junior Up Helly AA in Lerwick on the Shetland Islands
The spectators observe while a replica of a Viking ship during the Junior procession of the Helly
Costume participants have flame torches during the AA Helly AA Festival in Lerwick, Shetland Islands
The march leader, known as Guizer Jarl, parades through the streets during the AA Helly Festival in Lerwick
A long -term campaign followed, which had been ongoing since the 1980s, to relax the strict gender rules around Helly AA.
Jenna Moar, 16, whose father Richard was Chief Jarl, was one of the first participants.
The organization is directed by a volunteer committee of 17 members, each selected by the Guizers, or disguised participants, with a new member chosen every year.
In 1949, the festival became a highly organized event for the first time, after years of AD-Hoc celebrations.
However, the earliest written record of the AA Helly of Up Data since 1824.
He started today with Chief Jarl leading his team through Lewick, dragging the ship’s replica and singing songs by AA and Galley.
The procession left the Islesburgh Community Center at 8.15 am before leaving for King Harald Street to the shopping center of toll watches.
Throughout the morning there were a series of official visits to hospitals, schools and other community spaces.
Around another 45 squads joined the celebrations with the total number of participants that generally reach around 1,000.
Participants, known as Jarl Squad, take a group photo during the morning parade ‘Up Helly AA’ on January 28
A Viking ship replica is burned during the Junior procession of the Helly AA Festival in Lerwick, Shetland Islands
Participants, known as Jarl Squad, participate in the morning parade ‘Up Helly AA’
A member of the ‘Jarl Squad’ of the UP Helly AA Festival, parades through the streets of Lerwick, Shetland Islands
Members of the ‘Jarl Squad’ parade of the AA UP Helly AA Festival through the streets of Lerwick, Shetland Islands
Young people participate in the torch procession at the Junior Up Helly AA in Lerwick on the Shetland Islands
The members of the ‘Jarl Squad’ of the AA Festival of UP Helly AA carry torches on fire through the streets of Lerwick, Shetland
The huge procession began at 7:30 pm and culminated with the burning of the viking ship replica.
It is believed that the ritual echoes the cremation ceremonies of great Nordic leaders.
Alex Macleod, executive director of Stornoway Port Authority, who was invited to participate in the event, he said according to STV: ‘It is an honor to be invited to be a member in this year’s jarl team for UP Helly AA.
‘It has always been an iconic celebration of the rich culture and inheritance of Shetland, and it will really be special to witness first hand the passion and spirit of the community that Helly AA represents.
“I am anxious to participate with Tom from Montrose Port and the Guizer Jarl Flam grains of the Port Authority of Lerwick while we join to celebrate the traditions of Shetland and continue building lasting relationships in the three ports.”
The UP Helly AA festival is celebrated to celebrate the Nordic period in the Shetland Islands that lasts about 600 years.
The Vikings landed for the first time in the most northern islands in the United Kingdom between 800 and 850 AD and were part of the kingdom of Norway until the fifteenth century.
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