puffinbillyunst - February 2006

Where do we start?

Up Helly Aa is a great Shetland tradition which helps pass the time in those long winter nights. It started as a tar-barrel-dragging contest on the 24th day of Yule, but when tar barrels were banned in Lerwick in the 1870s the locals devised other ways of entertainment, eventually deciding upon a squad of Vikings processing with torches and setting a Viking boat alight.

The tradition spread to Unst in 1911, the Uyeasound Up Helly Aa being the second oldest in the world, while Norwick on Unst has held an Up Helly Aa since 1985.

Last year, the Jarl in Norwick was our glorious leader at Baltasound School, so as visitors to Evil Twinny's blog (aka So High ...) will know, there was a teacher's squad ('Andy's Funny Farm'). And what a glamorous lot we were ...