I hear you but if you look into it a little further you would find out that a lot of the Shetland people descended from Vikings. But more importantly, the Shetlander's have a long history of "guising" dressing up in disguise. This video doesn't show it but the majority of people carrying torches, both men and women, were dressed up in 40+ different "costumes" or disguises. I was there this year (2024).
That is spectacular stuff.
I bet the burns dept at 5he local A&E were busy.
Believe it or not there are no casualties. It is so well managed by the Up Helly Aa Committee.
Spectacular - but the sight of grown men pretending to be Vikings is faintly ludicrous.
I hear you but if you look into it a little further you would find out that a lot of the Shetland people descended from Vikings. But more importantly, the Shetlander's have a long history of "guising" dressing up in disguise. This video doesn't show it but the majority of people carrying torches, both men and women, were dressed up in 40+ different "costumes" or disguises. I was there this year (2024).