- Every year between January and March, Shetlanders celebrate the Up Helly Aa.
- This holiday maintains the Viking heritage of the British archipelago.
- Scandinavian navigators have left a lasting mark on the Scottish North Sea archipelago.
In winter, in the cold of the Shetland Islands, you have to deal with the wind, the rain, the sheep, the ponies ... and the Vikings. "We see them until March in a dozen municipalities, on the occasion of the most famous of traditions: the Up Helly Aa, a series of fire festivals," explains Mathew Nicolson, a native of the Scottish archipelago of North Sea. The most important and impressive of these rallies took place on Tuesday in Lerwick. At nightfall, 1,000 men dressed in Viking costumes and equipped with torches marched through the streets of the capital, which has only around 7,000 souls. Their procession ended as the tradition of about 140 years ago, igniting a wooden galley, a drakkar.
"They are guided by a chef: the yarl, who can only be a year in his life," explains Ariane Fornia, author of the travel blog "Itinera Magica". The men of the city register well in advance, there are selection criteria and it is a great pride to be chosen. They even let beards and hair grow six or seven years before, in anticipation. The one who attended the festival in 2017 says it has nothing to do with a carnival. “This is the event of the year during which the Shetlanders honor their ancestors. "
Colonization by the Vikings
Far from being folklore, the Vikings are part of the country's history. "The Shetlands were colonized by Scandinavians, popularly known as the Vikings, around the 9th century," said Mathew Nicolson, who completed a doctorate in constitutional history from the Archipelagos of Scotland at the University of Edinburgh. These settlers, mainly from Norway, ruled the archipelago for five centuries. “The Orkneyinga Saga, a historical document dating back to 1200, provides spectacular stories of organized raids from and on the Shetland Islands during this period. It reads the participation of islanders in the wars fought by Norway and Scotland during which the Shetlands were sometimes directly led by the Norwegian crown, "he said.
In the 13th century, after a long period of disputed sovereignty between Scotland and Norway, the Shetlands definitively came under Scottish control. Despite this, the Viking domination left an imprint still visible today. And even if its cold, windy and rainy winters do not make Shetland the favorite destination for this season, it is the best time to discover its heritage.
Archeological site
"The advantage is that there is nobody: I had to meet four tourists there in three hours of visit," reports Ariane Fornia, who went to Jarlshof, on the southern end of Mainland, the main island. "It is the most beautiful Viking archaeological site I have ever seen," says the enthusiast who had the opportunity to visit it in Norway, Scotland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. On this large plain bordering the sea, there was originally a Neolithic village, over which the Vikings built their houses. Built half buried in the ground, they were covered over time by peat and sand, which kept them particularly well. “We can go inside, understand their architecture. There is even a room where you can see the location of the fireplace. Nothing has been rebuilt or reconstructed, one has the impression that the Vikings left two days ago, ”describes Ariane Fornia still amazed. It is also possible to visit a reconstructed house and a replica of a Viking ship at the other end of the Shetlands, on the northern island of Unst.
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Jarlshof is located at Sumburgh Head near the southern tip of Mainland Shetland and covers more than 4,000 years of human history. With archaeological treasures including late Neolithic houses, a Bronze Age village, an Iron Age broch and wheelhouses to name but a few! Here is @ canadiangirl_abroad's photo from her visit👌 #Jarlshof #Sumburgh #Shetland #Scotland #VisitScotland #LoveGreatBritain #ScotlandsBeauty #InstaScotland #TravelingGram #IGersScotland #vsShetland #InspiredbyShetland #Historic
A post shared by VisitScotland (@visitscotland) on Jan 29, 2019 at 4:24 am PST
The Vikings also marked the linguistic heritage of the islands. "Although Scottish and later English became the official language of Shetland, Norne, a language with similarities to Faroese and Icelandic, was spoken until the nineteenth century, decrypts the Shetlandian doctoral student . In addition, the modern Shetland dialect, spoken by about half of the Shetlanders, contains many traces of Old Norse (medieval Scandinavian language, editor's note). For example, the names of many islands end in “ay”, such as Whalsay and Bressay. It comes from “øy”, “island” in Old Norse. "The word" church "is said to be" kirk "as in Norwegian and not" church "as in English, completes Ariane Fornia. There are also local bands that write songs that they are descended from the Vikings. They sing them in English and in the old dialect. "
This culture, the locals are proud of it and seek to preserve it. “The Shetland's affinities with Norway can sometimes be exaggerated. You sometimes hear it said that the Shetlands are more northern than Scottish, which is not true. However, the Shetlanders feel different from the rest of the Scots and their heritage contributes to the very independent identity of most of them, ”says Mathew Nicolson. Travelers braving bad weather will not give them Thor.
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