Memories–One Year Ago

One year ago, coronavirus was a barely heard term. Yes, a few people had heard of it–notably our son who lives in Europe. But it was not on the front burner for most Americans. Little did we know what was going to hit us.

One year ago, we were in Shetland for the annual UpHellyAa Viking Fire Festival. It was my third time to experience this breathtaking event–three years in a row. After three years, I can honestly say that Shetland is one of my very favorite places to be.

This year’s UpHellyAa was cancelled last July; the Jarl Squad for 2021 has been shifted to 2022, so they all get to grow out their beards again, and get back to work on building the ship and everything else they need to do.

Here are some photos from UpHellyAa 2020:

~lighting the torches for the procession~

~the costumed squads process along the street escorting the Viking ship and its Jarl Squad~

~and here is the ship headed to its pyre in the park~

~in the park, the squads throw their torches into the Viking ship, and it is fully engulfed in flames~

~and then it is on to a hall for the festivities. The Jarl Squad has made its appearance at Belles Brae Primary School~

Of course, Shetland is more than just the festival. It is covered with prehistoric sites, dating back 4000-5000 years. It seems as if every time there is a construction project, there is a pre-historic site unearthed. There is even a pre-historic village discovered during construction of the airport runway–fully excavated and catalogued and recovered so the runway could be built.

~Jarlshof, a continuously occupied site just south of the airport (that white building is the airport terminal), has neolithic ruins beneath Iron Age wheelhouses, Viking farmsteads, a medieval village, an earl’s home built in the 1400s, and a modern day hotel~

~Clickamin Broch, an Iron Age or earlier round fort, is in the city of Lerwick, a short walk from downtown, and across the street from the grocery store~

This year–2021–Lerwick is hard to get to, because of the all the coronavirus restrictions on travel to and in the UK and Europe. And UpHellyAa was officially cancelled anyway. So the Shetland Times broadcast playing of the UpHellyAa songs from the City Hall bell tower, on YouTube, so we can feel a part of what might have been. Enjoy!

~you can listen to the chimes–notice the raven flag is flying even if there is no festival~

Maybe next year.