Fire is an important element in all cultures, but few like the Vikings need it so much to channel debts between the living and the dead.
When a Viking died, his body was sent on a ship that was later set on fire. This ensured (or at least it was hoped that it would) their entry into Valhalla, where they would rest eternally.
That is the most famous story of the Vikings around the world, but today one of the last traditions that the descendants of one of the fiercest groups in history still celebrate is the “Up Helly Aa”, which takes place in Lerwick in Sheltand Island in Scotland.
Up Helly Aa comes from the Yule festival, in which the Vikings celebrated the rebirth of the sun in early January. This festival was banned for years, but since the ban on tar was lifted and torches could be used again, in 1881 the locals celebrated by lighting the instrument that their ancestors used to survive and thus, among the fire, the tradition was reborn.
Today the party is preceded by the “jarl” who must have belonged to an organizing committee for at least 15 years. He is the one who has to make sure that the party, which begins in a solemn way in the morning, goes smoothly.
Dressed in horned helmets, armor, swords, axes and everything else that reminds us today of those famous Vikings we see in the series “Vikings”, the inhabitants of Lerwick sing old war songs and behave as if it were a day of battle.
The Vikings march through the small town until they reach the beach, where a life-size replica of a Viking ship awaits them so that the fire consumes the wood and the sun receives their sacrifice. This kicks off the festivities (although one must not think that during the previous days it is not a big preparation party) in which the music, the food and, above all, the drink flow freely.
There are small groups that show up during the party and there is even a small Star Wars squad, which refers to the borrowing of tradition when the bodies of the great masters are burned.
Despite the fact that the festival is one of the last to commemorate the Vikings and that it is not popular even in all of Scotland, it seems that the tradition is far from dying and is even giving way to the revival of other old Norse traditions.