was that quite an exciting thing to find out? yeah, so i think it s just nice, everybody getting the opportunity, especially the young ones, like joni and her friends. yeah, i m really happy, it s really good that they re letting girls take part. which is brilliant, and can you imagine yourself taking part in the future, and becoming a member of the jarl squad? yeah. would you like to wear the armour? mm. as the day draws to an end in lerwick, the festivities start to heat up. i m standing here with a lot of proud parents, as the members of thejunior procession light up their torches and get ready to set off across town. hopefully we can catch sight ofjoni. behind the jarl squad, the other revellers are dressed not in viking gear, but in fancy dress, and sure enough, we see lots of girls taking part, including joni.
would you like to wear the armour? mm. as the day draws to an end in lerwick, the festivities start to heat up. i m standing here with a lot of proud parents, as the members of thejunior procession light up their torches and get ready to set off across town. hopefully we can catch sight ofjoni. behind the jarl squad, the other revellers are dressed not in viking gear, but in fancy dress, and sure enough, we see lots of girls taking part, including joni. not long after thejunior procession, it s the grown ups turn. scottish reel music. the atmosphere is brilliant. you ve got this singing, lots of shouting. cheering. they ve turned off the street lights, so you ve just
behind the jarl squad, the other revellers are dressed not in viking gear, but in fancy dress, and sure enough, we see lots of girls taking part, including joni. not long after thejunior procession, it s the grown ups turn. scottish reel music. the atmosphere is brilliant. you ve got this singing, lots of shouting. cheering. they ve turned off the street lights, so you ve just got this torchlight around, but you do have to be a bit bit cautious, because if a gust of wind comes a gust of wind comes by, the embers fly from the torches and land on your clothes, so you have to be home with a few holes! as the adult procession passes by, we don t see many women taking part, but any controversy hasn t stopped crowds of people
but, fundamentally, this is a local tradition. there are rules for who can take part, which is why 2023 is a big yearfor up helly aa, because it s up helly aa, because it s the first time in the history of this beardy, testosterone fuelled festival that women canjoin in. i think it s probably fair to say that the reaction to the announcement was broadly positive, although probably, some people still cherish the format of the festival as it was. traditionally, women are the hostesses of the ornate parties that followed the procession. claire has some sympathy for those who want to keep it all as it was. my husband has been in nine jarl squads now. he s a joiner, he s a craftsman. i think it s a shame to forget what pride and delight lots of people involved in making these suits and making this event happen, from the hostesses and the halls, you know, they do those things very, very well, and
drums. sitting halfway between the scottish mainland and norway, the shetland islands have a unique combination of cultures, and today, the sleepy town of lerwick is facing an invasion from a long dormant foe the vikings. cheering. so, this is up helly aa. it s one of a number of viking festivals that take place in shetland every year, and this one, in lerwick, is the biggest. up helly aa is best known for its night time procession. almost 1,000 people carry flaming torches through the streets, then set fire to a replica viking ship. the day begins with a march through the town, a march through the town, led by the jarl