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00:04 GMT, Tuesday, 27 January 2009

Vikings ready for fire festival

Up Helly Aa 2008

The usually dark winter skies above Shetland are to be lit up with colour for the Up-Helly-Aa fire festival.

Bearded Vikings wielding swords will be taking to the streets of Lerwick on Tuesday evening before burning their replica galley.

The annual celebration of Shetland culture culminates with 1,000 guizers - including men in Viking outfits - hurling torches into a longship.

Despite its Viking theme, the festival dates back to the late 19th Century.



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Related to this story:
In pictures: Up Helly Aa (30 Jan 08 |  In Pictures )
Festival of light for Shetlands (29 Jan 08 |  North East/N Isles )
In pictures: Up Helly Aa (30 Jan 07 |  In Pictures )
Viking fire festival takes light (31 Jan 06 |  Scotland )
Guizers gathering for Up Helly Aa (31 Jan 06 |  In Pictures )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Up-Helly-Aa
VisitShetland
Island Blogging
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