[MR] BBC: Up Helly Aa Again

[Garth Groff via Atlantia]

Noble Friends,

This year's Up Helly Aa festival is underway in Shetland. This event 
celebrates the region's Viking heritage with parades, drinking, Viking 
costumes, more drinking, burning a Viking ship, still more drinking, 
followed by a whopper hang-over. The Viking costumes have more in common 
with a Wagner opera or a Mardi Gras than history, but the helms, armor 
and shields are really spectacular. You can see some photos at 
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-35408048 
. There is more on Up Helly Aa, including photos of past costumes, at 
http://www.uphellyaa.org/ .

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot