WATCH: Viking season gets underway with Scalloway Fire Festival
The first fire festival of the year got underway in Scalloway this morning, as Guizer Jarl George Martin led his squad of 46 vikings through the streets of the village.
Mr Martin, from Trondra, has chosen to take on the guise of the Norse god Balder, and the Gotland sun wheel plays an integral part throughout their suit, as the centrepiece of the squad’s shield and dominating the back of their grey cloaks.
The squad have opted for light-blue kirtles under dark-brown stained breastplates and for tall, slender silver axes.
Spectators lined both sides of Main Street to cheer on the squad this morning, and were treated to a show courtesy of galley Hringhorn, which this year blows smoke from its nostrils.
Twelve squads will tonight visit the six halls around Tingwall, Burra and Scalloway.
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![WATCH: Viking season gets underway with Scalloway Fire Festival](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="233" height="155"></svg>)
- The 2020 squad brave the January cold as they head for Main Street.
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- 2020 Scalloway jarl George Martin with his wife, Janne.
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![WATCH: Viking season gets underway with Scalloway Fire Festival](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="103" height="155"></svg>)
- The Gotland sun wheel dominates this year’s suit.
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- This year’s smoke-breathing galley, Hringhorn.
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- Allana Cumming and Harley Scobie observe the action from the galley.
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- John Fraser holds the squad’s banner aloft aboard the galley, Hringhorn.
Margaret Morgan
So proud of Guizer Jarl Balder (George Martin) and his wife Janne Glesnes Martin. Their costumes are great. The galley is great. A real link to the real Viking, blended with Shetland roots and well researched. Congratulations to the team.
George Martin
Thank you so much Margaret, a very special memory from a very different time