Junior Up Helly Aa

The Junior Jarl Squad visiting the local Primary school. Photo by Andrew Shearer.

The Junior Up-Helly-Aa was established in 1956 for the purpose of introducing young people to, and prepare them for participating in main Up-Helly-Aa fire festival. It is without doubt that the junior Up Helly Aa is the foundation on which the present day festival has been built. The interest that was installed in the young people to build their own Viking boat, by their school teachers and parents, and to organise them into squads of guizers and hold there own torchlight procession and burning can clearly be seen in the Standard of the present festival today.

The Up Helly Aa committee and their helpers have always made the torches for the junior procession, and volunteers have made the Viking galley for the burning.

The first and second year students at the Anderson High School vote for their chosen Junior Jarl after the school summer holidays. During the winter the parents of the squad members also need to construct a suit for the squad members to wear.

Similar to the senior Guizer Jarl and Squad, the Junior Jarl Squad visit schools and other public appointments throughout the day.

The Junior Torchlit Procession starts at 17:30 from the Hillhead where the junior guizers follow their Galley into the burning site before sending it on its way in a blaze of fire.

The following list records the Junior Jarl and the name of their Galley:

YearJunior Guizer JarlGalley Name
1956John HalcrowOdin
1957Alexander ScottThor
1958Gordon SmithBaldur
1959Bobby RobertsonSleipner
1960Ian CampbellLoki
1961Douglas DalzielValkyrie
1962Andrew JohnstonValhalla
1963Roger ThomasonHvitdraga
1964Angus StevensonHeimdal
1965John WilliamsonEllidi
1966Brydon PetersonIduna
1967Robert LeaskNiord
1968Zander SimpsonMjolnir
1969Edward SimFreya
1970David SummersGeirhilda
1971Robert SimpsonAegir
1972Gary NicolsonVerdandi
1973Magnus LeaskVaranger
1974Michael JohnstonHelgi
1975Terry StrachanSol
1976George LeaskTyr
1977Melvyn LeaskHugin
1978Ian IsbisterMunin
1979Ian MannVirna
1980Robert LeaskCirca
1981Mark SandisonFloka-Vardi
1982Steven JohnsonOseberg
1983Alan PottingerHelluland
1984Campbell JamiesonGokstad
1985Iain JohnstonIkigait
1986Victor SandisonDynröst
1987Grant WisemanSkraeling
1988Michael GrantSkerdoya
1989Bryan GoodladSjöröver
1990Bryan PetersonSynnive
1991Robert GeddesBrenning
1992Gary RobertsonKolvaröv
1993Tom WardRuna
1994Luke HunterAsgard
1995Gary MansonSjöfuglen
1996Steven HendersonSönja
1997John BulterHelga
1998Grant PolsonVigga
1999Stevie MichaelAnona
2000Ryan StewartTvau Þúsund
2001Jordan HunterAlicia
2002James HughsonÖmstr
2003Shane JamiesonKristine-louise
2004Darren LaurensonDrofn
2005Josh NicolsonBrenda
2006Robert SmithKate
2007Alasdair ScottClingri
2008Roy WoodKylie
2009Kristoffer ThomasonDa Hoga
2010Sam MaverIngamar
2011Rory JohnstonSanmeria
2012Joseph MorganSilje
2013Lenny AllanNoelle
2014Travis MorganRhonda
2015Lewis HarknessNiamh
2016Lewis BarclayLaura
2017Brandon TalukderTor
2018Sonny TealeJeremyä
2019Isaac YoungIngrid
2020Marley TealeHelenä
2023James MorrisonThelma
2024Oran McCullochFenrir