The Peerie Guizers: A celebration of Junior Up-Helly-A'

This is the story of the peerie guizers, the boys of Lerwick who have, since the mid-nineteenth century, kept alive a tradition of masquerade as part of their winter celebrations. Following the example of their elders, the boys dragged burning tar barrels through the streets, a practice which has evolved over time and continues to the present day in the form of the annual Up-Helly-A' festival. In 1956, junior Up-Helly-A' was formally recognised, and sixty years of the boys' spirit has not diminished. This book explores the festivals early roots and sketches how it has developed over the years, culminating in January 2015 with the 60th junior Guizer Jarl.