Logic and reason sets our species apart, but we are also born with a mind for nonsensical rituals – and they may be even more crucial for our survival
It's cold and dark in Shetland at this time of year, but nobody is hibernating. Instead, the residents of these subarctic Scottish islands are furiously busy putting the final touches to their annual festival, Up Helly Aa. Come Tuesday 27 January, those living in the capital, Lerwick, will enjoy a full day of festivities culminating in a torchlit procession of some 1000 "guizers" – men disguised as Vikings – and the burning of a replica longship.
The festival is relatively young, having begun in the 1880s, but that doesn't prevent Up Helly Aa from being infused with mystery. For a ...
To continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.
No comments:
Post a Comment