Stonehaven Fireball Ceremony

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11:12pm Stonehaven Pipe Band.

The Fireball Ceremony takes place in Stonehaven just as the Hogmanay cries herald in the new year. Moments before the Old Town House bell chimes midnight the drone of a small pipe band accompanies the lighting of the fireballs and the 40 or so fireballers emerge from the street leading to the Harbour. The fireballers, who refer to themselves euphemistically as “swingers”, parade up and down the 175yards of the High Street with the enthusiastic encouragement of the crowd to “swing your balls”.

For us, the festival started many hours before in a ceremony known as “finding something that is warm and cosy which will not be burnt by the flying embers”. The journey to Stonehaven was not without incident, as travelling to Perth the windscreen washer fluid suddenly froze as a solid and opaque covering necessitating an emergency stop to avoid going off the darkened road.

11:36pm Drum Band.

Arriving at Portlethen, just north of Stonehaven, we booked into the hotel and around 9:00pm we began putting on the warm weather clothes, and just before 10:00pm we were ready to go. Though there was still two hours before the main event, there was no parking anywhere close to the town centre and we ended up walking the full length of seafront and even though we were there over an hour before the start we only just secured a position at the barrier.

At 11pm the Lathallan School Pipe band  kicked off the entertainment followed by an enthusiastic drum band turning rhythm and beat into music. Around 11:45 the last of the fireballers jumped the barriers holding their balls in the air and as Midnight approached a hush descended on the crowd with only the sound of wide eyed parents trying to encourage sleepy children not to fall asleep by counting down from 1000 till the new year.

Midnight: Pipes lead the Fireballers headed by George Carr swinging for the 27th time.

At midnight the fireballers were piped down the High Street in a procession bringing not only light into the dark but surprisingly heat and warmth as fireballs were swung vigorously with flames appearing to go within inches of the crowd. Every now and then a fireballer, both men and women, would stop to greet someone in the crowd. Did they actually know these folk, or were they just finding some excuse to stop swinging these huge loads? It didn't matter, it all just added to the atmosphere and to be honest anyone who can swing a heavy load of logs around their head in front of a crowd of people shouting "swing your balls" at midnight on News Years Morning in this PC mad age where even Scouts aren't able to light fires without a degree in health and safety, deserves more praise than I can give.

The spectacle was fantastic, at times the flames seemed to engulf the fireballers and as the balls began to char, the sparks began to fly sending a shower of glowing embers into the sky in what is surely the most memorable Fire-work display in Britain today. The only drawback is the crowds, according to Martin Sim, one of the "swingers": "there is plenty space in the harbour area where the crowds can see the 'lighting up' and the 'throwing in' at the end"

Copyright Stonehaven Fireballs Association

Martin went on to tell me:

" It seems more and more people want to 'go somewhere' to bring in the new year. The atmosphere is great (as I'm sure you found) and that's good. It's a funny thing about the atmosphere - it's the crowd that bring it! There isn't a 'warm up' act to get you going. It's just the expectation in the crowd - amazing.

I can't remember a Hogmanay without the Fireballs. I have stayed in Stonehaven all my life (nearly 62 years) and have never been anywhere else at New Year. I suppose I first saw them when I was 5 or 6. They were a very different event to what they are now. The street lighting was much poorer then and when the string of fireballs came down the street you couldn't see anyone's face, only dark figures in silhouette. I remember feeling unhappy at the figures but fascinated by the fireballs. The procession, as it came further down the street, looked like a fiery serpent snaking its way into the town.

Enthusiastically egged on by the crowd.

As time passed and I saw more ceremonies I could see that it seemed to be less popular. I never thought I would be allowed to be a swinger as they all seemed to come from old fishing families based in the older part of Stonehaven. However when speaking about the fireballs to another local guy he said they were needing new and younger people to get involved and to come along to a meeting they were setting up in late 1977. That's when I got started. I made my first fireball and got hooked. The 'rush' when you set off with your first fireball is just amazing and it doesn't really diminish the more times you do it. Each fireball is a one off. No two are the same. Some swingers make their own some get them made by others. Some are heavy, some light, some fat, some thin. It's the way they look when they are all lit and are being swung that is when the ceremony really comes together. I suppose it would be best seen from a distance (which you can't because of the buildings) or from above (equally difficult unless you have a helicopter).

George Emslie thrilling the crowds. To stop animation press <esc> key.

As you come to the end of the swing and the ball starts to fade and die out you start to plan what you'll put into the next one - more of the same or a little of what someone else said they put in theirs (as that one looked better than mine). 32 years later I'm still thinking the same thoughts. I am not aware of seeing any ghosts on the night but at some time I think most of the swingers are aware of the fact that we are walking in the footsteps of many others who have done exactly the same thing on the same night at the same time since at least 1881. Quite why these guys started doing this all those years ago is lost in the mists of time - but who cares really - it's good to do and seems to be great to watch. It only happens on that night at that time and in that place and that's part of what makes it unique.

I feel the 32 times I have taken part in the ceremony have been an amazing privilege for me. I have enjoyed every one."

At half past midnight, with the fireballs thrown into the harbour and the fireballers exhausted and presumably taking a well earned dram or two, the Stonehaven Fireworks began. There is something special about fireworks in a small town - and that something special is the pitch black of a really dark starlight sky where even the faint stars of the plough appear bright. Edinburgh & London might win on sheer vulgar blast-power, but even the best firework loses its beauty against the yellow sodium glow of a city sky. The children were amazed and immediately asked "why can't we have fireworks like that", to which I should have said: "because we have too many street lights".

George Reid about to swing for the first time.

What is a Fireball?

Although there is clearly some reticence to divulge exactly why some fireballs are far larger than others, the basic ingredients are obviously combustible material like sticks, cardboard, cotton material, hessian sacking, old woollen clothing or even quilting dowsed in inflammable liquid like paraffin. This material is held in a framework of chicken wire attached to a secure metal wire by which the load is swung. Each fireball is checked prior to the event for safety, however, everyone attending the event expects a certain amount of fiery material to escape the fireballs, as this is the essence of the event and anyone attending wearing modern fabrics must expect them to sustain a certain amount of damage. 

Origins of the Ceremony

The ceremony is not only Stonehaven's way of welcoming the new year it is a beacon to the town's “ain folk” like my wife who came home to visit family. The ceremony in its modern form originates from at least 1881, but processions with flaming torches and kindling of fires can be traced back well before the Middle Ages all over Europe. The NE of Scotland has several midwinter fire festivals including Up-Helly-Aa in Shetland and Burning of the Clavie in Burghead which takes place on 11^th of January, the original Hogmanay according to the calendar before it was changed in 1660. However it is remarkable the festivals exist at all as both the church and state have sought to rid what the strict Presbyterian establishment regarded as "superstitious, idolatrous and sinfule, an abominable heathenish practice" an attitude which led in 1704 to legislation being passed against the Clavies.

Alan Venters	Sparks flying everywhere!

Symbolism - Fire

Amazing display (unknown leading David Dallas on his 29th swing)

Whilst the fire festivals are related to all mid winter celebrations marking the final end of a period of harvest and plenty and the beginning of the cold, dark days waiting for the reawakening of nature in spring, the actual symbolism would come from the Norse who settled the NE of Scotland as opposed to the Gaelic influence that pervades the Highlands and Islands. In essence the fireballers are enacting the a symbolic “cremation” of the old year, the cleansing of the old through fire to allow the “rebirth” of the new. And, the archaeological evidence shows us that the early Norse practice for disposal of hte dead was cremation (Burial became the dominant rite after the 10^th century along with Christianity.)

The fireballers may once have represented the fire jötnar (giants), which the Norse thought resided in Muspelheim the world of heat and fire, ruled by the fire giant Surtr ("the black one"). In the same way as Christians enacted scenes from the bible in the medieval Mysteries Plays, so the Norse may have enacted the Norse story where the fire giants wreak the final destruction of the world by setting fire to the world at the end of Ragnarök.

We know fire was important in the Norse Eschatology (end of times) and the Norse Saga Edda, tells us that: Surtr arises with the sons of muspell, makes war upon all the gods and overcomes them, the whole world perishes by his fire. When he with his blazing brand comes on from the South, the rocks in the mountains reel, the giantesses flee, men go the way of the dead, heaven cracks asunder, The Æsir (gods) do battle with Surtr and his host, they are all slain, and the world comes to an end.

Symbolism – Rebirth

The new year is reborn amongst the flames (Martin Sim on his 32nd session)

We know the Anglo Saxons regarded the turning of the year as important and for example a man's age was not measured in whole years, but the number of winters he had endured. The mid winter may be the time of darkness but it also marks the time when the sun stops heading southward and begins to return North heralding the “rebirth” of light.

There is good evidence from the Norse Sagas, that a belief in reincarnation was possibly commonplace among the early Norse as the 13th century Poetic Edda tell us:

It was believed in olden times that people were born again, but that is now called old wives' folly. Of Helgi and Sigrun it is said that they were born again; he became Helgi Haddingjaskati, and she Kara the daughter of Halfdan.

Such events could never happen without a mass of volunteers who give up their time to organise, run and participate. This is my oportunity to thank them for their work. My family certainly had a fantastic Hogmanay celebration. So thanks to the Stonehaven Fireballs Association and please do visit their website to learn more.

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