[MD Expat in PA]

I am a fair skinned redhead (a strawberry blonde with bluish green eyes) and I have redheads on both my maternal and paternal side. My mother was a redhead, her ancestry was either English or Welsh on her father’s side (we aren’t quite sure which but his family name is more commonly Welsh than English) and German on her mother’s side. My father was born in Norway but his father supposedly also had some Scots in is line and perhaps some Basque. My father’s paternal aunt was according to him, a strikingly beautiful, tall, blue eyed redhead. My dad was blonde at birth and as a child but his hair turned dark, nearly black by the time he reached adulthood and working outside in construction, he got very tan and never burned. I on the other hand sunburn very easily as did my mother.

My Norwegian grandmother claimed that our family was descended from Eric the Red, something about our “family crest” and stories passed down on her father’s side, but I take that with a bit of a grain of salt as I bet a lot of Norwegians claim this.

I am interested in getting one of those 23andme DNA kits; I think it would be interesting, perhaps even clarify some of my ancestry.

As far as the British Isles and the Scandinavian influence, both on culture, language and genetics, don’t forget that the Vikings did not just conduct pillaging raids but they also settled large areas of Brittan, i.e. the Daneland. Then they, the Anglo Saxons who were Germanic, were invaded by the Normans…. the Normans being decedents of Norsemen who settled in the north of France, the area known as Normandy.

[livius]

23andMe is basically a data collection thing. When they send you the kit (for which you have paid something), they then ask you a million genetic research questions - about your family, your body, your health, etc. - before you can even go ahead.

Also, if you’re a woman, you can’t get a very clear reading on the genetic background since you’re missing part of it. If you have a brother, have him do it.

Basically, I’d say that if you want to do it, it will give you something although not very much if you’re a woman, but refuse to fill out their forms unless you really like that sort of thing.

[Dudoight]

Right...I read somewhere years ago that the redheaded irish were a direct result of the norse/viking settling Ireland.

As a related aside:
Years ago I had occasion to visit Algeria w/ WHO. Was taken around Algiers by a Berber-Kabyle fellow who had freckles. The Berber gentleman explained that they had people in their ethnic group who had red hair and freckles. Those who had these traits were very proud of them. He explained to me that it was the norse/viking influence from over 1000 years ago.