Say, mates, I've got an idea. What say we stop off in Dublin, quaff a few pints of Guinness and steal some women to take with us?
Posted on 03/23/2010 8:28:05 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
An analysis of DNA from a Viking gravesite near a 1000 year-old church in southern Greenland shows that those buried there had strong Celtic bloodlines...
The analysis -- performed by Danish researchers on bones from skeletons found during excavations in south Greenland -- revealed that the settlers' Nordic blood was mixed with Celtic blood, probably originating from the British Isles.
Danish archaeologists are currently conducting the first regional study of southern Greenland's original settlers, whose colonies date back to the year 985. The skeletons disinterred outside the old church also date back to just a few years after that period.
'The research results haven't yet been published, but initial results somewhat surprisingly suggest that the people in the graves were more Celtic than Nordic,' said Jette Arneborg, curator and senior scientist at the National Museum, and one of the Danish archaeologists involved in the project.
'We've always known that Norsemen travelled a lot and we also know that the early inhabitants of the Faroe Islands and Iceland had traces of Celtic genes. But now we also have evidence of this in Greenland as well,' she added.
Although the DNA analysis reveals the inhabitants had Celtic blood in their veins, Arneborg said there was no question that the settlers were Nordic.
'Everything these people did -- their culture, means of nourishment and so on -- was clearly Scandinavian,' she said.
Earlier studies of populations living in the Faeroe Islands and Iceland have shown that it was primarily the women who were of Celtic origin.
Arneborg said that indicated the Vikings may have come from Norway down past the British Isles -- where they took women with them -- and then continued on into the North Atlantic, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland.
(Excerpt) Read more at cphpost.dk ...
Back when men were men and women liked it.
I guess I was asking for that one.
“... it was primarily the women who were of Celtic origin.”
In my family, it is a common saying: “There is a viking in the closet somewhere...”
Ivar was a cripple - he could not walk.
LOL. Thanks for the answer. I was wondering about that one.
I’ve got thousands of people in my family tree (only direct ancestors) and I’ll never get through individual searches for them all.
My favorite find so far is finding I am descended from Edward Crafts, who was a captain in Bunker Hill and fought in the Lexington alarm.
Have you Anne Bradstreet in your tree?
Not yet, but it’s not complete. I’m still finding tons of names. (I’m not sure if it ever will be, you know these things get bigger and bigger)
The forebearer names I am currently on are Cole, Carpenter, Bullock, Billington, Crafts, and Crossman. These are all early settlers names from Scituate (Plymouth) and Rehoboth.
One of the fun things I’ve found is that we really do inherit a lot, even from distant ancestors. For instance, for hundreds of years there are constant mentions of my family being involved in the military and also being physically imposing. Also there are constant mentions of being “well educated” and “well read” - and most of them were involved in politics! One couple actually drove by buggy across the state to hear the Lincoln Douglas debates.
We have had people very active in every war since the Revolution, including the original tea party, which points me to principle and strength. I like it. My favorite was Eliot Winship (a woman!), who ran guns for the revolution. When she was caught by the British, and asked if she was making ammo and running guns, she told them, “Yes, and if I was a man I would shoot you, too!” What a woman.
http://www.clanmacalistersociety.org/historians-corner/article1.htm
This clan was from the SW corner of Scotland (Ayr) and sailed amongst the islands mentioned previously. The distance from the Scottish Isles to Northern Ireland is less than 20 miles, so intermarriage would certainly happen.
According to the history above, the King of Norway controlled these islands up to the 12th Century.
I'm proud to be from a smaller Clan within the Macalisters...:^)
I saw a book a few years ago that was about using DNA to trace relationships, and it had a chapter on the descendants of Somerled--the current leaders of the clans let their DNA be tested and they all had the same Y chromosome (in other words, in their direct paternal lines, there was never a female ancestor who had a son by a lover instead of by her husband).
Back in the 1970s a professor in Edinburgh named Sellar had an article on Somerled where he argued that he was of Gaelic ancestry, but the DNA evidence seems to prove that he was Norse.
There are surviving documents with Alexander of Islay's seal on them when he submitted to Edward I in the 1290s (I've seen them in the Public Record Office in London). That seems to have more to do with the fact that family rivals were supporting Balliol than any love of Edward I.
Say, mates, I've got an idea. What say we stop off in Dublin, quaff a few pints of Guinness and steal some women to take with us?
“Could you please?”
“Go ahead!”
"Haven't you ever the heard the phrase, “a boner”?"
"I believe it is synonymous with “hard-on”, but hey, I'm not expert."
:-))
{I love languini)
Seems like Vikings would be messy around the house.
“Go for the plunder, stay for the spam!”
Doncha hate it when that happens? I generally get in a lot of trouble around here, because, well, I’m a smart ass, and often forget (or just eschew) it. ;’)
Wow, the three men are all still alive! Don’t recognize the babe.
The drinking would explain why they thought it was a good idea. ;’)
On his mother’s side...
With pigs knuckles and mead.
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