Myths Of British Ancestry

Prospect ^ | 10-2006 | Stephen Oppenheimer

[blam]

Myths of British ancestry

October 2006
Stephen Oppenheimer

Everything you know about British and Irish ancestry is wrong. Our ancestors were Basques, not Celts. The Celts were not wiped out by the Anglo-Saxons, in fact neither had much impact on the genetic stock of these islands

The fact that the British and the Irish both live on islands gives them a misleading sense of security about their unique historical identities. But do we really know who we are, where we come from and what defines the nature of our genetic and cultural heritage? Who are and were the Scots, the Welsh, the Irish and the English? And did the English really crush a glorious Celtic heritage?

Everyone has heard of Celts, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. And most of us are familiar with the idea that the English are descended from Anglo-Saxons, who invaded eastern England after the Romans left, while most of the people in the rest of the British Isles derive from indigenous Celtic ancestors with a sprinkling of Viking blood around the fringes.

Yet there is no agreement among historians or archaeologists on the meaning of the words "Celtic" or "Anglo-Saxon." What is more, new evidence from genetic analysis (see note below) indicates that the Anglo-Saxons and Celts, to the extent that they can be defined genetically, were both small immigrant minorities. Neither group had much more impact on the British Isles gene pool than the Vikings, the Normans or, indeed, immigrants of the past 50 years.

The genetic evidence shows that three quarters of our ancestors came to this corner of Europe as hunter-gatherers, between 15,000 and 7,500 years ago, after the melting of the ice caps but before the land broke away from the mainland and divided into islands.

[Ciexyz]

My ancestry is Welsh, but I'm Viking at heart, hehehe.

[Thinkin' Gal]

Ping.

[blam]

"My ancestry is Welsh, but I'm Viking at heart, hehehe."

'O' type blood? The highest percent of people in the world with 'O' type blood is behind Offas Dyke.

[LexBaird]

How much Anglo-Saxon is left after the French invaded in 1066?

A lot. The Normans continued to speak French among the nobility, but the masses did not. The language of Chaucer's stories bear more resemblance to Beowulf than to the Chansons of France.

It is rare to find the raw guttural, monosyllabic, Germanic words in modern English. He who rules get to set the what language is spoken.

There are many, many Germanic words in English. And Latinate, and Nordic and others. English is a polyglot, which freely borrows.

[Pelham]

English borrows words from all languages, but the structure of English is closer to German than to the Romance languages.

[stripes1776]

The English school marm made history absolutely a class to be enjoyed. The kids would declare their favourites. Yes, Harold,last of the Saxons Kings, was the hero.

I think I read somewhere that when J.R.R.Tolkien (wrote Lord of the Rings) was a student at Oxford, he proposed a resolution that the Norman Invasion be condemned. In addition, words from Anglo-Saxon should be used instead of those from French. He didn't like French. He became a professor of Anglo-Saxon.

One could throw into the mix, that the Welsh could claim to be an indigenous people. Hard to classify these persons with the rest of the British Isles.

I think the Welsh immigrated to the British Isles about 1000 B.C., so they really need to rethink that indigenous claim. On the other hand the word British derives from the Celtic name Bryttas. That is what the Celts called themselves before the Anglo-Saxons starting calling them Welsh. So the Celts took an Anglo-Saxon name, Welsh, for themselves, and the Anglo-Saxons took a Celtic name, Briton, for everyone living in that land.

I am very fond of England and thank the English for giving such a wonderful language to the world.

[MamaB]

I have been doing research for about 5 years and have over 22,000 names in my FTM. It saved my sanity after losing my brother, husband, bil, mother and an aunt within 8 months. I could not think of my problems while entering data. Two of my ancestors came over on the Mayflower. A son of one married the daughter of the other one or that is what I have found on several sites. I take it with a grain of salt though until I find some proof.

[SunkenCiv]

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[SunkenCiv]

[SoCal Pubbie]

I object to this guy Hudson calling treatment of the native population in the United States “genocide.” Genocide is the policy of annihilation of a population. No such policy was ever attempted here. There were wrongs committed, promises broken, even massacres that took place. But no one ever tried to find a “final solution” to the “Indian question.”

[SauronOfMordor]

Within two generations, the genetic makeup will be mostly West Asian and African.

[blam]

"Within two generations, the genetic makeup will be mostly West Asian and African."

I think you are correct...And, living under Shariah Law.

[blam]

Ireland Launches Police Hijab, Claims ‘Diversity’ Deficit a ‘Time-bomb’(TR)