today's Vikings
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 ...
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But the Vikings don’t play basketball.
Well, duh!!
The Vikings began invading the British Isles around the 6th - 7th centuries. The rich monasteries around the islands were unguarded and easy pickings. The looting of Lindisfarne and Kells monasteries are infamous. And those lusty Vikings weren’t just interested in gold and jewels - they carried off lots of female slaves.
Do I really have to spell it out for you?
Go ahead.
Could you, please?
Having danish ancestry in my bloodline, I would very much enjoy hearing all the details. Especially the parts about the celtic females.
But did they celebrate Halloween???
All hallows’ eve? The night before all saints’ day?
Somehow I don’t think so.
So I guess it’s now “O’Din!”
It wasn't necessary Viking raiders carrying off female slaves, but Vikings settled in places like the Hebrides, the Isle of Man, and the Orkney islands who had children by the local women. Some of the descendants of these unions must have been among the initial colonizers of Ireland.
Ah yes the good old days.
Stick to the JB posts.....
Irish redhair and proud of it...
I am descended from the Scottish and Irish kings of medieval times (it’s a lot of fun to look the stuff up) and one of the things I learned was the Vikings married their daughters to the line of Scot Kings.
Also how many people have ancestors like “Sigurd the Snakeeye” and Ivar the Boneless?
I can figure out the snake eye but for the life of me I can’t figure out how someone ended up being called Ivar the Boneless.
celtic GREENland...you didn’t need DNA to know this.
Clan MacDougal originated with a son of King Hakkon the first. The clan coat of arms shows longships and I read somewhere that the clan could put several thousand men at sea at one time.
I believe it is synonymous with “hard-on”, but hey, I'm not expert.
“Could you please?” “Go ahead!”
Hmmm...I forgot to add the sarcasm tag again.
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