Celts and Germans (Random thoughts and myth comparison)
Germans, Celts, Manus, Teutates-Toutatis, Tuisto Etc.
The Celtic God Teutates is described by Roman writers as a Celtic God of War, associated or compared with both Murcury (Woden) and Mars (Tiw). It is said he was one of 3 major Gods worshiped by the Celts in Gaul and Britain (Taranis = Thor)
Esus (Ing) and Teutates (Tiew/Woden). In Tacutus’s Germania he describes the first information of Germanic tribes to be recorded: That they worship an Earth Born God called “Tuisto” or Tuisco* (*cognate to Tiw) earlier reportedly meaning “Two” or “double” and the later being possibly cognate to Tiw. Is Teutatis and Tiw (Tiwaz) somehow related? Is Tuisto in fact Teutatis and the name sake of the Tribes of which the Germans take their name (Deutsch).
Are Teutates, Taranis and Esu cognate to Woden þunor and Ing.
War, Thunder and Lord.
Celtic Sea God Manannán cognate to Germanic Manus? Manannan is described as a Tuatha Da Danan (People of Danu) a tribe of divine beings that inhabited Britain before the humans arrived. The Milesians (Celts or Scythians) then inhabited the Islands. Are the Tuatha Da Danan a reference to a Teutonic people previously inhabiting Britain? According to the Book Blood of the Isles (which did DNA surveys on Britain) found that Scotland particularly had a surprisingly high migration rate from Scandinavia during the Beaker and later bronze age.
The God Manannan has interesting comparisons to Ing or Freyr:
One:
Freyr is son of Njorð a Sea/Fertility God.
Manannan is son of Ler a Sea God
Two:
Freyr has a magic boat that fits in his pocket.
Manannan has a magic boat that guides itself.
Three:
Freyr has a magic sword which fights on its own.
Manannan has a magic Sword that steals his enemies strength.
Four:
Freyr has a magic boar he rides and is associated with horses/horse cults.
Manannan has a magic horse who rides over sea and land (Also Sleipnir like)
Both Celtic and Germanic myth describe a primordial Race of Giants being in conflict with the Gods of order. Greek myth which is also Indo European has Titans as the primordial beginning. The Germans have Ettins/Jotuns or Eotens and the Celts have
Formorians.
The Tuatha Da Danan Battled the Formorians in Celtic myth as the Vanir Battle the Æsir in Norse or Germanic although Vanir does not exist outside later Norse sources. It is unknown if the Eldest kindred of Teutons (Germans) acknowledged a difference between Gods or saw them as having tribes. Perhaps it was simply a matter of Æsir and Jotuns as the Vanir are descended from Jotuns technically. Elements of Celtic mythology appear to almost reference the settling of the Indo-Europeans across Europe and even place the Tuatha Da Danan as the northern most of these groups. (Later they are the Pagan Irish Gods).
Were the Formorians and Fir Bolg Hunter Gatheres and Neolithic Farmers?
While the Earliest Teutons share a vague Celtic attachment none are more vague than the Belgae:
The Belgae are both linked to the Cimbri and in their own words spring from the Germani a tribe who’s name later becomes a catch all for for all Germanic speaking people. Many of the Belgae names and descriptions say they are in fact Celts but signs of a true mixture of the two groups appears to be in sight. They are hostile to the Gauls but apparently can speak a form of Gaulish. The name Belgae has both Proto Celtic and Proto Germanic etymologies. It is said to mean swelling with anger or battle fury. Caesar states they are the most Brave and when he asked them of their deeds they stated that the Cimbri and Teutons failed to invade them. It is said later the Cimbri led partly to the Belgae as a people. There is inconsistency here.
The Belgae and Gauls are both said to wear winged or elaborate horned or crested helmets. The Celts wore Boar crested helmets as well did Germanic tribes. The Winged Helmet although the accuracy unknown was often attributed to the Teutonic tribes.
It should be noted the practice of Bog Sacrifice seemed to be held across Britain and Southern Scandinavia/Germany and the Nordic Bronze age shares more than a few traits also seen in the Bronze age portion of of the Hallstatt Culture which reached from its origin in Central Europe to the Balkans, Britain Germany and Netherland/Belguim/France. How far North it spread is unknown but the Gundestrup Cauldron appears to be of Balkan Celtic origin.
Sorry if this seems disjointed but it was a thought stream.
Hroð-
Etsy back up.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NorseWest
After forever the forge is back in action. Trying to find a trip to Denmark/Germany. no customs just what is on here is available for now. Not back to knives yet. Hammer arm is a bit rusty yet.
Skål.
Hröð-
Who Are The Corded Ware People (Updated)
Today we will discuss the Corded Ware Culture and the people associated with it culturally .
The Corded Ware culture is the western expression of the ancient Yamna or Yamnaya Culture of the Pontic/Caspian Steppes and possibly has components of West Central European Neolithic elements (David Anthony). Sintashta are the eastern expression of the Corded Ware and may represent what we today call Schythians, a mysterious Indo European tribe who seem to absorb or represent more than one later group. Genetically we see them connected with Gothic peoples, Slavs, Celts and some Uralic speakers as their empire stretched well across Eurasia. The Yamnaya people or maybe more accurately Proto Indo Europeans, theoretically appear to be the admixture of Caucasus Hunter Gatherers and Eastern Hunter Gatherers. R1B-R1A and G2A YDNA. The Neolithic farming communities of the Balkans and eventually all of Europe were descended from these Caucasus Hunter Gatherers as well (G2A). They had spread from the Caucasus into Anatolia and then to Europe. The Western Hunter Gatherer’s haplogroup ancestor (IJK) more than likely originated in the Caucasus or Iran. The I group then within Europe separated from IJK. R1B existed in Mesolithic Europe but rarely and did not see great expansion until the Corded Ware and Bell Beaker Complex. One of the Ancestral components of the Eastern Hunter Gatherer is the “Ancient North Eurasian” who is a common ancestor of Indo Europeans via the EHG and Siberian, Native American peoples via those who migrated to the Americas from East of the Urals. The Haplogroups U and H in MTDNA phylogenetic tree are children of the parent haplogroup MTDNA R. These represent a great deal of female European ancestry along with K, T and many others. The G haplogroup is technically a lesser branch of IJK from which the I, J and K YDNA groups are derived.
(Above) Yamnaya Culture related materials.
I DO NOT OWN THESE IMAGES , NORE DO I CLAIM ANY CREDIT TO THEIR CREATION. COPYRIGHT TO THE ORIGINAL CREATOR. MOST WERE TAKEN FROM WIKIPEDIA OR GOOGLE IMAGES.
(Above) Corded Ware associated artifacts.
I DO NOT OWN THESE IMAGES , NORE DO I CLAIM ANY CREDIT TO THEIR CREATION. COPYRIGHT TO THE ORIGINAL CREATOR. MOST WERE TAKEN FROM WIKIPEDIA OR GOOGLE IMAGES.
The move from the Steppes to Central, Western and Northern Europe:
I DO NOT OWN THIS IMAGE: Source Google Search.
The people of Eurasia were largely Hunter Gatherers up till the Neolithic when groups in the Caucasus, Balkans and Anatolia began to develop and spread new farming technologies northward into Central Europe. In certain areas hunter forager cultures persisted such as in
Scandinavia and parts of the Urals and Western Steppe. Eventually Europe was overtaken by the new technologies and hunting centered life decreased but remained at least in some form as a guarantee against bad yields. The Farming groups represented by Varna, Vinca , LBK and others brought the Megalithic structures to western Europe and Scandinavia. It should be noted that signs of indigenous farming may have been detected before the arrival of Caucasian groups. These farming groups are believed to have been the evolution of the Caucasus Hunter Gatherer (CHG) a distinct group who’s G2A Haplogroup was the primary YDNA of the farming expansion while H in various forms and others were the MTDNA. The H groups also may have had some European distribution in the Mesolithic as well. The Northern contemporaries of the CHG were the Eastern Hunter Gatherer (EHG) centered in modern Russia, The Urals, Scandinavia and Finland. These Hunters were partly descended from the “North Asian Hunter Gatherer” and are the ancestral originators of the R YDNA group (R, R1B,R1A). It is suggested among other theories that the remaining CHG and EHG combined into a new culture and genetic group ancestral to the Yamnaya culture centered in Pontic Caspian steppes north of the Black Sea and Caucasus. This new culture with a complicated language began expanding in the late Neolithic north, South, East and West. The new culture was marked by changes in ideology, travel and customs demarcating them as different or novel from the previous farming and hunting cultures and separated from them by many generations. In a large picture they are the descendant in part from Farming groups but many generations removed. The language spoken was likely Proto Indo-European, a grammatically complicated heavily declined language resistant to barrowing from other languages. This language carried cultural terms unique to it revolving around horse domestication, wheels and mobile economy. It is theorized that this group was the first to tame and ride horses (Horse, Wheel and Language , David Anthony) and create a mobile semi nomadic wheel based economy. The oldest wheel to date on Earth was found in Slovenia at 5350 years old. This would place the wheel in the heartland of Neolithic European farming culture and at the edge of Expanding Steppe Cultures (PIE/WSH). It is also suggested (Theorized) that the Chariot was invented in the Steppes by PIE cultures and spread south via the Caucasus to the Middle and Near East. Archeology and linguistics supports this (David Anthony ). The remnants of words relating to these things are found throughout many ancient branches of PIE. The exact age of the branching is unknown, In David Anthony’s book he points out that Germanic/Baltic/Slavic might be the oldest branching after Anatolian and Tocharian . Also pointed out in David Anthony’s book the PIE language share deep relationships with Uralic language groups via very archaic shared pronouns and other features. In his book he relates the possibility of a shared Ancestor that by PIE and Uralic families descended from. Given the geography I think this is an interesting idea but these are now distinct language families and may have been related in only the most ancient sense. I would like to Add that the Basque language is sometimes referred to as a candidate for the only surviving Neolithic Language with no known membership in existing language families, however recent studies have found similarities with modern Caucasus based languages and the Basque share a similarity with Neolithic populations in a similar way as Sardinians. These Neolithic peoples were originally from the Caucasus and carried the Caucasian G2A Haplogroup that is prevalent still in the Caucasus and Mediterranean populations.
NOTE:
When I speak of interrelatedness to these ancient cultures it is through a modern lens and in no way reflects their actual interactions or relationships nor implies they saw themselves as related to each other.
Why the Expansion took place and what spurred it is unknown but archeology tells us that signs of steppe influence began to be detected in Late Neolithic cultures at the fringe steppe areas, Carpathian Basin, Danube Valley and other places. This included technology, status symbols and burial customs. Signs of hostile force is also detected where WSH groups replace or run out previous Neolithic cultures as they move west into Europe. Signs of peaceful coexistence also exist. The Western and Scandinavian hunters appear to have been most durable to this and you see the Hunter YDNA (I,I2,I1) persist in Scandinavia and have resurgence during the post Bell Beaker Central European Bronze Age. This however was not the case in Britain as the PIE DNA both Autosomaly and YDNA replaces the previous population within several generations. Britain is heavily WSH derived while Scandinavia retains as high as 60% Hunter derived YDNA (I1A) but via autosomal is heavily WSH derived. After 3000BC The Corded ware and their descendants start to become the majority culture in Northern Europe. The story in Southern Europe Is markedly different in that the culture existing when WSH people arrived were much more diverse.
It is believed the Corded Ware culture might have been the group responsible for introducing PIE languages to Northern Europe and other ascribe it as specifically Ancestral to Germanic culture however the Corded Ware horizon appears to be Ancestral all Northern European cultures including Germanic, Celtic, Slavic and Baltic etc. *My view is that the interaction with unique indigenous groups played at least some role in post CWC groups evolving into unique cultures we see today:
WEST CENTRAL EUROPE: Mesolithic to Later Iron Age.
+> indicates shared origin.
* indicates an adjacent culture and genetic contact with PIE groups.
These charts are not exhaustive to every culture or group.
Western Hunter Gatherer*
Neolithic Farmer*
CWC Horizon+>
Bell Beaker Trade Complex+>
Unetice+>
Tumulus+>
Urnfield culture+>
Hallstatt Bronze Age/Iron Age+>
Le Tene Culture (Iron Age)+>
Pan Celtic civilization +>.
NORTHERN EUROPE: (Mesolithic to Iron Age)
Western, Eastern and Scandinavian Hunters *
Neolithic Farmers*
Funnelbeaker Culture (Hunter/Farmer mixed) *
CWC+>
Single Grave Culture+>
Beaker Culture+>
Unetice Culture+>
Nordic Bronze Age+> (Recognizable signs of Germanic Culture)
Jastorf and Wielbark Cultures (Iron Age)+>
Pan Germanic Cultures+>
BRITAIN: Mesolithic to Iron Age..
Hunter Gatherer (First Population) *
Neolithic Farmer (Second population) *
Bell Beaker Chalcolithic Warrior (Pie)+>
Bronze Age Briton (Descended from Beaker)+>
Le Tene Celtic culture+> (Arrives from NW Europe Iron Age)
British Celtic Tribes+>
EASTERN EUROPE:
Eastern Hunter and North Eurasian Hunter+> (Ancestor to Sredny-Stog-Yemnaya)
Western Hunters+>*
Caucasus Hunter+>*
Neolithic Farmers+> CHG* (Simplified term for many cultures)
Contemporary Forager Cultures *
Sredny Stog (Pre PIE? EHG-CHG) +>
Yamnaya (Pie) +> (EHG and CHG)
Corded Ware-Fatyanovo, Sintashta, Andronovo, Srubnaya Etc.+>
Únětice culture+>
Lusation Urnfield Culture +>
Schythians and Aryans (Non political meaning)+>
Pre Slavs?+>
This is just to give a bare idea of the influence of Steppe culture throughout Europe.
Tumulus and Urnfield cultures are mentioned as possibly Ancestral to Celtic culture which was later expressed by the Hallstatt Culture. Often Germanic and Celtic are placed close in the PIE family tree but recent opinions have linked Italic and Celtic as a western branch and Germanic, Baltic and Slavic as a Northern Branch. This being said it is not hard to see a general relatedness especially in the ancient form of each of these languages. Their exact correct placement is unknown as is their exact date of branching. Germanic may have branched as far back as 3500BC or as recently as the Nordic Bronze Age. Germanic customs have a certain amount of unique traits that may be remaining elements of the Pitted Ware Culture or other Scandinavian Hunting groups. As mentioned above Germanic populations are generally higher in Hunter and then Steppe ancestry while southern Europe is more farmer derived. Central Europe being the epicenter of WSH culture (PIE) has high relations rates to Yamnaya derived groups with less hunter and farmer. South Eastern Europe also has distribution WHG I2A. Neolithic female populations play a greater role in Northern Europe than male lineages as G2A is rare but I-M170 with its descendants and R1B/R1A are frequent. Germanic culture appears at least with current information to have been born out of the Hunter/Corded Ware and Single Grave/Bell Beaker group in Jutland or Southern Sweden. It then developed into the Nordic Bronze Age with at least some influence from Unetice and Hallstatt via trade and other contact. All of this of course is hypothetical postulating.
A further note:
In the ideas above I have simplified many elements and the info is not exhaustive. I also want to make sure that the Neolithic cultures are not under represented. The Funnelbeaker Neolithic culture was very widespread in Scandinavia and butted up to remaining Scandinavian hunters like the Pitted Ware culture. This same culture (Funnelbeaker) was also in Germany, Poland and Czechia when the Late Yamnaya arrived from Eastern Europe/Western Steppes. David Anthony proposes they arrived through the Danube Valley and that Corded Ware was a local construction that the Yamnaya made contact with and this grew into the wide spread Corded Ware culture that may have brought PIE languages to Northern Europe. They may have also carried not just PIE elements but remaining Neolithic elements as well. He also proposes the Beaker folk was a pre existing culture that Corded Ware made contact with but we know now via DNA that the Beaker Culture was descended from the same source population as Corded Ware and Yamnaya. In the Same section of his book it is put forth that the Ancestor of Germanic bifurcated from PIE in Eastern Europe which may be true but the actual language we know as Germanic I personally believe developed in Scandinavia nor central Europe during the Corded Ware/Single Grave period . On the subject of Bell Beaker I want to touch on my previous articles and after gaining further insight from the second time I read The Horse, Wheel and Language. The Bell Beaker designs appear to be either evolution from Corded Ware or Funnelbeaker/Corded/Protruding Foot Beaker designs or cruder copies of a Neolithic Iberian design. The Atlantic EBA was flourishing at this point and these could have been traded north from existing Neolithic crafters into arisen Yamnaya descended areas. We know via DNA the Beaker folk were not local to Western Europe but part of migratory Steppe peoples who likely Spoke PIE languages. It could be seen in a way that the Bell Beaker people (not pottery) were just the western most expression of Corded ware that picked up a new pottery style. Other Proto Indo Europeans groups earlier in development sometimes used pottery from surrounding areas. Sintashta and other CWC derived groups became unique eastern branches of CWC so why not a western most branch? The basic traditions of Corded Ware/Battle Axe/ Single Grave were intact in the Bell Beaker horizon. These traditions included single grave burials with goods like stone axes or hammers, copper daggers and Kurgans erected above the grave. The Beaker People represent the majority of British ancestors but are we to believe CWC just stopped at the coast and Beaker people had no connection?. We now have DNA to answer the question that yes The Beaker Folk were Corded Ware and that R1B was prevalent in CWC peoples. Some make them ancestral to Germanic, some to Celtic and Italic cultures. I would also like to add that I agree with the theory that Germanic, Baltic and Slavic belong in a branch together and Celtic and Italic belong in another branch around the Alps perhaps. If you look at word forms and etymology Celtic and Italic languages share some traits as well and mythology elements. If you look at certain words and mythology between Germanic, Baltic and Slavic languages certain elements are shared such as a female personification of the Sun, symbols, cosmology and animistic nature worship elements. A great deal of shared elements can be seen across Indo European religion and Germanic and Celtic people had considerable contact with each other but so did Germanic, Baltic and Slavic peoples. The contribution of the stone axe in the Corded Ware/Battle Axe cultures may have been pre-existing among the Funnelbeaker and other Indigenous groups. The Neolithic cultures of Europe, although likely distributed via Female lineages should not be underestimated either. It is recorded that males in the LBK culture of Central Europe’s Neolithic were buried with Stone axes. These males made little impact genetically but their women and traditions may have.
I hope this inspired you to dive into European Anthropology. Please go read and make up your own mind. I am only an amateur but find it endlessly fascinating.
Books and resources:
The Horse, The Wheel and Language by David Anthony (Highly detailed)
Skelhøj by Madz Kähler and Marrianne Rasmussen (Very Technical)
Bronze Age Metal Work by Nørgaard (Very Technical)
The Mound People by Glob
The Bog People By Glob
Myths and symbols in Pagan Europe by H.R Ellis Davidson (Early Celt and Germanic religion)
Eupedia.com (Great Maps and info on DNA)
Wikipedia.com (with a grain of salt/check other sources)
Wiktionary.com (etymology and tables)
Youtube.com (Good Documentaries)
Happy researching!!
Hroð-
Gruß Vom Krampus (belated)
Krampusnacht
Hroð-
Ancient DNA
Today we are going to talk in detail about how to relate to your ancient DNA results. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine exactly what the results mean and how they relate to your modern DNA make up. I will give a few examples using typical terminology.
Using my DNA I will give an idea of the break down and how to gain further insight to which ancient groups you relate to.
on “My True Ancestry” they use a simple concept, take your DNA mathematical numbers and apply them to a database of old archeological DNA samples. After you upload you access to several diagnostic tools like Deep Dive (actual relatives), Sample matches and haplogroup diagnostic breakdowns of your sample matches and deep dive.
My DNA breaks down this way: YDNA Haplogroups:
Samples matching with Indo-European/Steppe/Ural related Haplogroups (Late Neolithic/Chalcolithic/Bronze Age, Iron age through modern) 76.27%
Hunter derived samples indigenous to Europe (Paleo/Meso/Neo) 21.89%
Farmer matching samples (Neolithic) 1.75%
Lets take an even deeper look: If you take a look at my DNA thumbprint you see the entire timeline of matching samples and their exact distance (Small numbers are better) so take a Neolithic mixed Hunter/Farmer sample from England (4700 years ago). Compared to other users I match this sample at 98% but on the timeline the distance is 53. Take a pure Mesolithic Hunter sample from England (9000 years ago) my distance 19 and a compared user match of 90%. More than halfway closer in genetic distance. Now we take a sample from Neolithic Sweden (4900 years) who is Hunter/Corded ware mixed (Indigenous and Indo European) from the battle axe culture. Distance 4. 98% user match. This gives us an idea of what ancestry became dominant at the Bronze age, especially in people Ancestral to Germanic culture. It is a Corded Ware/Hunter break down with I1 hunter lineages, female hunter, Indo-European, Neolithic Caucasus lineages (U,H,K,T etc) and male Indo European/Scythian Kurgan lineages (R1A/R1B).
lets have a look at Some Bronze Age/Iron Age Indo-European samples:
Czechia Bell Beaker: Distance 4. Match 100%
England Bell Beaker: Distance 4. Match 100%
Bohemia Corded Ware: Distance 5. Match 100%
Corded Ware Alps: Distance 5. Match 100%
Scythian Ukraine Steppe: Distance 6. Match 100% (Early Iron Age/600BC)
Corded Ware Bohemia: Distance 5. Match Data Unknown.
Danish Viking Sample: Distance 3. Match comparison 100%.
My Top Samples per era:
Neolithic/Chalcolithic : Corded/Bell Czechia and Battle Axe Sweden.
Early Bronze Age: Bell Beaker England and CWC Bohemia
Late Bronze Age: Britain and Hungary (BEAKER/CWC/Schythian)
Iron Age: Scythian Ukraine and Iron France (Germano Celtic tribes DNA).
Roman Age: British Celt and Alemannic German.
Dark Ages: Scandinavian derived Lombard and Anglo Saxon.
Medieval Period: All 10 top samples are Denmark, Sweden and Greenland.
Top Early Modern: Gotland, Latvia, Iceland.
Top all time Matching Sample in distance: Danish Viking Distance 3. Match comparison 100%.
Number of Deep dive (Actual relatives) Samples per region:
45 Scandinavia.
31 Britain.
37 Germany, Central Europe/Eastern Europe.
………………………………………….
MY general matching samples per region:
Viking Denmark: 16
Viking Sweden: 20
Norway/Iceland/Greenland, Faroe: 15
Anglo Saxon and Viking England: 11
Scandinavian/Nordic total matching samples: 61
………………………………….
Germania minor and major (Germany, France, Netherlands, Switzerland): 44
Czechia/Poland and Urals/European Steppe regions: 71
Western to Eastern Europe total matching samples: 115
………………………………………………….
British Isles: 51
Total matching British Isles Samples: 51
……………………………………………………..
All Sample numbers above include all matching samples from all eras based on Geographic location*
Closest Matching Groups to my DNA by distance 15000BCE-3600BCE:
Funnelbeaker Czechia.
Western Hunter Gatherer.
Hunter Farmer Mix: Britain.
Most closely related Ancient groups to my DNA by distance 3600BCE-600BCE:
Czechia: Bell Beaker.
Czechia: Corded Ware Culture.
Swedish: Battle Axe Culture.
Alps: Corded Ware Culture.
Únětice Culture (Possibly ancestor to or influenced Slavic/Baltic/Germanic)
Bell Beaker: Germany.
Bell Beaker: Britain.
Schythian: Ukraine,Hungary, Moldova, Pontic Steppes.
Fatyanovo Russia (Proto Baltic)
Most closely matching groups to my DNA by distance 600BCE-110AD:
Schythian Kurgan Culture: Hungary, Ukraine.
British and Gaulish Celtic Tribes.
Most closely matching groups to my DNA by distance 110AD-600AD:
Germany and Eastern Europe Tribes: Goth, Saxon, Lombard, Rugii, Frank, Alemannic.
Celtic Britain.
Most closely matching groups to my DNA by distance 600AD-1200AD
Top Match: Viking Age Denmark-Viking Age Sweden.
Viking Age Greenland.
Viking Age Iceland.
Anglo Saxon England.
Most closely matching groups to my DNA by distance 1200AD-1700AD:
Denmark.
Sweden.
Most closely matching groups to my DNA by distance 1700AD-2019AD:
Denmark.
Sweden.
……………………………,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The above info was gleaned from MYTRUEANCESTRY.com Diagnostics.
Gedmatch info/breakdown:
MY DNA VS. Using oracle population search with Poland as substring MDLP Project K11 modern. Corded Ware Proto Unetice culture:
Top 3 results:
Alberstedt_LN (Corded Ware/Bell Beaker transitional burial site) Germany.
Halberstadt_LBA (Urnfield and Lusation (Urnfield burial tradition) possibly related to Early Baltic or Slavic cultures) Germany/Poland.
Bell Beaker Germany.
The above cultures are associated with the Yamnaya-Corded Ware horizon and its evolution into the Single Grave cultures like Urnfield, Lusation, Tumulus, Unetice etc where it is seen that the various Indo European burial customs take hold.
MY DNA VS puntDNAL puntDNAL K12 Ancient Bell BeakerCzech RISE 569:
Top 3 results:
1 Unetice_EBA_I0117 (Bronze Age) Indo European.
2 Bell_Beaker_Germany_I1549 (Chalcolithic) Indo European.
3 Halberstadt_LBA_I0099 (Lusation/Early Urnfield) Indo European.
My DNA top 4 results (modern) from Gedmatch Eurogenes K13:
Sweden
Norway
Northern Germany
Denmark
Now for how we decipher the information above:
My DNA is basically at this point almost all Yamnaya derived, I have almost no Neolithic farmer male Ancestry (G2A) but measurable Neolthic Female lineages, and considerable Indo European (Yamnaya) Female and male lineages. My first male Ancestor’s bifurcated Haplogroup originated in either the meeting of the Hunter Farmer or mixed Hunter/Farmer and the Corded Ware. It is I1a which ultimately derived from the oldest haplogroup in Northern Europe (I branch) but its mutation is dated almost exactly at the arrival of the Corded Ware. This Haplo group expanded and became dominant in the Nordic Bronze Age where in Scandinavia the Hunter lineages persisted but took on PIE women from the western steppes. My highest haplogroup lineage based on samples is R (R1B-R1A) Followed by I (I2-I1). Later in Northern Europe R lineages became competition for I lineages but never fully won out in Scandinavia. My First male Ancestor is Battle Axe Sweden or in more Ancient terms essentially Paleo European. (I has existed in Europe since Humans have existed in Europe). My Female MTDNA is Neolithic British and matches a specific North Atlantic mutation. It is a branch of H likely resulting from the meeting of Farmers and Hunters in Britain. Its parent origin is something like 27000 years ago in the North Caucasus overlooking the Steppes. My highest MTDNA Haplogroups are H in several variations (Indo and Farmer lineages) T and U5 (Paleo/Meso Hunter Females from Finland/North Eastern Europe). One Way to Look at it is my Haplo Lineage is Indigenous European (First two groups to settle) and My Autosomal (Actual genetic make up) is Indo European. So seeing all the Above Autosomal results in Ancient times you See places like Czechia and Poland or Germany rank fairly high and Also Britain but other than one very old Scandinavian Battle Axe Sample its all central European. My modern results however are Scandinavian?? well the answer to this can be discovered in the diagnostic tools on MYTRUEANCESTRY.COM. When you Take all of the above samples into detailed view they match more the modern population of current Nordic countries. These central Corded Ware groups migrated out of north central Europe into Denmark and Scandinavia around 3500BCE and then subsequent populations like the Bell Beaker who were likely a subset of the Danish Single Grave Culture expanded again into Scandinavia reinforcing the Yamnaya or Western Steppe Herder DNA in Scandinavia and creating the Nordic Bronze age which shared genetic and tradition similarities with Britain and Central Europe. It then evolved into a unique culture we see expressed in the weapons, art, horns and shields. Although in places like Sweden the I lineages remained dominant the Autosomal became largely PIE derived. This should be side barred with the knowledge that Germanic people have higher Hunter ancestry than other parts of Europe. This is likely what caused Germanic culture to be different to say Celtic culture (which is still very close) to but took new and different expressions. Mythological elements may refer to elder indigenous Hunter Gods/Goddesses and small archaic remnants of language as well. As described in David Anthony’s Horse/Wheel and Language such contact between Yamnaya folk and the remaining hunter/farmer people could not have resulted in 0 borrowing or loan words. The PIE people were notoriously resistant to borrowing words and anywhere they went they almost uniformly replace the original inhabitants through absorption. It is likely some of the Animistic and Shamanic ideas were from the Hunters and some seasonal ideas maybe inherited from the farmers as well as a glut of technology from the farmers who represented the most advanced civilization in Europe (Think Vinca and other cultures). The farmers also likely introduced the longhouse to Northern Europe as opposed to the hunters huts and other dwelling types.
A geographical look at my DNA:
My Paternal Haplogroup and the common ancient maternal group associated with I Haplogroup: I1A and U5:
My Maternal Haplogroup: H.
The exact origin of H and all of its subclades in unknown and its age is estimated at 27,000 years. My specific subclade is found almost exclusively in Germanic and Celtic Europe but its age is unknown. The H subclades were associated both the Neolithic expansion from the Caucasus and Balkans (Farming) but some clades also may have already existed in Mesolithic Europe. The arrival of the Indo Europeans with R1A and R1B YDNA brought additional H clades into Europe. I do not know if my lineage began in Britain or Scandinavia in the Mesolithic, Neolithic or Bronze age but as far as living people with the clade it is found in Ireland, Scotland, England, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. It is most associated with Ireland and Western Scandinavia. The H lineage is extremely diverse and European MTDNA is far less homogeneous than the YDNA. All this being said my mothers great grandmother was reportedly from Ireland but had an Anglo Saxon name. I imagine the Subclade arose between the Neolithic Stone builders and the chalcolithic Beaker Kurgan builders in Ireland or Britain and might have been spread around in the Viking age. The total origin of H could be between the Balkans and the Caucasus 27,000-33,000 years ago.
The Final Breakdown:
The Above information is how I have interpreted my Ancient DNA using two different diagnostic sites, but yielded similar results. If you are using these sites you can glean a great deal of information but you must compare data side by side. Once you have seen a wide variety of data you can create an aggregate to answer your questions about Ancient DNA.
Tribal associations:
Goths
Danes
Vendel Swedes
Suevi
Anglo Saxon and Saxons
My aggregate: (Autosomal Closeness)
Primary Ancient DNA: Corded Ware-Battle Axe Culture.
Secondary Ancient DNA: Hunter Gatherer. (SHG, EHG,WHG)
HAPLOGROUP:
YDNA Scandinavia 12,000 to 4000 years ago> I1A. (Parent I (M-170) Paleolithic Europe 33,000 to 55,000 years ago). Most likely date of expansion is Nordic Bronze Age. It is theorized to have existed in Scandinavia as a minority subclade from the Mesolithic until the bronze age. My Subclade in modern era is associated with the movement of Vendel culture people into Western Europe and the Anglo Saxon tribes who existed in Scandinavia before migration.
MTDNA: Britain 2100 to 8200 years ago > H (Subclade) (Parent H Paleolithic Caucasus 27,000 to 33,000 years ago.) Given its distribution with Germanic and Celtic PIE culture it hypothetically could have been carried by the the Bell Beaker Single Grave Builders who represented a genetic majority in Early Bronze Age Europe and were the primary formative DNA of modern Britain and Ireland.
Thanks for having a look!
Hroð-
Book of the month (June)
Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. Great detail and everything kept in context. I do love comparatives though I am biased.
Hrøð-
The Hunters Night (Heathen Yule tale)
Late is my departure from this station far afield-
I know too well the night upon I ride-
hooves through ice rip on moor and heath-
the cold night air cuts my face like the sword of winter-
my mistake now inflight hard born to the back of my horse-
the moonlit frozen fields giving solace-
before me swelling in black the holt awaited my ill fated journey-
the closing in of the night sky I know who rides on mist and moonlit ray-
Herne with hound, Woden Shinning Eye-
my faithful gold comb holds the line-
blackened oaks reach for heaven as if clutching hands from the mound-
the narrowing path closing in alas, the oak gate is in site-
the flickering of Elven eyes behind each stone and post betray my flight-
I have drawn the gaze of those unseen in this midwinter charge to home-
merry I made too well and left my host to late to escape the swelling night-
there it it is the gate of the wood-
reigns taut and pace held fast as the cover of oaks break-
a swell of mist has taken the moor, the wind has grown restless-
the path now obscured still bearing hard, a visage doom in the mist grim and unmoving-
upon a ghostly steed the figure stood, a hunter with hat and cloak in grey-
my horse stopped cold as if by unseen reigns, my personage thrown thusly to the earth-
my wits shattered with the doom of my situation-
the hunter now dismounted towards me moves like an eagle to prey, I fail to stand awaiting the cursed spear-
The figure spoke: Know I do you traveler? brave dumb or both is any man in want to wander on such a night-
I lay speechless, The figure spoke: Stand up now son of men. The figure put forth his hand ghostly white in the light of the moon-
In my state I grasped the hand and was pulled to my feet-
The hunters face obscured but for a glint of his one eye-
he returned to his horse procuring a flagon-
The figure spoke: Of this drink take for all chill should leave you traveler-
I drank from the vessel a brew of strange import, my eyes saw, ears heard and of sudden importance could see as if daylight shown-
The Figure spoke: Take to your mount traveler, us to join you are required-
My eyes now gleaming from the brew could see the hunters and hounds in a host of ghostly fury all around me-
To my horse I took, the hunter with spear outreached touched my horses reigns and as if by the haunting ring of that iron doom myself and horse became as the host-
The figure Spoke: Ride hard son of men, cut the sky and moonlit night , the souls await our roaring host-
Ride I did with the host, a booming throng, from the lands bellow came men of ancient times each brought up into the host-
a fleet ghostly horse given until the host could hold no more-
over town and wood we rode bringing the departed Wigenda to our fray-
My mind was lost, sight blurred as the fury rolled-
Awakened by my horse under an oak with still clinging to green, old gold comb you are still in good standing-
I looked upon myself to see if mortal wound had befell me but Lowe to my hands did find ingots of gold-
among the gleaming bits a strange addition did I find, an amulet of a mask with horns becoming birds, it shown blue as if fired from within-
my journey of which could never be told to another I kept at heart-
on the witching night of those old fires, of that old Winterfylleth tide the amulet would begin to ring and glow until the Yule had passed-
To the holt I returned some winter eves but to only hear the din Woden Shinning Eye passing with his furious hunters in the ghostly mist.
Fin-
obviously by influenced other poems, myths and folklore but In my own words.
Copyright 2020 COS.
Glæd Ġēol
Hroðbeorht-
Yule-Ġēol-Jul (hāliġdæg)
(Public Domain)
Anglo-Saxon-Norse reference:
þ Th-(Th)or “Thorn”
ð Th-Wi(th) “Eth”
The Yultide is a custom or holiday from Germanic culture predating the suppression and removal of native European customs by the church. The month begins at “ǣrra ġēola” Yule is a season/month of the year. Most of the customs associated with modern day Christmas are lifted from Germanic and Celtic traditions. The Tannenbaum stems from early modern era Germany however the custom of evergreens as symbols of immortality in dark winter times goes well back to our Ancient past, possibly even as far back as the hunters and farmers. It should be noted the evergreen decorations were widely used across the world in indigenous polytheistic religions. The word Yule comes from Anglo Saxon Ġēol (G says Y) and is believed to have derived from PIE word meaning joy, however I have found etymology suggested it is related to a word meaning wheel as in the cycle of seasons or Sun. In Nordic countries the word still stands for anything related to Christmas or Yule in the form “Jul”. Yuletide meaning the “Yule-Time” referring to the period of Yule. In Anglo Saxon there is “ǣrra ġēola” (Before Yule) and “æfter ġēola” (After Yule). One of Odin’s names is Jolfaðr (Yule Father). This period is also known as Midwinter. In the Anglo Saxon seasons October 31st is Winterfylleð thus making ġēol Midwinter. Many customs representing various aspects of lore like Santa Clause comes from a mixing of stories and traditions. The Jolfaðr gift giver likely derives from Odin but the Greek Saint Nicholas had its influences and various traditions began to merge across Europe. Characters like Krampus, The Tomtens, Elves and more are derived from Pre Christian traditions of the Midwinter. We also see in Sweden the Julbocken (Yule Goat) in Sweden. These Goats draw a carriage with the Tomten aboard carrying gifts. Many traditions in the Alps have Krampus or other Woodwose like creatures who travel with A Jolfaðr like figure dishing out whippings on naughty children. Also Young men dress as creatures and chase young women, a custom likely primordial in nature. The Baltic Countries have similar traditions as well as Slavic regions. Some of these traditions likely passed down to us from the Alpine Celtic tribes. It pervades Indo European culture even after the suppression of our native religions. What we have in America or other western English speaking areas is a spattering of all the traditions brought by our ancestors from Germany, Poland, Scandinavia, Holland, England etc. In reality it is a beautiful and positive Holiday centered around feasting, folk legends, ancient cultural customs and a sense of joy or merriment in the dark half of the year. Those in the Northern hemisphere have a period that is long and drawn out till spring. The prospect of good fun, feasting, mead and rituals to keep kin safe and in prosperity brought hope to our ancestors in the dark winter. Had they not persisted where would we be?
The Wild Hunt:
The Wild Hunt or Wild Host is a mythological event from the deep past believed to be taking place between Between Winterfylleð and ġēol. Customs from Germany, England, Scandinavia and The Alps all depict some form of this ghostly procession. Each depiction lends a local flavor to the cycle but the central theme is Ancient Gods and hunter spirits drive horses and hounds across the night sky in a great booming host. Most well known perhaps is that Oðinn/Woden/Wotan leads this host and has returned to Middangeard to collect the lost souls wandering the Earth. Other stories have þorr leading or Frigga in the form Frau Wode (Wodan’s wife). I have a very deep ancestral connection to this particular folk story in Mecklenburg and Uckermark North Eastern Germany. Frau Wode or Frekka leads the host and brings either misfortune or good fortune depending certain circumstances, she is also followed by a pack of hounds with glowing eyes who can wrought serious damage. Other tales have her simply assisting while Wodan leads though It should be noted that this Goddess or Form of Frau Frekka/Frick is deeply entrenched in the folk legends of North Eastern Germany. In England local versions exist with unique local Deities or spirits wandering the winter nights with packs of hunters and hounds such as Herne the Hunter. The concept of the Wild Hunt could derive from Celtic roots or be equally shared amongst Germanic and Celtic peoples of antiquity. The concept of the Wild Hunt follows the basic native European view that Samhain or Winterfylleð (Among other names) is the opening of the energetic spiritual veil where these mystical beings enter our reality to do any number of tasks on Earð. Frau Wode would as described above be accompanied by hounds who may slip into your home to warm itself by the fire. If you attempted to remove the hound it would turn to stone and return to life every night at midnight to howl. Each howl was a curse on the family of the offender. Only Frau Wode can break the spell on Christmas eve. I associate the Goddess Frau Wode with Frigga given a decent amount of etymological/linguistic evidence.
Tannenbaum:
Glade Jul by Viggo Johansen (Danish Painter)
We know the basic modern Tradition of the Tree is from Germany and was introduced elsewhere by Germans however we do not know how deep the tradition stems back to pre christian times. Germanic tribes worshipped trees and had the Sacred Yggdrasil and Irminsul. The bringing in of Greenery in the winter is ancient in origin and possibly associated with a Yule-Tree like concept but evergreens as stated above were used across the world. As with many of the discussed traditions it is now merged with other later traditions. I personally view the Tannenbaum as a symbol of life in dark cold times and that sentiment is repeated in the book “The Solstice Evergreen” by Sharyl Karas (1991) that covers the use of Evergreens in several cultures.
A unique tradition among Shetlanders (Scotland). Article link bellow.
Photo is from Scotsman.com
Krampus:
Krampus who has risen to modern popularity is arguably a hold over of much earlier Native European customs amongst Alpine Celts and Germanic tribes who was easily applied to later traditions. We see this custom of dark and light play a roll in the Winter Solstice across Europe. the Dark and sinister yet humorous Krampus and the Jolly wise gift bringer. This combined with ancient beliefs in the Woodwose, Ettins, Elves , Wild men and Gnomes bring these beings front and center for the Yule Tide festivities. We see similar characters across Europe in similar but unique customs to their regions. The magic of snowfall over mountains and the whisping presence of Wotan’s host as the beings of ancient lore visit for a Glühwein or Gløgg. Best be a good host or Krampus might cut a switch. Bruce, Mourice (1958) writes that no other figure could Krampus reflect than the Horned God of Ancient Europe. Depictions of the Celtic God Cernunnos show him fully adorned in Antler headdress in a meditative state.
Credit: National Museum of Denmark. Natmus.dk. Gundestrup Cauldron.
Tomten or Nisse:
Credit: Nasjonalbiblioteket Norway.
The Nisse (Danish/Norwegian) and Tomten (Swedish) is a small (but sometimes 2ft t) house spirit in Scandinavia who looks like the popular depiction of Gnomes. These generous fellows help out with the farm or house and keep prosperity or good luck for the property. The Book (The Tomten) by Astrid Lindgren based on poems by Viktor Rydbergand Karl-Erik Forsslund is one of my all time favorite Holiday stories and is available on Audible (Not sponsored). The collecting and decoration of Tomtens is now very popular and has become popular outside of Scandinavia. Should you fail to give the Nisse his due (a special porridge) and the butter be misplaced he may exact revenge on you or your property. In modern Sweden he is the gift giving character.
John Bauer (1912) Julbocken.
Jolfaðr-Ġēolfæder:
(Photo Copyright unknown)
There is a myriad of articles about the nuance that led to Santa Clause so I will leave that be. I will however talk about Oðinn as Santa Clause. The old wise one eyed God was known also as Jolfaðr (Yule Father) or Jolnir (Yule one) and he brought gifts but the Reindeer were nowhere to be found. He rode across the sky upon his horse Sleipnir. The tradition of hanging stockings originates hear from my research as carrots were left out for Sleipnir to eat. Oðinn also is one of many figures associated with the Wild Hunt where he rides and claims lost souls from Winterfylleð to Ġēol. Oðinn is among the most multi faceted Gods in that he is both a grim and stern God of death, battle, honor and war but also a God of wisdom, poetry, ecstasy, mirth, victory (Sig) and feasting.
Georg von Rosen – Oden som vandringsman, 1886 (Odin, the Wanderer.
Yule Lads (Iceland):
The Yule Lads are a fairly modern (17th century) Holiday custom in Iceland where 13 Yule lads come to town and cause havoc if not given their favorite snacks. If given their snack a gift will be left in a shoe n the window sill. Some of the terminology is older like their Mother Gryla who appears as a Troll in older stories.
https://icelandwithaview.com/the-13-yule-lads-of-iceland/
Yule Log:
1725 Henry Bourne suggests:
Our Fore-Fathers, when the common Devices of Eve were over, and Night was come on, were wont to light up Candles of an uncommon Size, which were called Christmas-Candles, and to lay a Log of Wood upon the Fire, which they termed a Yule-Clog, or Christmas-Block. These were to Illuminate the House, and turn the Night into Day; which custom, in some Measure, is still kept up in the Northern Parts. It hath, in all probability, been derived from the Saxons. For Bede tells us, That [sic] this very Night was observed in this Land before, by the Heathen Saxons. They began, says he, their Year on the Eight of the Calenders of January, which is now our Christmas Party: And the very Night before, which is now Holy to us, was by them called Mædrenack, or the Night of the Mothers … The Yule-Clog therefore hath probably been a Part of those Ceremonies which were perform’d that Night’s Ceremonies. It seems to have been used, as an Emblem of the return of the Sun, and the lengthening of the Days. For as both December and January were called Guili or Yule, upon Account of the Sun’s Returning, and the Increase of the Days; so, I am apt to believe, the Log has had the Name of the Yule-Log, from its being burnt as an Emblem of the returning Sun, and the Increase of its Light and Heat. This was probably the Reason of the custom among the Heathen Saxons; but I cannot think the Observation of it was continued for the same Reason, after Christianity was embraced.
(Wikipedia)
The Date:
The overwhelming accepted date of Yule is on the Winter Solstice (12/21/12/22) . This being said some scholars have suggested dates such 1/28 based on theories around a lunar calendar. The Mōdraniht of the Anglo Saxons was set at what is now Christmas Eve as attested by Bede but in January (See above) A Night/Ritual/Holiday celebrating female ancestors. This may have been related to fertility ritual aspect at Yule-Tide. The exact date can be described as up for debate but currently most hold events on or around the currant Solstice dates. It should be noted that both January and December held the name Ġēol and the calendar did not match what we have today which has led to debate and theories on the exact debate.
Yule belongs to all of us who’s ancestors contributed to it over thousands of years. It has changed as all things do. some deny its origins, others embrace the ancient past while others see it as something secular however factually inaccurate that might be. Thankfully we live in a time and place where if we disagree on such details the worst it might end up is a dirty look or argument. Yule is an inspiring time of year for us not unlike it was for our ancestors. Never fear to dig deeper into the past for it is full of wisdom from our forefathers. These posts are just small samples of the folklore from Northern Europe. Take a stroll on Yule at midnight and see if you can hear the distant cry of hunters or Wodan calling his wayward souls.
(Public Domain)
Glæd Ġēol
Hroðbeorht-
Celtic Word of the Day: Alba/Alps
Celtic Word of the Day: Alps
Focal Ceilteach an lae: -Albiyu-Alba
Alps-Alpine (The Alps, a Mountain Region, Mountains) The word Alps, Alpen, Alpine are derived partly from Latin but Latin borrowed it from Proto Celtic Albiyu. Albiyu in Proto Celtic means Luminous world, upper world, mountains or in later use Britain as a whole. Scotland once called Alba meaning “White” likely after its snowy white mountains. In German languages “Alb” became just a term for high mountains specifically The Alps. Example “Swabian Alb”. Albiyu is derived from Proto Indo European *h₂elbʰós meaning “White”. We also get the word Albino from this etymology. The dominant pre Britain homeland of the Celts existed in The Alps of France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Austria. The Austrian Alps is arguably the homeland of the first Celtic People who arose from the Hallstatt Culture. The municipality of Alba in Spain is likely derived from Celtiberian speakers who populated Iberia before Latin speakers expanded from The Italic peninsula. This is a very well distributed Celtic loan word.
Brythonic: *ėlβɨð
Old Welsh: elbid
Middle Welsh: eluit, eluyd
Welsh: elfydd
Goidelic:
Old Irish: Albu (“Scotland”)
→ Middle Welsh: Albbu
Irish: Albain, Alba
→ Welsh: Alban
→ Cornish: Alban
→ Latin: Albania
→ Middle English: Albany
English: Albany
Manx: Nalbin, Albin, Albey
Scottish Gaelic: Alba
Hispano-Celtic:
→ Latin: Albiones (ethnonym)
→ Ancient Greek: Ἀλβίων (Albíōn), Ἀλουΐων (Alouḯōn)
→ Latin: Albiōn
→ English: Albion
→ West Germanic: *albijā
Old Saxon: elbon
Old High German: alba, Albūn
Middle High German: albe, Alben
German: Alpe, Alp, Alm, Alpen
→ Latin: alpis, Alpēs
→ English: Alps
Hroðbeorht-
Celto-Germanic Book List (Non fiction)
Here is a few recommendations of books I have enjoyed over the years or am currently reading.
(I am not responsible for antiquated views or pseudo history in these books but I believe they still may contain interesting information or images)
)))))))Some books may be difficult to find(((((((
The Early Germans By Malcolm Todd.
Rise of the Celts by Henry Hubert.
The Goths by Peter Heather.
Norsemen of the Viking age by Christiansen
The Anglo Saxon Mead Hall by Stephen Pollington.
Aspects of Anglo Saxon Magic by Bill Griffith.
The German Folklore Handbook by James R. Dow.
Hallstatt 7000 by Kern/Lammerhuber.
Bronze age Metal work by Heide W. Nørgaard
Time life books The Celts: Europe’s people of Iron.
The Mound People by P.V. Glob
The Bog People by P.V. Glob
The Celts: Conquerers of Europe by Mohen/Eluere (Abrams Discoveries series)
The Bronze Age in Europe by Eluere (Abrams discoveries series)
The Pictish Guide by Elizabeth Sutherland.
All Osprey “warrior” illustrated books on Norther Europe.
The Northern World by Abrams Publishing.
Stephen Pollingtons wordcraft Old English dictionary.
Old English Grammar/Reader by Robert E. Diamond.
Introduction to Old English BY Peter S. Baker.
The World Guide to Gnomes, Fairies, Elves, And Other Little People by Thomas Keightley.
Norwegian Troll Tales by Joanne Asala.
Swedish Folk Tales and Legend by Blecher/Blecher.
Scandinavian Folk Belief and Legend by Kvideland/Sehmsdorfs.
Th Vikings by Else Roesdahl.
Looking for the lost Gods of England by Kathleen Herbert.
Hippocrene Beginner Language books with Audio Cd’s.
The Complete Grimms Fairy Tales by The Brothers Grimm.
Teutonic Mythology by Jacob Grimm.
Elves Wights and Trolls by Kveldulf Gundarsson.
Photo from the web. Credit unknown.
Enjoy!
Hroðbeorht-
Oíche Shamhna bheannaithe
The veil thins.
The Harvest is brought.
The mounds open.
The mead is poured.
The fires are lit.
An Ancestral night.
A bonfire night.
Summers end.
Hroðbeorht-
I hope my spelling and grammar are correct….checked them twice but I am not quite comfortable yet with Celtic language structure.
Ogma (Warrior Poet and Inventor of the Ogham)
(Lee Lawrie, sculpted bronze figure of Ogma (1939). Library of Congress John Adams Building)
Ogma is a God among the Tuatha De Danaan who challenged Lugh and after being bested became Lugh’s bravest champion. He was known to the Gauls as Ogmios and compared to Hercules in that several elements of both myths have similarities. Some elements however are missing such as Ogma does not carry a club but a sword in the Celtic myth. Ogma also has a host of followers by which are tethered with golden chains. If his right hand a sword and left a bow then how does he lead his host? The chains are attached to his tongue. This is an allegory because Ogma is a God of poetry , glib speech and eloquence thus demanding loyalty through pragmatism.
He is the famed mythological creator of the Ogham script, an early medieval script found amongst Gaelic and Pictish tribes. The origin of the script is unknown and many opinions have been put forth but it is unique compared to Latin and even Runic alphabets. Each is named for a tree, most inscriptions are names but some inscriptions are still somewhat mysterious.
An interesting part of the myth around Ogma is that he is the father of Taranis (Celtic thunder God) and like Odin is a God of poetry and Father of Thor the Thunder God. I find it very interesting that so many Celtic Gods seem to encompass elements of Odin. Odin hung from Yggdrasil and reached into Ginnungagap to grasp the Runes. Ogma a God of eloquence carved the Ogham, his name etymologically infers to cut. He appears in a trio of Gods (Lugh, The Dagda, Ogma) called the “Trí Dée Dána“. The Celtic Gods appear in similar tradition to Slavic in that here we have the “Trí Dée Dána” and Slavic lore we have Triglav, a three headed God sometimes comprising three different Gods in one. There are several carved stones depicting three faces believed to represent a Celtic God. Ogma is The Dagda’s brother and Lugh’s half brother. The term “Trí Dée Dána” is also used for other characters.
Above image is Public Domain (Wikipedia)
Comparative Myth: Ogma/Odin:
Odin is the father of Thor the Thunder God and mastered the Runes. Odin is the blood brother of Loki.
Ogma is father of Taranis and inventor of the Ogham script. Ogma is half brother of Lugh who may share name etymology with Loki.
Book of Ballymote. Public Domain (Wikipedia)
Hroðbeorht-
Comparative mythology: Irish/Norse. Odin/The Dagda
Comparative mythology: Irish/Norse.
Irish The Dagda: A great bearded God who has a never emptied cauldron, magic staff and is typically hooded. He is a God of fertility, agriculture, Druidry, magic and wisdom. He is husband of the Morrigan, lover of Boann and father of Brigit, Aengus and others. His staff is called Lorg Mor. His other names include Eochaid Ollathair “Horseman All Father” and Ruad Rofhessa “Lord of Great Knowledge”. He is associated also with the God Crom Dubn. Dagda lives in Brú na Bóinne according to Irish myth. You may know it better as the Neolithic passage tomb Newgrange. In Irish myth it is told the Tuatha De Danaan retreated to the mounds.
Norse Odin/Oðinn: The creator and wisest of Gods , the Allfather and great host who carries the spear Gungnir. God of magic, wisdom, victory, sacrifice and shamanic frenzy. His names include (of over 200) Gautatyr, Grimner, Fjölnir, Fimbultyr and Ein sköpuðr galdra. He is betrothed to Frig and lover of Freyja (same Goddess) father of Thor and Bældæg among others. It should be noted that Odin who is likely a later name for Tyr (Allfather) has cognates with Nuada first king of the Tuatha De Danaan who lost his hand in battle but gained a silver hand. Lugh took over the Tuatha De Danaan. Balor the formorian slew Nuada, Lugh Slew Balor (his maternal grandfather).Both are fatherly Gods who have associations with death, magic, wisdom, traditional masculinity and victory. Scholars connect Odin and Dagda as cognate deities in Proto Indo European mythology along with Deyis Pater of the Romans and Saucellos of the Gauls among others.
Hroðbeorht-
Scáthach and Skaði
Comparative mythology: Irish/Norse
Irish Scáthach (Ulster cycle) “the shadow, Shadowy”
Norse Skaði (Norse myth) “shadow”
In the Irish myth she (Scathach) is a renowned martial artist who trains Cú Chulainn (pronounced Cuhoolan) a legendary hero and son of the God Lugh of the long arm. She is associated with Scotland or more acutely The Isle of Sky. In the cycle Scathach presents Cú Chulainn with the legendary spear Gáe Bolg. His father or Godly incarnation Lugh used a magic spear called Gáe Assail.
In Norse myth she (Skaði) is a daughter of frost giants who feuds with Loki and whence married Njord. She is associated with fierceness and hunting. Their names are cognate and both present the concept of fierce warrior elements. Her symbols are Skis and a bow.
Their names are cognate and both present the concept of fierce warrior elements.
zaronen.deviantart.com and Unknown.
https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/giants/skadi/
https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/usbiography/s/scathach.html
Hroðberht-
Samhain Month (Mi Na Samhna)
Samhain the Celtic harvest and opening of the gates to another world.
Gaston Bussiere, Beatrix Elvery and unknown. Compilation image and photo by Hroðberht.
Some Legends:
Samhain is well known for the exploits of legendary Gaelic hero Fionn Mac Cumhaill and his Battle on Samhain night against the fire breathing Giant Aillen. Believed to be symbolic protection against fire. Samhain was also the second Battle of Mag Tuired in which the Tuatha DE Danaan battle the Fomor for the final time. Traditional Samhain has much to do with Ancestors, spirits, ghosts and the beings of the mounds of shadowy corners. It was a time of celebration, feasting and harvest before the coming of the dark half of the year. Sacred Bonfires would be lit across the land and Druidic prophecy foretold.
The hero Nera is said to have embarked upon a journey into the non corporeal world where he encountered Faries and the Undead. One Samhain night The Warriors of Cruachan were feasting and their King Aillil dared any man to put a wicker band around a corpses ankle that had been hung. Samhain is a night when the dead walk. Nera A warrior of Connacht was the only one brave enough to accept the challenge. As he placed the band upon the corpse it moved and asked him to give it water, Nera allowed the undead being to climb on his back and carried it to a house. The first house was in flames, the second flooded with water but the third they could enter. The corpse drank 3 cups of water, spitting the third out killing those in the house. Nera returned the corpse to the gallows only to find the hall in flames with all inside decapitated. He saw a host riding back into the Cruachan and followed them into the otherworld. Once in the mound he met one of the female Sidhe (She) who told him that it was not real but a vision of the next Samhain night if the warriors of Medb and Aillil did not destroy the Cruachan and defeat the army of the Sidhe. Nera returned to tell Queen Medb and Aillil of what he had heard and seen only to find no time had passed since he left on his quest. Nera warned the people of Cruachan before escaping with the woman Sidhe. Medb, Aillil and Fergus Mac Roich then went to destroy the Hill of Cruachan.
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/samhain
https://www.newgrange.com/samhain.htm
Hroðberht-
DNA Testing, Genealogy and European Ancestry: My Journey .
I have thought long about doing an in depth article about my study of family DNA/genealogy and have finally have begun collecting my thoughts. This article is centered on North Western European descent based on the study I have done of my own DNA and family but I hope the content can help anyone of any background with their search.
TERMINOLOGY:
Ancient Groups:
SHG (Scandinavian Hunter Gatherer)
WHG (Western Hunter Gatherer)
EEHG (Eastern European Hunter Gatherer)
EEF (Early European Farmer)
Sredny Stog: First horse domestication on the steppe (Pre Kurgan Period) Possibly earliest iteration of the IE.
Yamna (Proposed center of Indo European expansion)
WSH (Western Steppe Herder) (Indo European)
CHG (Caucasian Hunter Gatherer)
SGC (Single Grave Culture)
BBTC (Bell Beaker Trade Complex)
CWC (Corded Ware Culture)
FBC (Funnel Beaker Culture)
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cMs, Chromosomes, SNPs and Distance
Chromosomes: The 23 human Chromosomes.
SNPs: SNPs are markers with the same alleles as a given sample. Larger SNP chains means higher mathematical likelihood of shared ancestry. SNP’s also determin Haplogroups.
cMs: The measurement of distance between chromosomes and genetic closeness.
Distance: The distance between you and a sample (Lower number is a closer match)
Some websites use closeness instead of broken down percentages. GEDMATCH.COM and Mytrueancestry.com use closeness in some areas and percentages in others. Both use mixed population and single matching which can reveal very close results. Example being my own DNA matches Sweden on most models and has a low number (Very close) but if compared to samples from Scandinavia and Britain it drops to low 0 numbers meaning an identical admixture. GEDMATCH.com is great fore diagnostics like this.
HAPLOGROUPS:
These are descriptions but do not reflect all possible positions or distribution and does not account for all possible groups within Europe.
THE I GROUP:
IJK Group: Originating in Anatolia or Caucusus 45,000 years ago.
IJ (Caucuses/Iran)
I-M170 (I) (Originated in Europe, Possibly in Austria 31,000 to 34,000 years ago) Associated with the Gravettian culture. (I is considered an original Paleo European Haplogroup”
I2: Subclade of I-M170 ( WHG and SHG) Widespread across all of Europe and Scandinavia. Hunter Gatherer.
I1 Subclade of I-M170 starting in the Alps and then moving into Denmark/Scandinavia or possibly originating in what is now Hungary. It is the dominant paternal group of Nordic Europe. Possibly Associated with the FunnelBeaker Culture. Funnelbeaker Culture was the result of an admixture of Incoming EEF people and indigenous Hunters.
OTHER PALEO GROUPS IN EUROPE:
C (An ancient Haplogroup in Europe in the paleolithic)
K ( A paleolithic group in Europe descended from IJK)
———-
R Group:
R (NAHG) Contributed to Yamna.
R1A (North Eastern Europe/Scandinavia) Yamna origin.
R1B (Britain/West/Central/Northern Europe/Scandinavia) Yamna origin. (Dominant Western European group)
G2A (EEF and CHG?) Exists in all of Europe but mainly a Southern and South Eastern European group.
N-N1C (Urallic) (Finland/Estonia/Hungary/Eastern Europe, Steppes, North Asia, Asia)
Distribution map of Groups In Europe: (Wikipedia)
Modern DNA and Autosomal results:
Many different companies offer Autosomal DNA testing and it can be quite accurate if you take the time read into the history of different populations and their migrations. Depending on the service your sample panel may be categorized differently and you may notice different results from different sites like FTDNA, Ancestry, Gedmatch.com etc.
Example using my own DNA:
Ancestry.com lists my highest percentage genetic match as Anglo Saxon/North German/Danish as a region. FTDNA lists this same % as Scandinavian. To someone familiar with Germanic history this makes sense but could be confusing to see different results per site. Both Ancestry and FTDNA list my Continental German ancestry at the same %.
A good comparison of differences is on FTDNA I am listed at 41% Irish and Ancestry.com 3% Irish. This is not an inaccuracy as much as it is a different view of how to place the DNA on the chart. Given the continuity of DNA in the British Isles since the Chalcolithic Beaker Horizon it would be difficult to perfectly decipher between DNA in the Isles, Germany and Scandinavia. Ireland having a fairly high WSH admixture even before the Arrival of Celtic Speakers.
On independent sample analysis from various sites, any comparison of my DNA can come up Germanic, Celtic and Baltic . My distance numbers are very low (Low is close) regardless if the Sample is Swedish, English, German, Irish etc.. My family has more Germanic ancestry historically but has significant Celtic genetic ancestry as well. . You can use services like GEDMATCH.com to do chromosome analysis, population comparisons etc. You can use Mytrueancestry.com to see your sample matching, chromosome chart by culture and see your actual ancient genetic relatives and analyze the genetic background of each sample. FTDNA provides YDNA and MTDNA as well as Autosomal and Ancient group origin however the Ancient feature seems a bit hokey to me. One of the more interesting metrics with http://www.mytrueancestry.com is the distribution of Haplogroups across all ancient samples you match. These are organized in an easy to use format broken down into colored pie charts with samples listed as you highlight colors on the chart. Seeing how populations of people with different paternal lineage have effected your Autosomal DNA is very interesting but should be taken with a grain as Haplogroups do not infer Autosomal admixture. I was skeptical of My True Ancestry but with some analysis and comparison it has fairly accurately reflected my DNA that I can check against actual Family Records and other tests. The service is however expensive, the upside being it is based on Ancient only so they focus well on that subject and constantly update results. They also compare you to well known DNA subjects which is quite fun to see if you match. Not yet mentioned is Myheritage.com whom I had analyze my Ancestry.com DNA raw data and got strangely simplified results. These results omitted almost all but 2 regions but I did like the platform for seeing living genetic relatives by country. I have yet to use 23/me and will post an update if I do.
A few examples of my results from various sites:
Gedmatch.com: Sweden.
MytrueAncestry.com: (Ancient) Viking Age Denmark.
Ancestry.com: Germany, Scandinavia, British Isles and Baltic
FTDNA: Scandinavian-German, Irish and Baltic.
Myheritage.com: North Western Europe and Baltic.
MY DNA BROADLY: Closeness based DNA and Geneaology.
MY DNA ACCUTE: Closeness Based on DNA only.
I may update these or try to detail this better at a latter date.
MY Haplogroups:
FTDNA.com: YDNA I1a (Origin Sweden) (Anglo-Frisian branch of I1a) (Paleo European Haplogroup)
FTDNA.com: MTDNA H39a1(Origin Ireland/Britain) (H MTDNA origin is the Caucasus)
Northern Genetics and Ancient material cultures:
Cultures/Complexes of Central and Northern Europe during Yamna migration:
Corded Ware Culture (Battle Axe Culture Scandinavia) (North Eastern/Central Europe, The Alps) Arrived in Europe from the steppe. Yamna people mingled with existing Neolithic/Hunter peoples already established to create the CWC horizon.
Single Grave Culture (CWC branch) (North Sea Coast, Denmark)
Bell Beaker Complex (Western, Northern, Central Europe,Denmark, Britain Ireland) Genetically a descendant of the SGC.
Unetice (Central Europe)
Tumulus (Central Europe)
Urnfield (Proto Celtic? )(Used Hallstatt type Swords) Was bordering The Nordic Bronze Age horizon.
HallStatt (Celts)
Le Tene (Celts)
Funnel Beaker (EEF-LBK/EEHG/WHG) CWC’s arrival in FBC areas may have led to the Protruding Foot Beaker culture which then became the Single Grave and perhaps finally Bell Beaker culture.
))))))THIS ABOVE LIST IS NOT EXAUSTIVE((((((
The development of the Germanic cultural branch of the Indo-Europeans or (Yamna) is subject to heavy debate. The Celtic expansion from the Hallstatt Culture is fairly well accepted and that it descended from earlier cultures like the Tumulus and Urnfield culture is plausible. The debate regarding Germanic expansion is more nebulous but now in modern times the picture is becoming clearer. The Corded Ware culture is the debated dawn of elements associated with Germanic civilization although they are the forebears of the Celts as well. This culture crossed into north western Europe from the Western Steppe and arguably brought IE culture/Language into Northern Europe. The history of Scandinavia and Northern Europe belonged to the WHG and EEHG who had hunting cultures across all of Europe and combined to become the SHG in the Baltic and Scandinavia. The Kunda Culture is also a likely result of this union. The Mesolithic hunters were joined by the EEF (LBK) across Europe and the Hunter societies largely married into these new people because the Hunter YDNA eclipses the EEF YDNA in Northern Europe. Autosomal DNA remnants of these early Hunters/farmers can still be detected . A culture of people that combined the farming and hunting groups existed at the time of the Corded Ware arrival and we see a major genetic shift in Western Europe but the Haplogroup I1a in Scandinavia remained dominant while R1B and R1A began expanding. The I1a YDNA lines again seemed to marry into arriving R groups but then we see a leveling where R1A and R1B become large groups as well. The Autosomal DNA is derived in Scandinavia and Northern Europe from the Corded Ware culture with sometimes larger admixtures of Hunter Gatherers than in Southern Europe. The Corded Ware were a late stone age/very early chalcolithic IE group also known as the Battle Axe Culture in Scandinavia due to the large amounts of Axe artifacts found in burials. We see a new cultural branch begin out of the Corded Ware called the “Single Grave Culture” which rises out of Northern Germany and Denmark. This “Single Grave Culture” is believed to be the genetic ancestor of the Bell Beaker people but a certain amount of confusion had arisen because it was believed that R1A was the line associated with Corded Ware yet all Yamna burials are of R1B lineage. Most “Beaker Culture” was also R1B as well and seems to overtake all of western Europe yet no determined second wave from the Steppe is obvious. The DNA associated with the “Bell Beaker Culture” in the north has affinity with the CWC. In Britain, Scandinavia, Northern Germany/Jutland/Eastern Europe all have affinity with Bell Beaker and CWC DNA. The confusion however is not as deep as it may seem because new DNA research has shed light that more and more CWC finds are of R1B. This now informs us that CWC was an R group including both R1B and R1A in possibly the same migration. The Single Grave Culture began expanding in the late Neolithic and possibly became the early Copper Age “Beaker Complex” that was not a people but a technological horizon. This horizon was carried by the Western Copper Age expression of the CWC expanding west to Britain and North to Scandinavia from Holland/Frisia with Bronze age Technology that began the Nordic Bronze Age. Hallstatt Celts would also have some influence on the Nordic Bronze Age. The culture that entered Britain had traditions that seemed as well to denote CWC ancestry in that “Beaker People” buried their warrior elite with axes. These early IE Britons match closely in DNA to the North Sea SGC and CWC sites. This would suggest that the majority Northern Europe, Central and Eastern Europe are of basically the same IE lineage since the early copper age with maybe some fluctuation in how much mixing with Indigenous Europeans had taken place then and before as CWC moved across Europe. The further north and especially east in Europe you go the higher admixture of Hunter Gatherer is found. Interestingly in the later Unetice Culture in Bohemia we see some samples with I2 haplogroups showing that males with Hunter ancestry continued to influence and marry into IE groups. In Switzerland we see some CWC sites also carrying I2 haplogroups. Czechia has CWC sites that are R1B and R1A as well as Poland having R1B CWC sites. In summary the Haplogroups do not tell the whole story but Autosomal DNA does tell us more that we can use.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WhUiR1AoupXETsh0h9XocLKMq8ics4QrUl4m8BLf6t8/edit#gid=0
Above link is to CWC R1B sites.
——————–
Here is a simple comparison study that I conducted on various samples and their modern day closest DNA matches:
These samples are the distance between the sample and the target population compared. 10 and under are exact ancestry. Above 10 is a contributing Ancestry. Above 15 is a component of Ancestry. Based on mytrueancestry.com’s description. Numbers bellow 10 shows ever greater affinity.
CWC Switzerland:
1. Danish (7.695)
2. North_Dutch (8.616)
3. Norwegian (8.748)
4. West_Scottish (8.783)
5. Swedish (9.095)
6. Irish (9.305)
7. West_Norwegian (9.326)
8. North_Swedish (9.999
Bell Beaker North Holland:
1. Danish (5.185)
2. North_Dutch (6.258)
3. West_Scottish (6.396)
4. Irish (7.347)
5. Norwegian (7.363)
6. Orcadian (7.364)
7. West_Norwegian (7.545)
8. North_German (8.184)
Bell Beaker Augsberg Germany:
1. North_German (8.033)
2. Irish (10.06)
3. Danish (10.99)
4. West_Scottish (11.21)
5. Southeast_English (11.21)
6. North_Dutch (11.42)
7. South_Dutch (12.09)
8. Southwest_English (12.31)
Bell Beaker Czech:
1. West_Scottish (11.60)
2. Irish (11.81)
3. Orcadian (13.12)
4. Southeast_English (13.52)
5. Danish (14.50)
6. North_Dutch (15.02)
7. Southwest_English (15.44)
8. North_German (16.54)
CWC Poland:
1. Czech (11.76)
2. North_German (12.89)
3. Danish (15.89)
4. East_German (15.92)
5. Southwest_Finnish (16.18)
6. Austrian (16.33)
7. Irish (16.42)
8. North_Dutch (16.99)
Czech Bilina_N_Baalberge CWC:
1. North_German (11.38)
2. Czech (12.82)
3. East_German (13.06)
4. Danish (13.16)
5. South_Dutch (13.33)
6. German_Central (13.86)
7. North_Dutch (14.41)
8. North_Swedish (14.61)
Bell Beaker Czechia:
1. North_German (7.462)
2. Southwest_English (7.625)
3. Danish (7.892)
4. Southeast_English (7.934)
5. South_Dutch (7.959)
6. Irish (8.558)
7. North_Dutch (8.595)
8. West_Scottish (8.907)
Spreitenbach CWC Switzerland:
1. North_German (7.639)
2. North_Dutch (9.500)
3. Irish (9.681)
4. Danish (10.04)
5. Southeast_English (10.21)
6. Southwest_English (10.21)
7. South_Dutch (10.38)
8. Welsh (10.70)
Bell Beaker Amesbury England:
1. North_German (5.343)
2. Danish (7.868)
3. North_Dutch (8.821)
4. Irish (9.065)
5. West_Scottish (9.683)
6. Southeast_English (9.993)
7. North_Swedish (10.71)
8. Swedish (10.72)
As you can see there is relative consistency across all samples indicating shared ancestry across Czechia, Germany, Poland, Jutland, Britain and Scandinavia. Now lets look at Hallstatt and Unetice Samples:
Unetice Culture Bohemia:
1. Danish (7.463)
2. Norwegian (8.418)
3. North_Dutch (8.493)
4. West_Norwegian (8.593)
5. West_Scottish (9.179)
6. Swedish (9.360)
7. Orcadian (9.656)
8. North_German (9.876)
Western Pomerania Unetice Culture:
1. Czech (6.785)
2. Southwest_Finnish (7.018)
3. East_German (8.078)
4. Finnish (9.912)
5. Polish (10.16)
6. German_Central (10.23)
7. South_Polish (10.23)
8. Austrian (11.44)
Hallstatt: (Bronze Age Celts)
1. East_German (8.761)
2. German_Central (8.868)
3. Hungarian (11.56)
4. Welsh (13.14)
5. Flemish (13.57)
6. West_German (13.74)
7. South_Dutch (13.86)
8. Southwest_Finnish (14.09)
Now lets look at Bronze age samples not specifically assigned to a culture:
Bronze Age England:
1. Swedish (5.954)
2. Norwegian (6.669)
3. West_Norwegian (6.997)
4. North_Dutch (7.069)
5. Danish (7.546)
6. North_German (8.859)
7. North_Swedish (9.277)
8. West_Scottish (9.516)
Bronze Age Germany:
1. Southwest_English (6.710)
2. Southeast_English (6.754)
3. Irish (6.831)
4. North_German (8.003)
5. West_Scottish (8.085)
6. South_Dutch (8.516)
7. North_Dutch (9.422)
8. Danish (9.586)
Bronze Age Czechia:
1. North_Swedish (8.055)
2. Swedish (9.576)
3. North_German (10.08)
4. Danish (10.24)
5. Norwegian (10.41)
6. Southwest_Finnish (11.00)
7. North_Dutch (11.20)
8. German_Central (11.87)
Bronze Age Orkney Scotland:
1. Danish (4.110)
2. West_Scottish (4.222)
3. Irish (5.146)
4. North_Dutch (5.550)
5. Orcadian (6.381)
6. Southeast_English (6.427)
7. North_German (7.335)
8. Norwegian (8.080)
Bronze Age Scotland:
1. Norwegian (5.838)
2. Swedish (6.177)
3. North_Swedish (6.426)
4. German_Central (6.436)
5. Danish (6.877)
6. North_Dutch (7.004)
7. North_German (7.108)
8. West_Norwegian (8.534)
Bronze Age Scotland:
1. Danish (5.730)
2. Norwegian (6.026)
3. Swedish (6.315)
4. North_Dutch (6.316)
5. North_Swedish (7.276)
6. North_German (7.318)
7. West_Norwegian (7.926)
8. West_Scottish (7.965
Bronze Age Germany:
1. Danish (4.947)
2. West_Scottish (5.464)
3. Irish (6.245)
4. North_Dutch (6.249)
5. Southeast_English (6.422)
6. Orcadian (7.151)
7. Southwest_English (7.422)
8. North_German (7.848)
Bronze Age England:
1. West_Scottish (5.093)
2. Irish (5.318)
3. Danish (6.308)
4. North_Dutch (6.643)
5. Orcadian (7.565)
6. Southeast_English (7.600)
7. North_German (8.738)
8. Norwegian (9.446)
Now lets have a look at Viking and Iron age samples:
Viking Age Denmark:
1. North_German (7.773)
2. Irish (9.522)
3. Southeast_English (10.55)
4. North_Dutch (10.63)
5. Danish (10.77)
6. West_Scottish (10.88)
7. South_Dutch (11.27)
8. Southwest_English (11.30)
Medieval Gotland:
1. Danish (3.446)
2. North_Dutch (4.082)
3. Norwegian (5.472)
4. North_German (5.526)
5. West_Scottish (5.676)
6. Irish (5.761)
7. Swedish (6.272)
8. Southeast_English (6.975)
Medieval Denmark:
1. North_German (10.38)
2. Czech (11.94)
3. Southwest_Finnish (12.39)
4. Danish (12.40)
5. East_German (12.88)
6. Irish (13.35)
7. South_Dutch (13.35)
8. Southeast_English (13.78)
Viking Age Sweden:
1. Danish (5.099)
2. North_Dutch (6.066)
3. Norwegian (6.093)
4. West_Scottish (6.825)
5. West_Norwegian (7.310)
6. Irish (7.494)
7. Swedish (7.540)
8. North_German (8.059)
Cambridgeshire England Iron Age:
1. Danish (6.357)
2. Southwest_English (6.651)
3. Southeast_English (6.669)
4. West_Scottish (6.770)
5. North_Dutch (7.039)
6. Irish (7.398)
7. Orcadian (7.601)
8. Welsh (7.677)
Iron Age Denmark: (This sample may show higher EEF or WHG admixture given the distances).
1. North_German (15.11)
2. Irish (15.37)
3. Southeast_English (16.24)
4. Southwest_English (16.54)
5. West_Scottish (16.67)
6. North_Dutch (16.74)
7. South_Dutch (16.79)
8. Danish (17.11)
Iron Age England:
1. Danish (6.357)
2. Southwest_English (6.651)
3. Southeast_English (6.669)
4. West_Scottish (6.770)
5. North_Dutch (7.039)
6. Irish (7.398)
7. Orcadian (7.601)
8. Welsh (7.677)
Celtic Briton 1AD:
1. Irish (4.913)
2. West_Scottish (6.180)
3. Southeast_English (6.636)
4. North_German (6.998)
5. North_Dutch (7.221)
6. Danish (7.586)
7. Southwest_English (7.887)
8. Orcadian (8.278)
Scythian Ukraine 600BC:
1. North_German (9.992)
2. East_German (11.11)
3. South_Dutch (11.72)
4. Irish (12.03)
5. Southeast_English (12.45)
6. Southwest_English (12.54)
7. Danish (12.57)
8. North_Dutch (12.58)
(All Samples are derived from mytrueancestry.com and for full disclosure all samples are matched samples to my own DNA. For the sake of thoroughness I ran similar tests against donated samples from a person born in Eastern Germany who had documented ancestry to access even more samples. The results showed the same consistency in DNA. This does not however infer exhaustive surveying as conducted by larger scientific studies)
Again we see an admixture pointing toward a similar genetic base between Jutland/Scandinavia with Britain and East/Central Europe which would point to the advent of the Single Grave Culture as CWC combined possibly with Funnel Beaker groups. This led to the “Protruding Foot Beaker Culture” and hence could have been the catalyst for the Bell Beaker Expansion out of Frisia. Now carrying a popular “Bell Beaker” type of Pottery (See bellow for Iberian explanation). One thing across all these samples is a noticeable genetic similarity of Germanic and Celtic areas that holds up for a very long time across generations. All samples show this similarity when broken down in detailed comparison with ancient populations. As to why some scholars suggest the beaker pottery originates in Iberia is that the pottery itself may not be Indo-European but could have been traded to the invading CWC and associated Yamnaya groups. I think the Funnel Beaker culture could explain the transition from CWC/SGC and then Bell Beaker, this being said the proposed oldest Beaker is from Portugal and theories of it being imported into Indo-European areas are popular. (See Beaker side note bellow)
Personally and this is my very amateur opinion but I see a greater likely hood of the Bell Beaker Complex as an evolution of the Protruding Foot Beakers of the SGC . As you can visually see the Corded Ware designs were already close to Bell Beaker designs and the PFBC seems to show even greater similarity after the the Funnelbeaker culture designs begin to merge with CWC. Another theory I have if they in fact were traded north originally the later Beakers could be cruder CWC copies as the further North you go the less like the Iberian Beakers they become. I base this purely on physical comparison.
Compared Example of possible northern evolution of Bell Beaker Culture:
Funnelbeaker Culture:
Corden Ware:
Single Grave Culture:
Protruding Foot Beaker (Subset SGC)
Bell Beaker Pottery:
Through inspection one can see many similarities in evolution and design. See bellow for the Iberian origin concept. Because our oldest example is from Portugal the Iberian origin can be referred to, however The PFBC dates in evolution from the same time frame or Earlier than the BBTC.
An Iberian Bell Beaker Side Note:
Although genetically descending more than likely from the SGC in Frisia or Denmark, the Beaker design may have been brought in from elsewhere. The Amesbury Archer in Britain was from Alpine Central Europe however we do not have his DNA. It should also be noted that the Southwestern expressions of the Beaker complex is genetically distant or unrelated to the Irish, British, North Sea and Eastern Branches who are CWC derived. Evidence might point to the Beaker complex resulting from the expression of the Atlantic coastal traditions of Neolithic Europeans coming into contact with CWC or SGC. I said a similar idea in another part of this article but I wanted to expand by also stating that the Atlantic chalcolithic culture stretched from Iberia to Scotland/Scandinavia and may have been the exporters of the popular Beaker design. This would explain the Corded Ware Genetic lineage of the people in the North using Beakers and its spread from West to East. The Amesbury Archer was from the Alps but was buried with Beaker artifacts in an Indo European style mound. Many items from the Atlantic Bronze age can be found along the West Coast of Europe and in the North via trade. Some of the Iberian hypothesis led to the Idea that the Celts originated in Iberia but this is now challenged by the more likely Hallstatt origin for the Celtic languages and Culture.
Article bellow has additional info.
The idea that this was a maritime Atlantic material product has plenty of supporters and the theory would explain why it was widespread in CWC territories as an import with no known immigration from Iberia along with the pottery design. The oldest Beaker site was found in Portugal so far yet some still hold the Rhine region as its original expansion because of the CWC genetics of the Northern Beaker burials. It should be noted that Kurgan type burials were not practiced in Iberia nor were there steppe genetics present before the expansion of R1B from the north east at least as far as I can find through research. R1b later became a very dominant haplogroup in Iberia even though autosomal DNA shows a greater diversity of backgrounds in Iberia. Something that could be resulted from just my lack of access to the artifact catalog but not all of the elements of the Beaker Culture appear in Iberia and seem more heavily practiced in Britain and Germany/North Sea. The Golden Lunula of Britain/Ireland seem localized as do the gold Sun crosses. The Lunula appear in Spain after Celtization and the Lusitanians. Diodorus Siculus describes the Lusitanians as the bravest of the Cimbri. Frontinus calls their leader Viriathus as leader of the Celtiberians. By the end of the late BC’s Celtic and Germanic people were living and fighting in Iberia. They coexisted with non IE people.
https://www.eupedia.com/europe/Haplogroup_R1b_Y-DNA.shtml#Maykop
https://www.eupedia.com/europe/Haplogroup_R1b_Y-DNA.shtml
————
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_Beaker_culture
)))))Always take anything on Wikipedia with a grain of salt(((((
I do not have the answers to the mysteries surrounding the Beaker Trade Complex so I simply want to present the ideas about its origin. I have my opinions based on the information available to me which I stated above. I should note that I am purely an amateur having a go at the data available to me and I am not a geneticist or DNA expert. That being said lets continue the anthropology rabbit hole down a bit further.
If we look a bit further forward we see a Celtic dominated central Europe by the Iron Age, who are also ultimately CWC descended. They appear to follow out of the Urnfield group. The first definitively Celtic group might be the Hallstatt in Austria however it has been proposed the Urnfield Culture may have spoken a Proto Celtic language. These Celts then spread across Europe covering previous Beaker territory entirely, and at least from a linguistic sense took over Britain but they would not have differed genetically much from the existing Beaker population in Britain/Ireland. At this point in the Bronze age we are seeing the recognizable cultures starting to split and evolve from the Yamna/CWC. Jutland shows Hallstatt/Urnfield influence materially and even possibly was partially Celtic speaking (Given some possibly Celtic Chieftain names) however shortly The Nordic Bronze Age becomes a very unique culture of its own. We see in the earliest Iron Age a new material culture arrive in Jutland, Germany and Poland from Scandinavia more than likely speaking a Proto Germanic language since the Nordic Bronze Age. This is called the Jastorf Culture and it itself had contact with Celtic civilization upon entering Northern Continental Europe. Genetically we would still see largely no radical change as these groups are developing culturally but would still basically be descended from the CWC ancestry at the end of the Neolithic. By AD 1 the Wieldbark Culture has now migrated to Northern Germany/Poland and are believed to be The Goths from Sweden. Most of the North Sea, Denmark, Germany and Poland are now inhabited by Germanic speaking Tribes in the vacuum left by the Celts. The Area of Holland/Belgium/Frisia are part of a culture that appears to be somewhere between Celt and Germanic known as the Hilversum/Elp culture. By the Roman and later Germanic Iron Age we begin to see the Known Tribes like Saxons, Angles, Jutes, Teutons, Sviar, Suebi, Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Vandals, Frisians, Rugi, Chatti etc. All of Germany, The North Sea, Denmark, Scandinavia and most of Poland/Czechia is now inhabited by Germanic speaking Tribes however in some cases Roman authors cannot distinguish between them and Celtic Tribes. The Belgae being described as both but contradicting reports are abound. The Teutons are described as Germanic but some Chieftains hold what are Celtic or Celtic Influenced names. It should be noted that Roman authors were also sometimes confused in regard to separating Baltic and Germanic tribes on a few occasions like the Aestii. They describe them as Germanic culturally “Like the Suebi” but British in language. Does this mean Ancient Germano-Celtic people were inhabiting Estonia before Uralic languages came to dominate or were they confused as to the difference between Celtic and Uralic languages? We may not see a great change in genetics simply because the existing population of Central and Northern Europe was from the same evolving culture that arrived with CWC, then BBTC and later evolution was largely material and linguistic. To add to the confusion the Early Bastarnae tribe was listed as German, Celtic or both, even some suggesting Scythian who again were genetically believed to be IE. The Teutons, Cimbri and Ambrones of Jutland also share this distinction as showing both Celtic and Germanic characteristics. Most likely having been Germanic speaking but show heavy influence from the earlier power of Celts as they controlled early Iron Age Europe. The leader of the Teutons “Teutobod” shows a Celtic influenced name. Another connecting element between Celtic and Germanic tribes is the very word “Teuton” itself as it is exactly cognate to Celtic “Tuatha” “Tuatha De Danann” “People of Danann or Danu” and “Teuton” literally means people, a people. The Celts brought the Iron age to Scandinavia and that influence can be seen in swords and other artifacts as was the Hallstatt/Urnfield influencing some Nordic Bronze Age items. Celtic mythology when broken down shares a great deal with Germanic mythology as do they both with other IE cultures. In the next chapter we now get to dive past the archaeological migrations and basic DNA admixture and on to what separates these ancient Hyperborean tribes from each other by the Iron Age.
Cultural Lines:
So what is it then that made Germanic language and Culture so noticeably different than its neighbors by the time they arrive in the Late Bronze/Early Iron Age?
Germanic culture might not be entirely Indo-European. At the time the Corded Ware arrive in Scandinavia and Denmark we have no evidence of what they spoke other than it was an IE language, we have no idea what the EEF or the WHG/EHG spoke either. The culture in Scandinavia at that time was Funnel Beaker ( hunter/Farmer) who built the stone megalithic sites in the north. Genetically this group (Assumed I1a) absorbed and took CWC women initially and I1a remained dominant. This group now partially Funnel Beaker and CWC produce the SGC and subsequent Bell Beaker cultures genetically. However the lines of I1a remain the dominant paternal line. So we see Autosomal affinity for CWC/Beaker but dominant indigenous I1a in better than 50% of the Germanic population in Scandinavia. As these tribes migrate into the continent they carry I1a,I2a, R1B, R1a and Some times N. In Germanic culture we see elements that are not IE such as the boat symbolism and Shamanic spiritual elements and Animism. Others have suggested a possibility that the Vanir represent the Gods of the FunnelBeaker people and the Asa the invading IE CWC? (TRSTJ) This theme is repeated in Celtic myth as well perhaps denoting the original EEF/WHG population of Britain having certain Gods and then the Beaker and Subsequent Celts bringing IE Gods. in Germanic language we easily see the IE cognates in Celtic, Baltic, Slavic and Latin however many elements exist in Germanic that simply do not follow the predictable IE root. Are these Hunter Gather or EEF language traces?. Whether this idea is correct or not the development of Germanic culture happened between waves of IE in CWC and then again with SGC/Bell Beaker interacting with the native Funnelbeaker group. Perhaps Isolation sets in as the now fully realized Celts dominate Central Europe and the Nordic Bronze age gives way to greater isolation (Maria Kvilhaug) . The admixture of Funnelbeaker/CWC/SGC/BBTC begins to homogenize into a new material culture. Do Uralic tribes contribute to it? can we assume to some extent as their religion may have influenced Germanic spirituality?. By the time of the Jastorf Culture and Wielbark Culture we see the new material culture, religion, burials and language groups crash on the shores of Northern Europe. These are now no longer ambiguous tribes possibly associated with archaeological sites but well established groups with traditions, trading and conflicting in a newly broken open Northern Europe. The Romans had weakened the previously iron bound Celts, they are now moving around and by AD 100 Germany/Scandinavia/Eastern Europe is dominated by Germanic tribes.
What are the possible broken down ingredients of Germanic culture and DNA?
Bullet Points of possible influences:
CWC,SGC/BBTC DNA, Religion, burial customs, organization and weapons. (R1b) (R1A)
Hunter Gatherer and Neolithic farmer DNA. (I1a) (I2a) ( G2A2)
Possible Hunter Gatherer Animism/Shamanism remnants.
Possible Finnic/Uralic Shamanic elements.
Funnelbeaker boat cult and seasonal traditions? (Hunter/Farmer)
Hallstatt Technology influence.
Celtic Iron Age/La Tene technology influence.
Possibly Hunter or EEF language remnants.
Indo-European languages spoken by CWC,SGC/BBTC.
All these details could have boiled down into the Nordic Bronze Age Culture. We are under the impression by the time of the Nordic Bronze Age they had split into the Germanic branch of Indo European languages.
An LBK/EEF Side Note:
An interesting note regarding the LBK culture is the practice of burying males with axes as status markers. Could this have contributed to the Battle Axe/Boat axe culture of Scandinavia as the Neolithic farmers began populating Nordic Europe?.
The Triskelion so widely put with Celtic culture was in fact probably an EEF symbol which is why it is found all over Europe from North to South. Found in imagery of both Norse and Celtic peoples with shared ancestry from these farmers is found. These farming people came from the Caucasus, Anatolia, Balkans and Mediterranean coast carrying new cereals and grasses to Northern Europe. They are closely related to the WHG and CHG in Ancient times and split from them around 23,000BC. CHG carry G2a haplogroup as do the EEF people. Their legacy genetically varies in commonness today but the astounding megalithic monuments impress today as they have for thousands of years.
So in summary what do we see here as an explanation to our original question? Northern Europe is Autosomaly derived from the last SGC/Bell Beaker expansion whether in Britain, Central, Western, Northern Europe or the Atlantic coast. These are descended from CWC. R1B and R1A are both found among CWC as new evidence suggests. Older early finds of R1B in Western Europe could be from sporadic EEHG movement in the last 12,000 years. The further North in Europe the higher affinity with Hunters is found, the farther South the closer to the original EEF migrations. The further South East you see a resurgence in I2A hunter DNA in the Balkans and South Eastern Europe but a still close affinity with IE groups like Romans, Greeks and even Celts. The overall highest Autosomal representation across all of Europe is CWC in one form or another including Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Germanic culture is more linguistic/material culture oriented than genetic based on widespread available DNA samples. This true for Celts as they share amounts WHG/EEF but did not exist in a vacuum. They were active players in a massive swath of Europe and Central Asia which might be why post Nordic Bronze Age people evolved into something new was due to political isolation in Scandinavia and only re entered the fray after the Celtic domination of central Europe was interrupted by Rome and other hostiles from further East later on. Celtic Culture seems now a foot note relegated to Britain only but they represent a major point of Ancestry for all Northern European people. We also know through DNA that the Beaker populations of Britain, Scandinavia and Germany/Czechia share close affinity with Germanic DNA meaning that before the arrival of Proto Germanic languages the DNA already existed as the Beaker DNA profile does not change greatly after Germanic arrival but for the increase in Ancient I1A Haplogroups in Continental Europe. The Autosomal stays relatively consistent. This all means that Central, Western, Eastern Europe to an extent and Northern Europe has been genetically consistent since the late Neolithic arrival of CWC.
I hope my amateur take on this is found interesting and maybe inspires the reader to do their own research. At no point is any of this intended as a expression of superiority or best/worst people or cultures. I am Northern European so the research sticks within this category of European history and Genetics. I hope it can help those with any type of Ancestry to be open to viewing the concept outside the line of National borders as they have only existed for a short time compared to the age of humanity. Culture, Language, History and the wholeness it brings is much needed today and understanding migration and the difference between culture and genetics can go a long way to understanding your own folk soul.
The Material cultures of Europe:
The Paleolithic Europeans: ,Britain, Central Europe, Southern Europe, Anatolia, Caucuses, Near East) (Homosapien)
Aurignacian: Europe and the Levant. 43,000 ago.
Gravettian Culture: (Europe) I, CT, IJK, C2a2, BT Haplogroups. MTDNA M and U. 33,000 years ago.
Solutreans: (Iberia/Western Europe) 21,000 years ago.
Epigravettian: (in pink) (Europe) 20,000 years ago.
The Mesolithic: Britain,Scandinavia, Northern/Central, Eastern and Western Europe: Hunters (WHG,EHG,SHG)
(See Who are the German people part 2 for broken down Mesolithic Scandinavia maps with tools)
Neolithic Farmers: EEF,LBK and Lengyel Culture etc. (Southern Europe to North Western Europe and Scandinavia)
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Funnelbeaker Culture: (Scandinavia, Germany, Baltic coast, Central Europe)
*Photo credits are in file names* Photo source Wikipedia.com.
The material cultures of the North, East, West and Central Europe: Indo Europeans.
Yamnaya Culture: Northern, Eastern, Central Europe and Western Steppe.
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Corded Ware/Battle Axe Culture:
Single Grave Culture:
Bell Beaker Culture:
Early Bronze Age/Late Neolithic Shaman England:
https://www.wiltshiremuseum.org.uk/?artwork=upton-lovell-shaman
The shaman has a G2a Neolithic Haplogroup but has elements of metal working buried with him.
British/Irish Bronze age:
Nordic Bronze Age:
http://www.germanicmythology.com/MISCELLANEOUS/KivikGrave.html
Central Europe: Bronze Age.
Únětice culture: A widely traded Bronze Age Culture in Central Europe.
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Tumulus Culture:
Pomeranian Culture.
Urnfield Culture. (Proto Celts?
Hallstatt Culture: Central Europe, East Britain. Celts.
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Iron Age Culture:
Iron Age Hallstatt:
La Tene Culture Celtic Iron Age: Central Europe/Britain. Celts
Fully developed Germanic Culture:
Wielbark Culture: (Northern Poland) (Associated with the Goths/Germanic people)
Jastorf Culture: Early Iron Age Germany/Denmark. RED.
Goths: Ostro/Visi.
Goths/Gutes/Geats: Gotland.
Denmark Iron Age:
Germania: (Franks, Lombards, Alemannic, Thuringians, Chatti etc..)
Anglo Saxon/Vendel Era: (Germany, England, Denmark, Holland, Frisia, Sweden) “Pre Viking age”.
Viking Age: 793-1100 CE
The images above are not owned by me unless otherwise stated. I have collecteed the images from google search, Pinterest and Wikipedia. If you own one of these images qand want it removed please leave a comment. Nothing here was done outside the realm of example, education and reference. No violation of rights are intended.
VIDEOS to further explore:
The European Bog Bodies:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bog_bodies#Kreepen_Man
A tradition in Northern Europe since the Mesolithic. Bodies have been found in Denmark, Ireland, Germany, Holland, Britain, Poland, Sweden and Norway. These traditions begin in the mesolithic and and go through the Iron Age.
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The Wooden God Poles:
Shigir Idol Russia (Mesolithic)
Dagenham Idol Briain, 2250BCE.
Slavic Figure Brandenburg Germany. 5th century CE.
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Wittmoor Figures Lower Saxony Iron Age.
Broddenbjerg idol Denmark 535–520 BCE.
Braak Bog Figure 2nd or 3rd century BCE Schleswig-Holstein.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropomorphic_wooden_cult_figurines_of_Central_and_Northern_Europe
Celtic Stone Figures:
Boa Island
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jorbasa/6108703723/in/gallery-celtico-72157630432487128/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/celtico/galleries/72157630432487128/
https://twitter.com/DarkCloudBeing
A few interesting Links on Celtic archeology:
https://www.dw.com/en/secrets-of-a-celtic-princess/g-18088352
https://womenofhistory.blogspot.com/2015/12/archaeologists-found-2600-year-old.html
Now on to some practical stuff about etymology and ancestral records.
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GENEALOGY:
This is the hardest part as far as writing an article but I will do my best share my tips on finding records and information.
Tip Number 1: Names.
Do not be married to your surnames spelling, there is a chance that the name has changed and has many variants. If you live in America it could have been changed to be easier or more phonetic at Ellis Island or before. I have one ancestor who’s name had the same meaning but changed spelling, I had to purchase access to a record to get enough info to confirm it was the correct person.
Spellings:
All languages have etymological trees and those trees have branches.
Example:
Siegfried: A well known German Name.
Variants in German, Dutch Scandinavian dialects:
Sievert, Siever, Siefert, Sigvard, Siewart, Sievers, Sieffert, Sivert, (Sivrit (MHG) (Sigard(ON) Sigfred, Sigfrid, Sigfryd.
All names are from the same root name from Pro Germanic.
Each spelling can tell you what region the name came from and how it evolved. This method can be used to recognize either obviously related names or ones that very greatly but have the same origin.
English and Irish Names are no different, Germanic names were left by Germanic people and Celtic names were left by Celtic people or at least influenced by the culture related to the name. Norman names however were widely taken by Celts and Anglo Saxons alike. Norse and Anglo Saxons used “SON” or “Sen” in name endings but it was rarer on the continent but “sen” endings are found in Northern Germany. Similar endings exist in other languages for the same reasons. MAC and O before Celtic names denote “son of” and “Fitz” before Norman names have the same meaning “Son of or of this person”. In Slavic “Ski” denotes nobility. In Spanish names with EZ or IZ endings may denote Visigothic origins. Germanic names have high numbers of variants and endings, the etymology is a hobby all its own but knowing something about words, languages and etymology can help you in your search.
Italian and Greek names would obviously derive from those cultures but we find Roman and Greek names in other regions due to popularity. Many Italian and Spanish names are of Germanic and Celtic origin as well. Slavic names have influenced Germanic names and vise versa. The Celts spread as far east as Anatolia at one point and influenced many cultures.
http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/ONNames.shtml
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germanic_name
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_onomastics
Being Relentless:
The best advice I can give on the actual meat and potato’s part of ancestry is the relentless curiosity you need to have. Check again and again looking over multiple records, census, draft cards, comparing dates, names and variations. As stated above you are going to be hindered if you are emotionally attached to certain spellings or if your DNA comes in off from what you expect from geographic origins. Of course this never takes your culture away that you grew up with but may reveal more than you expected to find. Another skill to hone is trying to decipher hand writing on census and other ancestry related documents. This may seem obvious but I learned over time to be accustomed to the various ways the spellings looked in good and bad hand writing. This also applies to places of origins and country names. An example I could give is my great grand parents on my fathers side were from Poland or so we thought. Turns out their papers said Aust-Poland or an area within the Austro-Hungarian empire. They were specifically from Galicia and had a name more common amongst Croatians and Slovenians than Poles. The story was a bit more complicated but interesting in its own way. Don’t disregard records that may have one missing piece of data or a misspelled name. Many mistakes were made when recording this data and dates can be years off record to record. Often times a countries border could change and later be called something else in later records for example: Some of my ancestors were listed in later records as from Germany but in earliest records their kingdoms were listed such as Hesse, Prussia, Southern Denmark, Saxony-Anhalt, Frisia etc…when later they were states within the country of Germany. This to me is the fun part of research, going back and seeing what was happening at the time. I know my fathers line have a Swedish name and were from Prussia (North Eastern Germany) and the name is found in Sweden and North Eastern Germany. It is etymologically associated with the Goths. I found these details through maps, books, etymology lists, historical records and various documents found on current and defunct websites.
Websites I have used are:
Ancestry.com (Good records but can be costly, DNA is good)
FTDNA.com (Lots of tools and Haplogroups but can be expensive)
Myheritage.com (Good for finding living genetic relatives by country)
Familysearch.org (genealogy website associated with the Mormon Church but great records and data) FREE)
Rootsweb.com (Can have rare records)
Mytrueancestry.com (Great for ancient DNA, Culture comparison, tribal associations and modern DNA populations. Expensive)
Other websites that can be helpful are:
Youtube.com (cultural documentaries, history, DNA research)
Wiktionary.com (etymology, word/name origins)
Wikipedia.org (history, maps, DNA info, Archeology)
Eupedia.com (DNA, Articles, History, Human migration, DNA family trees)
I hope this amateur look at my European DNA proves interesting and can put some light on the subject. I am not myself even close to truly deep diving into the subject of European Anthropology. It will be one of many coming up, including some fun comparative mythology, more Anglo Saxon word etymology, hopefully some serious writing in Anglo Saxon and new Blacksmithing works and cultural crafting.
I am sure there are missed details and mistakes, I have edited this 25 times (not a joke) but will continue to refine it as I am sure I will notice issues as my knowledge base grows. All possible cultures and their interactions have not been named as the focus in that section is primary well defined pre historic cultures.
Skål
Hroðberht-
First strike 2020
Hammer strike that is.
First forging since 2018. This amulet is inspired by a variety of sources, Primarily Hallstatt style spiral brooches but also Bronze age Axe cultures across Central and North Eastern Europe. The Axe could represent any of the Axe wielding Thunder Gods from Perkuns, þunar or Perun.
Forged Iron.
Hroðberht-
Beannaichte Imbolc
The Celts called today the first day of Spring. I post this while looking outside and seeing an uncommon 65 degree day in February with snow is forecast for tomorrow.
Hroth-
Who are the Celts
The Celts are a warrior culture possibly originating in Central Europe with the Hallstatt culture of early Bronze Age (Theoretical). North western, Central and Eastern Europe had large Celtic populations that increased and decreased over time and tumult with incoming tribes from the North as well as regular battle with Rome. These warriors have left many place names, mysterious burial mounds and captured the imagination of generations with images of shining swords, Bonfires, Battle Horns and Boar crested helmets. Sit back, relax and lets take a closer look at the Celts..
AL IMAGES COLLECTED AS CREATIVE COMMONS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES.
If you are the owner of any said image and wish to have it removed please message and I will do so post haste.
Diachronic distribution of Celtic peoples, on the traditional view:
Yellow: Core Hallstatt territory, by the sixth century BC
Light Green: Maximal Celtic expansion by 275 BC
Lighter Green: Lusitanian area of Iberia where Celtic presence is uncertain
Dark Green: Areas where Celtic languages remain widely spoken today
* VIA WIKKIPEDIA.ORG
Overview of the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures.
The core Hallstatt territory (HaC, 800 BC) is shown in solid yellow.
The eventual area of Hallstatt influence (by 500 BC, HaD) in light yellow.
The core territory of the La Tène culture (450 BC) in solid green.
The eventual area of La Tène influence (by 250 BC) in light green.
The territories of some major Celtic tribes of the late La Tène period are labelled.
Legendary metallurgy:
Bronze shield boss in La Tène style found in the river Thames England. (Iron Age)
Hallstatt era (Austria) Swords/Daggers “Antenna style hilt” .
Late Bronze Age Hallstatt “C” swords.
Hochdorf “Chieftains Grave” Dagger 530BC Germany. Hallstatt culture.
Antenna Hilt Dagger. Hallstatt.
Hallstatt C Bronze Axehead.
Cult wagon. Hallstatt.
Bronze Belt Plate Hallstatt.
Celtic Helmet.
Celtic Shield.
Late Bronze Age Hallstatt Swords.
Beautifully ornamented Hallstatt Sword.
Urnfield Culture Weaponry.
Urnfield Culture.
Celtic Sword.
Urnfield Culture.
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The Ancient continental Celts were an advanced people who may have been the first to forge Iron swords and were prolific bronze age artists, goldsmiths, miners and horse men without equal north of the Alps. The spread of the Celts is debated but archaeology shows their presence in many corners of Europe either by trade or settlement.
The People:
Like their contemporary northern kin the Celts were tall, sturdy built warriors who’s reputation for fierceness was legendary. It is theorized that the Pre-Hallstatt cultures of Europe such as the Unetice Culture, Beaker Culture and Urnfield culture had direct influence on or was the ancestor of Proto-Celtic development. It is important remember that some of these ideas are factual and some are theoretical.
Celts were prolific on horse back but even more terrifying to their enemies was the Celtic Chariot:
Queen Boudica Seeking her justice.
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Celtic Jewelry:
Amber beaded necklace.
Golden Jewelry (Various eras of Celtic history)
Hallstatt Culture.
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Graves:
Urnfield Map.
Hallstatt Graves. (Drawing and Recreation)
Bell Beaker Grave (recreation) (Pre Celtic Kurgan IE people)
Newgrange Ireland. (Pre-Celtic Neolithic but had use and influenced Iron and Bronze age Celts)
Hallstatt Tumulus/Funeral Wagon.
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Language:
Celtic is a language in the Indo-European language family spoken once across Central Europe and now largely in Wales, Ireland, Britanny and Scotland.
Celtic Languges. See map above regarding distribution.
Celtic Ogham Alphabet (Tree Alphabet) (Britain)
Origin of the Ogham:
The cryptic Ogham alphabet used for Old Irish or possibly Pictish has heated debates on its origin. These arguments range from Latin, Greek, Runic and an origin in Gaul. Some stones do exists with both Runic and Ogham inscribed on them but its unclear if this would indicate influence.
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The Stones: Pictish.
Pictish stones with symbols and some with obvious Norse influence in the knot work.
Pictish stone with Ogham inscription.
Pictish stone but seemingly Norse influenced.
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The Gods:
Tuatha Dé Danann (Irish Mythology)
Take not of Panel 2.
Lugh.
Lugus-Lugh 3 Headed God which similar to a Slavic God concept and possibly depicted on the Germanic Golden Horn of Gallehus in Denmark. The Golden horn shows what could be described as a combination of Celtic and Germanic Ideas although the horn is engraved with Runes and is of Germanic make.
Cernunnos (Gundestrup Cauldron Denmark) Again possibly referenced on the Golden Horns of Gallehus. The concept of the horned God goes back into the deepest history of modern human spirituality.
Taranis.
Epona. Celtic Horse Goddess.
Sucellus. (Gaul)
Brigantia. (Goddess)
Because of the detail and variety of Celtic Mythology please use these resource links for more detail on the wide ranging concepts and descriptions of Celtic cosmology.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_mythology
https://www.ancient-origins.net/human-origins-folklore/celtic-myths-creation-0072
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I hope this acts as a interesting snapshot of the history and concept of the Celts. The next historical installment will be “Who are the Norse people part 2” as the original post only barely scratched the surface.
Until next time.
Hroth-
The difference between Winterfylleth and Samhain (Sowen)
I thought it might be interesting to post in Regard to my last post which wished everyone a happy Samhain (Sowen) and Winterfylleth.
Samhain is a Celtic festival of winter or the beginning of winter on Oktober 31 (Normally) or between the Autumnal Equinox and Winter solstice. It is a day of ancestral remembrance and honoring of the dead marked by many traditions still performed by modern people. I have. Samhain means generally November and is a festival when the door between all the worlds open and the dead may return and wander among the living. The tradition of mask wearing may begin with trying blend in with the wandering spirits.
Winterfylleth: (Winter Full) is a Germanic festival day marking the beginning of winter. The name is derived from Anglo-Saxon. The month of October is called Winterfylleth. Many of the Winterfylleth traditions are now held within Halloween as a whole as both holidays are now intertwined culturally in modern times. I have celebrated it and Samhain for many years.
“Antiqui Anglorum populi annum totum in duo tempora, hiemis et aestatis dispertiebant, sex menses aestati tribuendo, sex reliquos hiemi; unde et mensem, quo hiemalia tempora incipiebant, Ƿintirfylliþ appellabant, composito nomine ab hieme et plenilunio, quia videlicet a plenilunio ejusdem mensis hiems sortiretur initium Ƿintirfylliþ potest dici compositio novo nomine hiemi plenium”
“The old English people split the year into two seasons, summer and winter, placing six months — during which the days are longer than the nights — in summer, and the other six in winter. They called the month when the winter season began Ƿintirfylliþ, a word composed of “winter” and “full moon”, because winter began on the first full moon of that month”
Bede-
Thanks for Reading.
H-
The Call Of Steel 