The
oral traditions of those that came before me always
maintained that my
roots were one-half Irish and one-half German.
Mom's laborious
genealogy research supported the tracing of our immigrant ancestors back
to both Ireland and Germany – at which point the trail went cold.
Mom’s work predated the internet so much of it was conducted in-person while researching dusty birth, baptismal and death records in small
Midwest communities including a trip to Salt Lake City, Utah to delve into
accounts maintained by the Church of Latter Day Saints – the
Mormons.
Through it all the ethnic pie remained 50/50.
Since mom departed this earthly realm DNA technology has turned old-school genealogy on its head.
Sure, those dusty old birth, baptismal and death records remain
incredibly important – nonetheless the arrival of online,
searchable databases along with easy and affordable DNA technology
has stirred the pot and added ease of detail and historical color
that had previously been missing.
Four
years ago I
took the plunge and had my DNA analyzed for purposes of learning more
about my origins.
A number of my acquaintances and family have since
done the same. Admittedly, the results of this testing include
plenty of disclaimers and caveats about the imprecise nature of what
you will learn yet it certainly opened the door to additional –
shall we say – assumptions. For quite some time the premise of the 50/50
conclusion continued to hold sway - yet become sketchier as DNA science and region began to supplant borders.
Behold
my 2016 ethnicity map:
By
2018 it had been updated to this:
And
almost a year ago I received this update just before we left to
visit Ireland.
That oral tradition in my family that supported the ½ Irish and ½ German? Ten months ago there
was very little remaining that was specific to Germany. The German component was shrinking.
This is complicated on a
number of levels but what is clear is that roughly half of my DNA
reflects the history of Western European migration patterns and
invasions. If you go back far enough it was the Celts who
dominated much of what is now Europe and the British Isles.
Tribal and warlike the Celts had no written language and as a
consequence there are no complete records.
What we do know is
that the Romans displaced them and the Celts retreated to Britain and
Ireland. Following that the barbarians displaced the Romans.
Armies ebbed and flowed and conquering Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and
Normans left their mark upon this part of the world both politically,
culturally and ethnically as well. The DNA persists.
Modern studies suggest
that these earlier populations weren’t necessarily wiped-out but
adapted and absorbed new arrivals. Invaders and migrators left
their seed in their wake and as a consequence the story has become
both clearer - and more complex. Trace DNA is quite persistent
which makes my roots both diverse and more than a wee bit ambiguous.
The
other day this arrived.
Anything
that refers to German or Germany – Gone!
Stay-tuned.......
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