Now my last post might not convince someone who is really 100% convinced that they are encoded by their DNA to be Druid Warrior of Odin (let that comment sink in, and remember I am being facetious) . But no I understand that many of you believe (feel it even) that there are physical traits that make one Celtic, or Nordic, or whatever. Well, I have some bad news for you, its not what you think.
I will start with one that is most common. Red Hair. I’ve seen in various places; people insist that their red hair (hopefully not from a bottle) is a sure sign of Celtic or Germanic or Nordic ancestry. Well, you might well have red haired ancestors (I know I do) but that’s not anything to do with the culture they came from. Again, we get to genetics vs memetics, but its even more complex than a simple “stop it Celtic is a cultural thing (oh don’t even get me on to that statement using the C word (Celt) not a genetic thing”).
Red Hair is indeed more common in people from the regions we see as Germanic (northern (Scandinavian) and Southern (German)) and Celtic. Indeed, say Ireland and Scotland are up to a quarter (almost a third) of the population, while Spain, Central Italy etc its less than 1%. If you look of a map of Red hair and the distribution of the R1B Y-Haplogroup its rather striking with the overlaps. But the R1b haplotype is not a marker for just the Germanic and Celtic peoples. Add to this woman are more likely to have red hair than men (1). That Y-haplogroup map is less helpful now isn’t it. Add to this other non-Indo-European peoples such the Berbers of Morocco and Algeria have it, as do Afghani, Arab, Iranian, Mongolian, Turkic, Miao and Hmong peoples. Oh, and the Polynesians. So no your red hair does not mark your cultural background, unless its from a bottle, and that’s a cultural thing. Oh and Neanderthals had a red hair mutation too. Oh, and it is genetically recessive. Just Stop it!
Genetically Red Hair is due to mutations of the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R), which is found on chromosome 16. Neanderthal red hair is a different mutation to ours, but it was still the same gene.
Ok so red hair marks you as a Celt. Nope. Hell, Gaulish warriors bleached their hair with lime (and spiked it too) which is possibly why the Romans though there were that many red-haired Celts. That is the hardcore equivalent to a “bottle blond/red”. Hardcore? Well lime burns like hell and will make you go bald, all for a look.
What other traits do people ascribe to ancestral groups. Well eye colour (and that ladies and gentleman is complex genetics, too complex to go here) but the same story applies as with red hair. It’s not specific to a culture.
Now don’t get me wrong there are some specific genetic conditions that are almost exclusive to certain groups. For example, Ta-Sachs’s disease, a horrible condition for children, as thought to be almost exclusive Ashkenazi Jews, but is also seen in populations that breed almost exclusively with in their own populations (French Canadians of Southern Quebec, the Amish of Pennsylvania, Cajuns etc). Similarly, the haemophilia of the European Royals was believed to be inherited from Queen Victoria passing it on to three of her nine children, in turn passing it on to the son of Tsar Nicholas. This haemophilia was so devastating as the royals of Europe seemed to want to “preserve the blood” and well that did not work out so well for some of them.
Moving on.
Many of the people who seem to hold to the idea of race, culture and genetics being important in a cultural sense have some funny ideas. Let’s pick on the “I’m a Viking” crowd again. Why> Because there is a sad prevalence of racists in their ranks.
Many of these “Vikings” seem to think that their hunter gatherer ancestors (their words not mine) who became Vikings were Aryan and perfect.
Oh, sweet summer children, you are going to hate me.
Lesson time
First before breaking some misconceptions here is my ancient Ancestry break down, the African bit is back, but now also South Asian. There is a good chance this is from Roma groups who migrated to Europe but given the British empire it might also be from the people living there now. I am not bothered beyond wondering “whence from?”
There are three groups that make up modern Europeans
- Hunter Gatherers (aka the Western Hunter-Gatherers)
- First Famers
- Steppe pastoralists (aka the Indo-Europeans)
So we have talked about the Steppe pastoralists. Most likely the Indo-European culture is from them. They brought horses and sheep and cattle, and the idea of a warrior caste. Oh and the ability drink milk as an adult? Probably for all Europeans is from these folks. So the groups of young white nationalist with their shirts off, showing of their pasty white toneless bodies, drinking lots of milk… owe these people thanks for that lactose persistence
The First Farmers likely came from around Turkey (and the Eastern Hunter Gatherers) . If our heathen loving, want to be a Viking types were going to pick on a group, these are the people. But no they don’t pick on them. Why ? No idea.
Then there are the First Famers who literally let us have our daily bread, and beer, they are descended from the Eastern Hunter Gatherers. They were a light skinned brown haired people from near modern Turkey. They are also most likely responsible for the megalithic culture of Europe. You know Stone Henge etc. But no, the Brosatru do not aspire to be them. Nope not any farmers here. No sir.
This leaves the Western Hunter Gatherers. Ah yes. The play Vikings want to be descended from the fur wearing, hunting men. That’s the life. Right? Well for one hunting and gathering included living off of a lot of shellfish if you were on a coast, because well shellfish don’t run away. You also lived in quite small mobile communities and had a really tough life if you sucked at hunting and or gathering. Its both folks, despite what Liver Kings says, our ancestors ate plants, or they’d die of malnutrition as they did not have access to vitamin pills. But here is the kicker for the people who thought they were model Aryans. They had fairly dark skin. Sure blue eyes, but their genetics don’t show the markers for light skin, or hair. Nope. This drives them nuts too. I mean totally ice cream, bananas and nuts and whipped cream crazy. It’s a leftist conspiracy to make us all “African”. I really don’t want to break it to them but “out of Africa” is a thing boys and girls. Live with it.
Here let me show you what the famous “Cheddar Man” from the UK (near Cheddar, not because he was found with cheese) would have looked. His DNA has been analysed quite deeply. Sorry boys, but he can’t drink milk (cheese is likely a bad idea too sorry) either. Bugger.
All fun aside, I am using this to illustrate that your preconceived notions are not fact. I may as well add a couple of other things in.
With Regards to “Vikings”, unless you are directly descended from the very upper echelons of Scandinavian culture, you were a farmer or tradesman off on a raid. Yep, you dug the earth or built stuff (or both) for a living, and I mean LIVING, you can’t drag enough grub back on a longship to feed your family (and everyone else’s). You grew it. The nobles hunted but that meat was for special occasions, not a hunter gatherer lifestyle.