View Full Version : Do you really think you are Norse?
I have been briefly studying Old Norse on wikipedia (oh I am getting addicted to it, lol) and I came across this page.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Norse
It shows that Old Norse was spoken in my homeland of Rheghed and in Caithness (areas in red). I could be a distant cousin to all you Caithnessians! :lol: I am awaiting a mitochondrial DNA kit which will track my distant ancestors. To date I haven't a clue except to say I have tracked about 75% of my ancestors to be from Rheghed, who knows what the results will show???:roll:
There once was a programme on BBC a few years ago called 'The Blood of the Vikings', did anyone take part in the DNA exercise that they conducted up in Caithness?
I didn't take part in the D.N.A. exercise but can claim Dupryns Contraction or Macrimmon's Curse in one little finger which I'm told is something more commonly found in those with Norse descent in their background.
The digit has a permanent 30 degree bend for the last 6 years caused by tightening of the tendons and is no handicap and in fact allows one to display a very polite grip on a tea cup. The Macrimmon connection is because the legendary pipers to clan Macleod were cursed by a caillach (old lady) on their home island of Raasay because of some slight caused by one of their number and of course that wasn't terribly helpful to performing on their instruments.
I'm not an 'orse!
Just a little long faced today!:lol:
Getting my coat...!;)
karia
I was getting quite excited about a language called Old Gutnish, now that did appeal to my strange sense of humour!
I was ready to enrol in evening classes and then was most disapointed to find that it is variant of the nordic languages instead of some werd long lost dialect.
Oh well, never mind it's back to the celtic!
yup
with an ancestorial name like Alsherson I would say yes to this, however the North Highland Archive seems to think it's a Gaelic form of Alexanderson (From Blacks Surnames of Scotland...they must be joking!)
Alexander is a Greek name not Gaelic at all, the gaelic verson being Alisdair.
the use of the ending '...son' indicates a Norse Origin (at least Scandinavian), so does the Wikipedia map and the history of Caithness. Ever read a Norse Saga???
Plus Alsherson seems to be Caithness specific, in fact almost restricted to three parishes, Thurso, Canisbay and Wick, and does not appear in any other form throughout the whole gaelic world from the Connemarra to Croatia...
I rest my case[lol]
The Pepsi Challenge
05-Dec-07, 06:41
The only Norse influence I can see in Caithness these days lies in street names and places.
Valerie Campbell
05-Dec-07, 10:36
My husband's uncle had corrective surgery for Dupuytren's contracture so I guess my husband and children can say they are off Norse folk. I wonder who else in the family will get it as it seems to have missed a couple of generations.
i have traced my ancestry and i know that im norse. even my name is Swedish
translated to man of the island. [lol]
yup
with an ancestorial name like Alsherson I would say yes to this, however the North Highland Archive seems to think it's a Gaelic form of Alexanderson (From Blacks Surnames of Scotland...they must be joking!)
Alexander is a Greek name not Gaelic at all, the gaelic verson being Alisdair.
the use of the ending '...son' indicates a Norse Origin (at least Scandinavian), so does the Wikipedia map and the history of Caithness. Ever read a Norse Saga???
Plus Alsherson seems to be Caithness specific, in fact almost restricted to three parishes, Thurso, Canisbay and Wick, and does not appear in any other form throughout the whole gaelic world from the Connemarra to Croatia...
I rest my case[lol]
I tried to find it on this site http://www.nationaltrustnames.org.uk/
but there isn't a 100 of you to qualify an entry. Not even Alexanderson, Anderson is there, the geographic spread seems to suggest Denmark vikings rather than Norse vikings for that, but it may well be different for Alsherson. But I certainly don't think Alexander is necessarily Greek just because of Alexander the Great.
Well my ancestors were French, so im either a peasant or a communist, or both! :Razz
Well my ancestors were French, so im either a peasant or a communist, or both! :Razz
Mine are French, Irish and Scots!
So I should know great potato dishes cooked with panache..that can be frozen against a harsh winter..
..then divided amongst the community!
Actually that is pretty true!:eek:
Karia
I am mostly norman french.... like to do an invasion every now and again....
I have been briefly studying Old Norse on wikipedia (oh I am getting addicted to it, lol) and I came across this page.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Norse
It shows that Old Norse was spoken in my homeland of Rheghed and in Caithness (areas in red). I could be a distant cousin to all you Caithnessians! I am awaiting a mitochondrial DNA kit which will track my distant ancestors. To date I haven't a clue except to say I have tracked about 75% of my ancestors to be from Rheghed, who knows what the results will show???:roll:
It's official, it looks like I'm Norse, at least on my mother's side...:lol:
northener
02-Jan-08, 14:51
It's official, it looks like I'm Norse, at least on my mother's side...:lol:
Was it you who stole all my sheep and burnt down my house?
Where did you get the DNA kit from, Rheghead?
.
Green_not_greed
02-Jan-08, 22:08
Norse? That may explain the horns on my cycling helmet........
percy toboggan
03-Jan-08, 18:54
I didn't take part in the D.N.A. exercise but can claim Dupryns Contraction or Macrimmon's Curse in one little finger which I'm told is something more commonly found in those with Norse descent in their background.
The digit has a permanent 30 degree bend for the last 6 years caused by tightening of the tendons and is no handicap and in fact allows one to display a very polite grip on a tea cup. The Macrimmon connection is because the legendary pipers to clan Macleod were cursed by a caillach (old lady) on their home island of Raasay because of some slight caused by one of their number and of course that wasn't terribly helpful to performing on their instruments.
It's actually Dupuytren's Contracture and although you seem sanguine about it you really need to get it sorted out.It will only get worse.90 degrees and more, until it claws and drags the ring finger down with it.
I have had this disease in both hands - surgery is the only cure.
I think I can say with some confidence that I have Norse in my DNA - although it is also a celtic trait to a lesser degree.
It makes a mess of your hands really, and they are never quite the same again, in my experience, and the longer you leave it the worse the after effects.
To paraphrase Hilaire Bellock:
"Always keep a hold of Norse
For fear of finding something Worse"
(Get that man off the stage....!!!!)
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