Just call me a Viking...

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Written by Rio Denali

My father raised me to be proud of my German heritage.  Like many Americans, our family did not have extensive detailed genealogical information (until recently), and my father had always believed his side of the family to be almost completely German.  He knew his grandfather had immigrated through Ellis Island from Germany in the early 1900's, and he had always assumed that the rest of the family was fully German as well.


When I moved to Germany, I expected to see people who looked exactly like me.  I had a German last name and growing up in Ohio, I had always been told--repeatedly been told--that I looked German.  But, it turns out that the American stereotype of Germans is wrong; they are not a homogeneous race of tall, muscular people with blue-eyes and blond hair. 


A few months after arriving in Germany, while sharing a bottle of wine with some new German friends, the topic came up.  When I mentioned being told I looked German while growing up, they all started laughing.  Honestly I felt a little offended.  I had always been taught to be proud of my German heritage, and here were Germans laughing at the idea of me being one of them.  To them, the idea that anyone would think I was German was hilarious.  They all agreed--I looked Swedish.  I explained that I didn't have a drop of Swedish blood, but it did little to convince them.  They all swore I was a Swede, NOT a German.


A decade later when I researched my genealogy in depth, I was surprised to find they were right.  Although I do have some family from Germany (the great-grandfather I mentioned earlier)... much of my lineage comes from the Vikings who settled in Sweden, Norway, and The Netherlands. 


PhotobucketMy ancestors were the fierce, nomadic warriors who conquered and populated much of northern Europe.  Depending on which generation you look at, they inhabited much of the region; from Iceland to as far east as the Ukraine, conquering into parts of modern-day Germany, and taking the Normandy region of France by force.  (Normandy was so named because of the "North Men" who had invaded/conquered the region.)


As was common in the day, my Viking ancestors inter-married into the royalty of these new territories (usually by force), and thus my family line merges into the royal lines of Europe.  As royalty intermarried within themselves to keep all marriages of royal blood, my bloodline traces back to the palaces of almost every European country. (Arranged marriages were the norm, children were promised in marriage as peace offerings between kingdoms.)  Once I found a link into recorded history, it was easy to trace my ancestry.  Royal family records are highly detailed, and most survive to this day. 


I was amazed to find that if I followed the family tree back far enough, my ancestors came from almost every country in Europe.  Instead of being just German... I could claim heritage from at least 18 European nations.  The majority of my family was from northern Europe, but there was also a princess from Barcelona, several princes from Italy.  While living in Europe I visited the Castle of Salzburg, Austria--imagine my surprise when I learned that my ancestors used to live in that same castle.  My family line even directly ties to the British monarchies of both former years and of today.  Going back a bit further, Charlemagne makes his appearance several times in my family tree due to intermarriage, and I can trace the family all the way to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey)....something I had never imagined possible.

I also found it interesting that along the way many of my female ancestors were listed only as "Concubine" to the King.  Infidelity was expected and the children from those liaisons were often recognized by the royal fathers.


PhotobucketGenetics is a funny thing.... Sometimes one set of genes stands out more than the others.  Out of my parents and grandparents--I most resemble my father's mother, the woman who brings the Viking bloodline to my family tree.  Recently I came across this photo of Anita Ekberg, a Swedish actress and I was stunned.  She could be my sister.  It is funny how right those German friends were:  apparently I look Swedish after all.




Interested in tracing your family tree too?


FamilySearch.org  is a great place to get started, with an ever-expanding list of records from around the world.  All searches are free.


RootsWeb.com and Ancestory.com are two more great resources.


Cyndi's List contains a list of genealogy sites, broken down by region.


And, don't forget the value of Google.  From finding information about historical figures, to finding genealogy resources, through Google the world is at your fingertips.  Good luck!

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This article was originally featured on RioDancesOnTheSand.com, a blog for the thinking person... Written by Rio Denali, a 30-something with peculiar curiosities, who makes the observations that many of us avoid. Full of useful links and entertaining articles, it is a fun favorite for the intelligent reader. For more great articles like this, please visit RioDancesOnTheSand.com.