Celtic vs Saxon DNA

[I, Brian]

I think I mentioned elsewhere that I firmly believe that the genetic strength of our species depends on all our ethnic gene pools intermixing.

As for the temper - ay-yah-yah - that's the Iberian blood.

[MatTheCat]

How about this as a theory regarding the Saxon Vs Celt issue. When the Angles and Saxons came to Britain, Only the ruling elite of Celtic Britons fled when their forces were overpowered by the sheer weight of numbers of the Anglo-Saxon migrants. I think that historical records kept by educated/literate Celts of the time such as the monk Gilda's, which allude to a wholesale genocide commited on the Britons by the Saxons are heavily biased and based on a microscopic 'self-centred' experience of the Anglo-Saxon invasion/migration. Like any invading force, the Saxons would have made it their aim to displace the existing power structures, i.e. the ruling Briton families could either submit to Saxon rule (not likely) or fight or flee the land. There are also records that have been kept that show that Celtic and Germanic noble families intermarried with one another even during times of conflict just as noble families from rival countries at war with one another have intermarried in more recent history. But as for the common people constituting the mass of the Celtic genepool, the Saxons may have even been doing them a favour by whacking their old slave masters, and besides, there is an important technological factor which meant that both these peoples distinct in culture and custom from one another could have lived peacefully side by side without any huge reason for conflict after the Anglo-Saxons had established themselves as Masters of the area. Due to the Celtic agricultural technology, they were only capable of farming land with a relatively thin soil, i.e. they only farmed land on the top of hills. Whilst the Saxons had deep horse drawn ploughs which meant they could farm the more fertile 'thicker' soils of Lowland areas. The Anglo-Saxons lived and worked the Lowlands whilst the Celts lived and worked the Highlands. The fact that for a long time the Saxons would have viewed the Celts as second rate people is merely a social symptom that goes hand in hand with one culture invading and dominating another. But my point is, the most part of the Celtic genepool remained very much intact in the country.......as of course genetic research has shown!

[I, Brian]

Thanks for that, MatTheCat - and I especially liked the point about the intermarriage - there have apparently been close relations between Britain and Northern Europe throughout pre-recorded history.

And when we do get into literary history - ie, the Roman invasion period, we encounter complaints that Britain was serving as a base to help the Germanic tribes the Romans were fighting.

Also I live in East Yorkshire, which was settled by the Parisi before Roman occupation - and, by their achaeological remains, were far more culturally connected with northern Europe than the rest of Britain even.

[Quahom1]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

Thanks for that, MatTheCat - and I especially liked the point about the intermarriage - there have apparently been close relations between Britain and Northern Europe throughout pre-recorded history.

And when we do get into literary history - ie, the Roman invasion period, we encounter complaints that Britain was serving as a base to help the Germanic tribes the Romans were fighting.

Also I live in East Yorkshire, which was settled by the Parisi before Roman occupation - and, by their achaeological remains, were far more culturally connected with northern Europe than the rest of Britain even.

Two good references to back Mat are "How the Irish Saved the World" and "Church History in Plain Language" by Bruce L. Shelley.

v/r

Q