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Silly Genealogy
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Richard Jernigan
Posts: 3433
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
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 Silly Genealogy
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In the Andalusian Guitar thread, to yank my chain, Estebanana asked me which of the following I was related to: Henry II of England, Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, notoriously murdered during Henry's reign; Henry VIII of England, his first wife Catherine of Aragon, and Thomas More, once Henry VIII's chief minister, who was tried for treason and executed after opposing the king's divorce from Catherine.
This got me thinking about the general silliness of extended genealogies.
According to English public records, my ancestor (on paper at least) Jernegan FitzHugh married a daughter of William de Huntingfield, one of the barons who signed Magna Carta in 1215. This document set out the rights of the English barons, as against King John. Huntingfield's wife was a French countess. Published genealogies show her descent from Charlemagne, the first to rule an extensive European empire after the collapse of Rome. This makes me the descendant of Charlemagne's grandfather, Charles Martel, born in 688. Martel repelled the Islamic advance into Europe at the battle of Tours, certainly a turning point in history. Wikipedia says Martel is considered the "founding figure of the Middle Ages." Pretty hot stuff, eh?
A moment's googling reveals that at least Henry II and Catherine of Aragon were descendants of Charlemagne. It would surprise me if Henry VIII were not. So the answer to Estebanana's question is that I am "related" to at least two of the above notables.
But look how silly this is. If you do the math, Charlemagne's personal contribution to my genome is far less than the anonymous Neanderthals, who according to recent research, contributed 2.5% of the average European's genetic makeup.
People who pride themselves on a very long genealogy are just being goofy. If you think about it, as your pedigree goes back further and further, it gets less and less important.
I think it was Addison who wrote in "The Spectator," lampooning some 18th-century English toff, "He boasted such a lengthened succession of distinguished forebears, that they trod the Earth well before the appearance of the First Man."
RNJ
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Jul. 20 2013 1:48:14
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BarkellWH
Posts: 3460
Joined: Jul. 12 2009
From: Washington, DC
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RE: Silly Genealogy (in reply to Richard Jernigan)
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quote:
This got me thinking about the general silliness of extended genealogies.
According to English public records, my ancestor (on paper at least) Jernegan FitzHugh married a daughter of William de Huntingfield, one of the barons who signed Magna Carta in 1215. This document set out the rights of the English barons, as against King John. Huntingfield's wife was a French countess. Published genealogies show her descent from Charlemagne, the first to rule an extensive European empire after the collapse of Rome. This makes me the descendant of Charlemagne's grandfather, Charles Martel, born in 688. Martel repelled the Islamic advance into Europe at the battle of Tours, certainly a turning point in history. Wikipedia says Martel is considered the "founding figure of the Middle Ages." Pretty hot stuff, eh?
Very clever maneuver, Richard, using the subterfuge of "the silliness of extended genealogy" as a means to convey to the readership your royal and aristocratic European lineage!
(Just yanking your chain, my friend.)
Cheers,
Bill
_____________________________
And the end of the fight is a tombstone white,
With the name of the late deceased,
And the epitaph drear, "A fool lies here,
Who tried to hustle the East."
--Rudyard Kipling
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Jul. 20 2013 10:05:03
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estebanana
Posts: 9372
Joined: Oct. 16 2009
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RE: Silly Genealogy (in reply to Richard Jernigan)
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Japanese geneology is important, they keep long lines of ancestors. Being an island nation, like Britain, they have a more selective, or smaller gene pool, but not as much mixing with the continental families as in English history. They are still quite tied to lineage i daily life; As Yuko's dad goes about town with us and meets someone who lives in this small city, but whom he has never met they often comment on his name. Fumoto, which means "the hood of the mountain" as in the snow line of a great mountain such as Fuijsan. The person Yoshimori meets will reflect for few seconds and say Fumoto is an uncommon name, which it is, and then say "Hmm, Fumoto is an old samurai name in Southern Kyushu." and everyone one nods in agreement as if some important fact has been dispensed. It's still something people take note of if you have a remote connection to the samurai periods.
On another note which this subject reminds me of, when I hear people talk about being reincarnated, I marvel that they so frequently lay claims to the reincarnated soul of a famous person. Of the names I have heard in the more than once category there are: The Queen of Sheba, Cleopatra, Napoleon, various pharaohs notably Ramses and Tut, but often Nefertiti and one guy who told me several time he was John "Kew" Dodd the English bow maker. ( John Dodd drank a drink called "pearl" evidently it was comprised of gin and milk, just thought i would throw that in.)
Does anyone ever claim to be the reincarnation of some poor schlub who was in a caste in India that cleaned latrines? Not usually. It leaves me asking the question, how many souls did Napoleon actually have? If you know the Harry Potter books you may know it is possible, in Potterland at least, to split a soul up into several parts and manifest them in different beings, sort of reincarnating them so one person lives in several other people, or snakes. So I'm wondering if these famous people who are reincarnated may in fact be merely related distantly to Nefertiti and perhaps not be Nefertiti herself?
Richards thoughtful and engaging examination of silly geneology may in fact have cracked open this reincarnation hoax. The next person you meet who claims to be the walking talking embodiment of Ramses I, may have been in reality a simple chamber server maid, or a beer swilling pyramid building oaf. I think we can safely close up those family registry tomes that the fancy pants East Coast Blue Blood families leave lying about on side tables in alabaster swaddled entry halls. We know now that at least 2.5% of that blue blood in those veins is of Neanderthaler origin and some unknown percentage is a blend of reincarnate social climbing blood, Egyptian no less.
The real problems arise when you have to authenticate all the bows made by John "Kew" Dodd and his incarnations. It's like what they said of Camille Corot the painter, who reportedly made some 3000 paintings in his life, 5000 of which are on view in museums around the world.
_____________________________
https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Jul. 20 2013 12:20:40
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