Month: January 2000

Haplogroup R

Haplogroup R

by Justin Durand

Haplogroup R1a

This lineage is believed to have originated in the Eurasian steppes north of the Black and Caspian Seas, perhaps in a population of the Kurgan culture. The Kurgans were known for the domestication of the horse (approximately 3000 BCE). They are believed to have been the first speakers of an Indo-European language. This lineage is currently found in central and western Asia, in India, and in the Slavic populations of eastern Europe.

Brian Sykes used the name Sigurd to represent the founder of Haplogroup R1a (Saxons, Vikings, and Celts, 2006). Sigurd is a legendary Scandinavian hero. Stephen Oppenheimer used the name Rostov (The Origins of the British, 2006).

Somerled, who defeated the vikings and established a kingdom in the Hebrides, was a member of this haplogroup.

Haplogroup R1b

This lineage is the most common haplogroup in European populations. It is found in about 90% of Basques, 80% of Irish and Welsh, 70% of Scots, 60% of English, 50% of French, 50% of Germans, but only 25% of Norwegians and 1% of Syrians. It is believed to represent the main pre-Ice Age population of western Europe, which expanded throughout Europe as humans re-colonized after the last Ice Age 10-12,000 years ago.

Brian Sykes used the name Oisin to represent the founder of Haplogroup R1b (Saxons, Vikings, and Celts, 2006). Oisin is a legendary Irish hero. Stephen Oppenheimer used the name Ruisco (The Origins of the British, 2006).

Studies on Scottish and Irish families have shown that Colla Uais and Niall of the Nine Hostages, the putative ancestors of many clans and septs, were probably members of this haplogroup.

The French Haurys belong to Haplogroup R1b1b2* (R-M269), the most common subgroup in western Europe. Further testing would refine this result.

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Famous Studies

Famous Studies

by Justin Durand

There have been many studies using yDNA analysis to answer historical questions. Here are a three of the most famous.

Sykes Study

Dr. Bryan Sykes, a geneticist at Oxford University tested men all over England who have the surname Sykes and variants. Genealogists had theorized that the surname Sykes was used by dozens of unrelated families. However, the study showed that about 50% of the Sykes men tested had the same y chromosome. Assuming an infidelity and adoption rate of about 2% or 3% per generation since the Middle Ages, this is about the percentage of modern Sykes men who should have the Sykes y chromosome if there is only one Sykes family. So, instead of showing that there are dozens of different Sykes families in England, the study seems to show that there is only one Sykes family — but not everyone who belongs to the family is biologically descended in the male line from the first Sykes.

Jefferson-Hemings Study

The descendants of Sally Hemings have an old tradition that Thomas Jefferson was the father of her children. In 1998 Eugene Foster undertook to test the tradition using yDNA analysis. He compared samples from male-line descendants of Sally Hemings’ son Eston Hemings with samples from male-line descendants of Thomas Jefferson’s uncle Field Jefferson. The test results proved that Eston Hemings’ father was a Jefferson, but the test cannot show whether Eston’s father was Thomas Jefferson himself. Most historians now accept that Thomas Jefferson was the father of Eston Hemings, and that Jefferson was probably the father of all six of Sally Hemings’ children. The Jefferson family belongs to Haplogroup T* (fomerly K2). See Wikipedia, Jefferson DNA Data.

Cohen Study

Michael Hammer, a geneticist at the University of Arizona tested a large number of Jewish men who have the surname Cohen or who have a family tradition that they are cohanim. Jews believe that the surname Cohen indicates that a man is a cohen (priest), descended in the male line from Aaron, the brother of Moses. A high percentage of the test subjects share the same y chromosome and apparently have a common origin in the Middle East. Researchers suggest that these men descend in the male line from the Biblical Aaron, confirming tradition. Critics point out that a single prolific Rabbi living 1,000 years ago could account for the matches. The Cohen lineage belongs to Haplogroup J2. See Wikipedia, Y-Chromosomal Aaron.

The only sonnet I know by heart

The only sonnet I know by heart

by Justin Durand
sonnet-146

Poor soul, the centre of my sinful earth,
Foul’d by these rebel powers that thee array,
Why dost thou pine within and suffer dearth,
Painting thy outward walls so costly gay?

Why so large cost, having so short a lease,
Dost thou upon thy fading mansion spend?
Shall worms, inheritors of this excess,
Eat up thy charge? Is this thy body’s end?

Then soul, live thou upon thy servant’s loss,
And let that pine to aggravate thy store;
Buy terms divine in selling hours of dross;
Within be fed, without be rich no more:

So shalt thou feed on Death, that feeds on men,
And Death once dead, there’s no more dying then.”

— William Shakespeare (1564-1616), Sonnet 146

Slavic Lore

Slavic Lore

by Justin Durand

In a Sclavonian legend, a youth was reposing in a forest. The wind sighed through the trees, filling him with a tender melancholy which could find no expression in words. Presently there fluttered through the branches a snowy swan, which alighted on his breast. The youth clasped the beautiful bird to his heart, and resisted all its struggles to escape. Then the swan changed into a beautiful girl, who forthwith accompanied him to church, where they were united. (Sabine Baring-Gould, Curious Myths of the Middle Ages (1866-1868))

Hauri Families in Bern

Hauri Families in Bern

by Justin Durand

A Conrad Hauri (Chuondradus dictus Hovri) was mentioned on 8 February 1282 as owing 9 shillings annually for his land at Steffisburg, when Werner von Steffisburg leased certain lands to Kloster Interlaken. The dues he owed for his lands are in line with amounts throughout the region for larger peasant holdings and there is nothing to indicate that these lands were anything else.

Conrad Hauri (Conrad dictus Hovri) was mentioned again on 29 March 1308 when Werner von Matten bequeathed lands, including Conrad’s holdings, to Kloster Interlaken. In the same document Werner von Matten bequeathed other lands, which belonged half to the Hauri farmstead, to his daughter Adelheid, wife of Peter von Wichtrach. It should be noted that different lands seem to be involved in these documents, and that Conrad seems to have held lands simultaneously from the von Steffisburg and von Matten families.

A Nicholas Hauri (Nicholaus Hovri) was mentioned in a 19 January 1303 charter as owing 8 shillings annually for his farmstead at Steffisburg, when Walter ab der Matten renounced any claims he might have to lands given by his father to Kloster Interlaken. Conrad and Nicholas Hauri might have been brothers, because both were living at the same time and holding lands in the same area.

An Ulrich Hauri (Uolriens Hoori) was mentioned 24 July 1310 at Jegenstorf as living near two farmsteads sold by Squire Bleiso (Junker Bleiso) to Peter von Krauchtal, a burgher of Berne. In 1323 and 1336 Hauri’s property (Hauris Gut) was mentioned in the same area. This Ulrich might have been the son of Nicholas and nephew of Conrad Hauri. He might have been the Hauri (Hörinus) named in 1313 and 1324 at Beromünster.

The earliest Hauris, then, are Conrad (living 1282-1308), Nicholas (living 1303) and Ulrich (living 1310-1324). There is nothing to prove their relationship to one another, although they were living in the same area and were very likely close relatives.

The surnames Haari, Hari, Harri, Hauri and Houri were recorded in a 1798 census of Berne that included all men between the ages of 20 and 70 [Men of Bern: The 1798 Bürgerverzeichnisse of Canton Bern, Switzerland].