I use the term Scotch-Irish, which requires some explanation, judging from the nearly hysterical emails I receive from time to time. Many people erroneously believe that the term means something along the lines of “mixed Scottish and Irish.” Not so. The Scotch-Irish were Scots who lived in Ireland. The term is similar to other ethnic…
Origin of Henry Luce
The English Origin of Henry Luce by Justin Swanström Copyright 1989, 2006 Henry (1) Luce was an early Massachusetts immigrant and progenitor of a large family on Martha’s Vineyard. His origin is unknown, but it has been suggested that he might have come from Horton in Gloucester. I believe there is some reason to believe…
Viking History
DNA test puts Viking experts on horns of a dilemma Physorg.com, Aug. 31, 2005 For more than 500 years, historians have believed that the last Viking king, Sven Estridsen, was laid to rest with his mother, Estrid, after his death in 1074. The funereal tribute was appropriate, given that Sven carried his mother’s name in…
New Indians
There’s this thing going on. Whites turning into Indians, at least in part. Lots of hand wringing from purists, but it’s not actually clear how this will turn out. “Ethnicity is a tricky thing because it is commonly understood as something fixed and essential rather than what it more likely is: an unarticulated negotiation between…
Old Version of Lore
Every now and then I come across one of the more obscure texts, something a bit more varied than the standard fare of heathen history. Today, I was reading through some of the articles about the y-DNA tests that recently proved a common origin for the MacDonalds, MacDougals and related clans. I was particularly interested…