Genealogy… The Four Groups of Vikings. Don’t You Wish

My old encyclopedia says that the Scandinavian Sea rovers of the 700s can be placed into four groups. Don’t think that makes it any easier. They’ve already lost me when they say that the first two groups are the Swedes and Goths. When I hear Goth, I think Germanic, which is further south of Scandinavia. Don’t the scholars who write encyclopedia entries know that our brains spin with too much information? Now we’ve got to look up Goth. But before we go sideways on Goth, what are the other two groups of Viking/Northmen? The third group is the Danes from Jutland and Schleswig. The last group is the Norsemen from Norway. Norsemen means the same as Northmen and means men from the north. Ok, alright, we’re following along. But wait… the encyclopedia now says, “… both Danes and Norsemen were names sometimes applied to the whole.”

There you go. They’ve given us an out. We can correctly refer to our Scandinavian-Viking-Swede-Goth-Norwegian ancestors as Danes. Or Norsemen. Thank you. I might just do that.

Suellen Ocean is the author of Secret Genealogy III – From Jewish Anglo-Saxon Tribes to New France Acadians. Available here:

Genealogy… Finding Our Viking Ancestry, the Northmen. Or is it Scandinavian?

If there’s anything that confuses and or trips us up in our genealogical research, labeling has got to be right up there in annoyance. If we can’t communicate with other genealogists about what group of ancestors we’re talking about, we’re failing to communicate at all. Sure, we may nod our head for fear of acknowledging our ignorance, then go home and google it. Don’t be shy, if someone uses a term that you’re unsure of, swallow your pride and ask for clarification. (And realize they may be using the wrong term.)

The term Scandinavian confuses me. I get mixed up. There’s Danish, Norwegian and Scandinavian. Who? What? And what about Finland? And Viking? What’s that exactly? And since we’re asking, what’s Anglo-Saxon? Sometimes our brain hurts trying to accurately piece together the trails of our ancestors. Good luck with those Vikings. They spread their DNA near and far. Viking invaders descended upon Europe. The Northmen, they called them. We have to include them among the populations of Ireland and Scotland. (Don’t forget Iceland. And Greenland. God forbid if you get them mixed up.) And don’t exclude the Russians. They’ve got a hearty infusion of Scandinavian blood, they’re so geographically close. And don’t forget about Lebanon, where the blue-eyed men of the sea took their longboats into the Middle East, eons ago. If it’s at this point, you throw your hands up and surrender, I don’t blame you. Didn’t anybody sit still?

Suellen Ocean is the author of Secret Genealogy III – From Jewish Anglo-Saxon Tribes to New France Acadians. Available here:

Genealogy… Americans With English Ancestry… It’s Not that Simple

Some people think that having English ancestry is simple. Their ancestors were English… end of subject. Not quite. England was settled by people coming from many different regions. About 5,500 years ago, the first farmers went to England by boat from the main European continent. These early European farmers brought wheat, flax, barley, and the typical farm animals you see today, goats, pigs, sheep and cattle. Evolved from hunter-gatherers, these new farmers brought pastoral living to Britain. Because they no longer wandered in search of food, they developed communities and began the evolution toward making metal tools. First of copper, later bronze and eventually iron. Today, as more people have DNA testing, they are discovering the origins of these ancient English ancestors.

Suellen Ocean is the author of Secret Genealogy III – From Jewish Anglo-Saxon Tribes to New France Acadians. Available here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/148407579X

Finding The Bridge Between Anglo-Saxon Names and Ancient Jewish Ancestry

The surname “Roten” may have originally been Jewish. If the name originated from the old Sephardic name “Rotin,” it was eventually Anglicized to Wroughton, Wroten, etc. Many African Americans bear the Wroten name and are searching for their ancestral roots. Wroten/Roten family lines have left records of having household and agricultural slaves, perhaps just a few but enough to have left a legacy within the African American community. The pattern, in which they kept housekeeping slaves, resembles that of ancient European Sephardic Jews (Spain, Portugal, England).

Suellen Ocean is the author of Secret Genealogy III – From Jewish Anglo-Saxon Tribes to New France Acadians. Available here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/148407579X

Every Ethnic Group Has Another Group Who Hates Them

Everyone belongs to a variety of “groups.” Whether it be the color of your skin group, the territory group (where your people hail from) what clothes you wear or what music you choose to listen to and especially what your spiritual beliefs are. We are all in a group (or groups) and moving in between groups. Some groups we choose, others we were born into. I say we make the best of the groups we are subjected and elected to partake in. Our eyes will see the world as a more beautiful place when we accept other’s groups.

Suellen Ocean is the author of Secret Genealogy II – Uncovering the Jewish Roots of Our Christian Ancestors. Available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Genealogy-II-Christian-Ancestors/dp/1484053222