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From: "Mark MacDonald" <>
Subject: RE: [DNA] DNA shows Celtic hero Somerled's Viking roots
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 15:46:32 -0500
In-Reply-To: <246baaff05042610122e1a9f18@mail.gmail.com>


Yes Sykes independently confirmed the findings of the clan Donald project
that Somerled was Norwegian in his paternal line's origins. Sykes must have
a press agent in addition to his Oxford position to continue to have new
articles based upon three year old findings using 10 markers.

As National Historian for Clan Donald USA as well as the originator of our
genetic project, I was fascinated by our genetic answer. It was anticipated
by both our National Genealogist, as well as me. We were a sea kingdom
using high prowed clinker built birlinns which were virtually
indistinquishable from Viking dragon boats except for the technological
innovation of the rudder instead of the Viking steerbord. We used battle
axes, chain link body armor and iron helms after the norse manner and thus
were regularly employed as mercenary heavy infantry in the many irish wars
from 1315 through 1600. We quarter the black galley in our heraldry and the
Glengarry Macdonnells use the raven as their principal symbol: all of these
were norse. We backed King Hacon of Norway in his 1266 invasion of western
Scotland. Somerled himself fought against the forces of Malcolm IV. Before
1266 we held our mainland lands theoretically through the king of Scotland
and our island holdings from the Norwegian king. Functionally we held them
by swordright and by our ships.

On the other hand we were recognized leaders of the western gael with our
14th century historians emphasizing his noble lineage from Colla Uais,Conn
of the Hundred Battles and the dalriadic royal house. There appears to be
little question that Somerled was descended from Colla, just not in the pure
paternal line. Lineage was so important in that society that it is highly
unlikely that he would have been sought out as a leader without those
qualifiers. Norse regularly intermarried with high status gealic women and
integrated into gaelic clan patterns. Look at Rollo and the Bruces for
excellent examples.

An ancestor either married into a celtic noble house, there was an adoption
either by a grandfather raising his daughter's child or where a wife brought
a husband to a second husband. On the other hand he was born around the
period of the invasions by Magnus Barelegs, King of Norway. His father
Gillebride had been defeated by the Norwegian navy and was conducting his
resistance from a cave. Nasty things can happen in war.

We are seeing some indication that there are Somerled line cousins among the
MacInnes of Argyll which was believed to be the first clan to follow him
when their chief was killed and who claim to be sons of Gillebride. That
deceased chief could have been his brother. We are also finding Somerled
cousin markers among the MacNeills of Barra which would also point to a
generation earlier than Gillebride for the crossover. There has been some
suggestion from Orkneyinga saga references that in 1014 his grandfather
Gilledamnan was a tax collector in the sothern Hebrides for Sigurd the
Stout, jarl of Orkney, when Sigurd invaded Ireland against Brian Boru. If so
that would imply norse descent before 1014 even though it is hard to find a
more Christian name than Gilledamnan or Gillebride.

We continue to search; it is too early to reach any conclusions.

Mark MacDonald

-----Original Message-----
From: Havelock Vetinari [mailto:]
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2005 12:13 PM
To:
Subject: [DNA] DNA shows Celtic hero Somerled's Viking roots

http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=442642005

IAN JOHNSTON

SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT

A HISTORIC Celtic hero credited with driving the Vikings out of
western Scotland was actually descended from a Norseman, according to
research by a leading DNA expert.

According to traditional genealogies, Somerled, who is said to have
died in 1164 after ousting the Vikings from Argyll, Kintyre and the
Western Isles, was descended from an ancient royal line going back to
when the Scots were living in Ireland.

But Bryan Sykes, an Oxford University professor of human genetics who
set up a company called Oxford Ancestors to research people's DNA
past, has discovered that Somerled's Y-chromosome - which is inherited
through the male line - is of Norse origin.

Prof Sykes' studies of three Scottish clans have also led to the
conclusion that some 500,000 people alive today are descended from
Somerled - a number only bettered by Genghis Khan, who, among
historical figures studied to date, has an estimated 16 million living
descendants.

The MacDonald, MacDougall and MacAllister clans all claim descent from
Somerled and Prof Sykes found that between 25 and 45 per cent of them
shared the same Y-chromosome, of a kind normally found in Norway but
rare in Scotland and Ireland.

By analysing the rate of mutation in DNA samples from clan members,
Prof Sykes was able to show that the Y-chromosome came from a common
ancestor who lived roughly 1,000 years ago.

He then tested five chiefs from the clans and discovered they all
shared the same chromosome, which convinced him that the common
ancestor must be Somerled, Lord of the Isles, in keeping with clan
histories.

However, the analysis threw into doubt Somerled's own origins. Prof
Sykes told The Scotsman: "In the traditional genealogy, Somerled is a
great Celtic hero who drives the Norse from Scotland, but his Y-
chromosome is definitely Norse. The genealogies trace him back to a
long line of Irish kings. But that's not what the Y-chromosome says.

"He is certainly of Norse Viking paternal origin."

It is open to question whether Somerled, who made driving the Vikings
from western Scotland his "cause célèbre", would have known the truth.

But Prof Sykes said: "I think it is something you would want to keep quiet."


The fact that clan chiefs still share the same basic Y-chromosome
after some 87 generations shows that high-status women in the
MacDonald, MacDougall and MacAllister clans were extremely faithful.

However, the large number of people alive today with the same
Y-chromosome means the men in the family did not share this virtue to
the same extent.

Maggie Macdonald, archivist of the Museum of the Isles on Skye, said
Somerled was traditionally viewed as a Celtic hero.

But she added: "Maybe at that time it was more important who it was
said you were descended from than who you were actually descended
from.

"People may well have known his great-great-grandfather was a Viking.

"But it could have been that his great-great-grandmother had relations
with someone who wasn't her husband - it could be Somerled wouldn't
have known and thought he was this great Celtic hero."


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