I have ancestors, the vast majority who lived in west yorkshire back to the 1600's at least. How likely is it

Question

that I have viking blood in me?

Did they marry or rape the anglo saxons. I know york was their capital but did they invade as far down as Bradford and Dewsbury?

I know 1600's is long after the vikings pillaged, but if i've found yorkshire ancestors back to the 1600's there is a fair chance that they always lived in yorkshire back to those days

Answer 1

Fairly likely, I would say. They both married AND raped the saxons and many settled and moved south. It's pretty likely, if you're from the North East of England, you have some Viking blood.

Answer 2

Going by my own genealogy, I would say very highly likely. By paper, I can trace my ancestry to all of the British Isles: the Isle of Mann, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden...and all over Europe. Some of my ancestors also came from Yorkshire, making it even more likely than not that yours includes some Vikings.
Get a good history book: it has been centuries since the king (or queen) of England has been English, about the time of Robin Hood. (The current lineage is descended from Owain, a Welshman.) Anyway, as the different peoples invaded, retreated, etc., the current population moved out of the way, then back, and so forth, sorta like the tide moving in and out. Along the way, peoples intermingled more and more. Most marriages were arranged marriages, so not that much difference from rape anyway.
To clinch it, use DNA testing. I used www.familtytreedna.com, which confirmed what my paper trail reveals.
Remember, it was not just Saxons, but also Jutes, Anglos (after which England is named) and Celts, just to name the main groups.
Also, don't forget William the Conquerer who invaded from Normandy in 1066...

Answer 3

No - 1600 is yonks after the Vikings pillaged - I'm not sure they actually reached over the Pennines. But there are people still living in all parts of Britain who are descendents of the ancient dwellers. They have discovered a local man with the same DNA as some ancient bones they found in Cheddar Gorge. Lots of people never move more than 10 miles from their birthplace. It would be interesting to go back to the last place your people lived to see if there's anyone still around with a face you recognise?

Answer 4

The Norsemen and the Danes have at times colonised the whole of Great Britain. King Canute was a Dane. The Normans who conquered in 1066 were French spreaking Norsemen. The English are a mongrel nation. The chances are you have Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Danish blood - and that's not counting your granny from Lithuania.

Answer 5

Math: lets say that the average generation is 23 years.

2007 - 1607 = 400

400 divided by 23 = 17

everyone has two parents. 2 to the power of 17 = 32,768

Means a high probability of many things.

Answer 6

A lot would depend on your family name. I know that there are Hundreds of Greenwood's in the West Riding I have got lost in trying to trace my wife's family.

Answer 7

it's an absolute certainty that you have norse or viking blood in your family lineage!!!the angles,the saxons,and the jutes preceeded the danes,vikings,and normans of the conquest of 1066!!hengist and horsa were two germanic warrior princes of great reknown in battle they were asked in petition to come rule over britain and settle all of the brigandage,and local tribal disputes between tribes and landholders that were rife during a particularly unruly period of it's history....and many of their kin and relatives followed as news of britains fecundity and fertility reached their rock strewn homelands!!all major british cities were either roman fortress sites,norse castle communities or crossroads townships with protected grain storage and redistribution facilities...this meant armored cavalry and knightly classes of norse or germanic descent!!ports were also based on trade and fishing ..with salted,smoked ,pickled and preserved fish being a norse reliance and specialty!!trade also need to be protected by sea as well as by land and the viking's ships were very capable in their many sizes and types of providing for trade as well as convoy and fleet protection against all intruders to their newly adopted lands in england!!the longer growing seasons and more temperate climates of england were also very sought after as well as the obviously more fertile and optimal soil types!!horses also bred for better characteristic than in norse lands....limestone giving better cannon bones and longer legs...a boon to horse mounted troops!!york was a definitely norse settlement from very early times as it was relatively close to the seas of two separate coasts from which the vikings or sea raiders could either attack or flee as required to or from the safety of the sea!!!romans had already provided defensible walls from which to rule the countryside and it's grain production and fish catches!!

Answer 8

not to worry. If you pull off a 'viking' stunt you'll be labeled bi polar, not viking