Where do I come from?
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26 August 2008
In Tolkien's The Hobbit Gimli proudly claims to be the son of Gloin and a descendent of Durin the Deathless, chief of the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves and ancestor to the Dwarven people. And from Lord of the Rings we know that Aragorn was the son of Arathorn and Gilraen, and named after his ancestor Aragorn I. Another ancestor was Elros Tar-Minyatur, Elrond's half-elf twin brother.
There are many examples of characters from fantasy stories taking great pride in their heritage and their ancestry, and when elves and dwarfs and other halfling type people are part of the fabric of society, the deep history of the race and the clan's connections with power are integral to the intricacies of the world.
Genealogy in the real world is big business, and is also a hugely engrossing hobby. Since taking it up I've had contact with previously unknown cousins from around the world, and on my partner's side, I've found a lineage that traces back to 1066, or thereabouts.
However, by the time you get back that far it becomes clear from simple mathematics that you have more potential ancestors than were alive at that time. And quite probably you have an ancestor in common with just about everybody you see on the bus in the morning.
It's at this point that individuals lose meaning, that is, what's so good about being related to William the Conqueror's mate when just about everybody else in the world is as well. So the inciting question question changes from Who am I related to? and becomes Where do I come from?
My research took me to The Genographic Project, which is a five-year research project that uses cutting-edge genetic and computational technologies to analyse DNA. Material is contributed by hundreds of thousands of volunteers from around the world. The Project scientists find certain markers on the Y chromosome or the in the mitochondrial DNA to chart new knowledge about the migratory history of the human species.
The website is a gem. Go to https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/ for one of the most interesting history lessons you'll ever get. Through this project (and a similar one by Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza – using genes and language) it becomes clear how inextricably linked is the whole human race.
To think that through all the wars and famines and plagues and social upheaval that has gone on over the last 60,000 years, a relative of mine lived and loved and said things to other people and then died. That is a powerful thought.
Aragorn may have had some top-notch ancestors and Gimli may well have been able to boast a few generations of kings, but they pale into insignificance next to my kin. My long-ago ancestors walked from Africa and through the length of Europe, and then about 20,000 years ago my (many times great) grandad ate mammoths and fought sabre-toothed tigers and walked from England to Spain and back to England again as glaciers from the ice age advanced and retreated.
Now that's impressive.
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