Mt Hekla in Iceland known as the Gateway to Hell
My paternal grandmother belongs to J1b1a1 mt-dna. An ancient dna sample that has this haplogroup has been found in a cemetery in Iceland with which I match according to MyTrueAncestry.com. A study entitled "Sequences From First Settlers Reveal Rapid Evolution in Icelandic mtDNA Pool" states:
Ancient DNA studies have great potential to shed light on the evolution of populations because they provide the opportunity to sample from the same population at different points in time. However, ancient DNA studies are often based on DNA extracted from only one or a few individuals and, therefore, do not lend themselves to statistical inference. Here, we describe the analysis of a sample of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences from 68 Icelandic skeletal remains that are about 1,000 years old, from the time that Iceland was first settled. We show that the ancient Icelandic mtDNA sequences are more closely related to sequences from contemporary inhabitants of Scotland, Ireland, and Scandinavia (and several other European populations) than to those from the modern Icelandic population. It appears that the array of sequences carried by the first generations of Icelanders was better preserved in the gene pools of their ancestors than among their modern descendants because of a faster rate of evolution due to genetic drift in the Icelandic mtDNA pool during the last 1,100 years. These results demonstrate the inferential power that can be gained from studies by applying the methods of population genetics to samples of ancient DNA sequences.Thus, this study reveals that the mutation rate of mt-dna is not constant throughout history or locations. My sample is called TSK-A26 or ÞSK-A26 which is J1b1a1b.
In addition, one tooth each was sampled from four skeletal remains classed as Christian or unknown. Two of these remains (ÞSK-A1 and ÞSK-A26) were from the same cemetery at Skeljastaðir that is known to have been abandoned in the wake of a volcanic eruption of Mount Hekla in 1104. The remains from this cemetery therefore date from the first years of Christianity in Iceland, with one radiocarbon date from the late 10th or early 11th centuries.
Therefore either an ancestor or a relative of my ancestor was in Iceland in the 11-12th centuries. It would seem the MyTrue Ancestry.com date of 1150 is wrong. If the volcano erupted in 1104 this would be the latest possible date for the death of this person. Maybe 1050 AD would be a better estimate. This sample was also of R1a1 y-dna. It is possible that it was a Jewish Khazar or Rhadanite merchant who had traveled to Iceland from Scotland or the Low Lands of Europe and set up business there. The Khazar's arrived in Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia about 969 AD.
There is a good possibility that it is the remains of Rabbi Samuel ha Kohen (b.1030) who was a rabbi and a merchant whose father Rabbi Judah of Dampierre (also known as Eudes de Dampierre) was a descendant of the Khazar Jews of Flanders and his mother Sybille de Boulogne (the 3rd Dark Jewish Queen of Flanders) descended from the Rhadanite Jews. In fact the so-called pagan rulers of Iceland known as the Godi or Gothi (from the Hebrew Rosh Galuta) were Jewish who ruled over both the Jews and pagan Icelanders as they had in Scandinavia. Rabbi Samuel married Godrun Skeggisdottir (b.1042) the daughter of Skeggi Bjarnasson the 6th Godi or Rosh Galuta of Iceland in Reykjavik.
These early Jewish Scandinavians with their pagan allies settled in Reykjavik in Iceland under the leadership of a Davidic Rosh Galuta (head of the exile) called Ingolfr around 874. His name means a young (inger) wolf (ulfr). He was descended from the Jewish Wolf Kings of Septimania and was the son of King Bjorn (Bern or Bernard or Benjamin) Ironside (Barzillai) of Sweden. Bjorn or Bjarn is a contraction of Bern Jarn as jarn means iron in Norse and jarnsida means Ironside. These Davidic leaders had the status of a priest-king and Tzaddik. These were known as Nessim (plural of Nasi) among the Jews and their Davidic lineage had a mystique respected by Jews, Muslims, Christians and pagans in the Medieval period.
The earlier monks and Christians left Iceland or were driven out by these Judaeo-Pagan settlers. These families remained Jewish until the reintroduction of Christianity to Iceland in the 11th and12th centuries. Some of these families may have maintained a hidden Jewish identity or Judaeo-Christian identity until the 13th or 14th century. They are thus part of the history of crypto-Jewish phenomenon.
The latter Norse and Icelandic sagas reinterpreted the history to accord with a Christian version and a disguising of the Jewish elements as pagan. For example the great devotion of the early Icelandic people was not to the pagan God's Woden and Thor but to Adonai (Odin) and Torah (Tor or Toru). It would also seem that the gathering of the Atlthing (Davidic Sanhedrin or Parliament of 39 Godar) in 1000 AD and the decision by the Jewish Law Speaker (Rabbi) Torgeir Torkelsson (and himself of the Exilarch family and a Godi in the North of Iceland), was not the total victory of Christianity as later presented but more of an edict of tolerance that allowed people to be Christian, Jewish or pagan.
A number of the Godar including Torgeir may have become Christian in the following years. However it was only after 1050 that Christianity made more progress and two Bishoprics were established- one in the south (1056) and one in the north (1106). It wasn't until the time of St Thorlak in the late 12th century that Iceland was mostly Christianised and the Jewish origins began to be hidden in the pagan stories of the Eddas and Sagas at a time when anti-Jewishness was reaching its heights in the Medieval World.
Another of my Iceland matches is with one that MyTrueAncestry calls Gaelic Settler Viking Iceland. This one they date to the 10th century and is R1b L21 y-dna and J1c3g mt-dna. Eupedia states that J1c3g mt-dna is found in north western Europe and Russia. In another blog post I wrote:
J mt-dna branches off from JT in the 4th century BC (Alternative Chronology) in the family of Anna ha David of Babylon the wife of Tobias Prince of Naphtali. The original J1 Princesses of the Naphtali Tribe intermarried with the rulers of the Xiongnu. These J1c Princesses of Xiongnu spread the J1c mt-dna to other nations by royal marriages. Xiongnu who later were known as Cumans and Oghuz Turks were the blonde haired warrior horsemen of the Tribe of Manasseh of R1a Z93 y-dna. They also were the Mani or Manasseh Clan among the Khazars... It would seem that J1c spread rapidly among the lost 10 tribes in Exile in the middle East region and seems to quickly be established as a royal or noble maternal lineage that intermarried into many of the rulers and princes of the ten tribes. Sarah the wife of the younger Tobias or Tobit was a daughter of Miriam ha-David bat Raguel an older sister of young Tobias. Their daughter Rasua a Naphtali Princess [b.330 BC Alternative Chronology] married the Chanyu or King Fujulei of a Jewish branch of the Xiongnu Empire or Kingdom. This Jewish Ruler of a branch of the Xiongnu were known as Jodi-Chanyu. His brother Chupu-Noti was the Chanyu of the Tengri Xiongnu. J1b would descend from Rasua's daughter Princess Anna of the Jewish Xiongnu and J1c from Rasua's daughter Princess Sarah of the Jewish Xiongnu.
That I match with seven different ancient samples of ancient dna from Iceland I would say that I have ancestors who lived in Iceland not just relatives of my ancestors. My seven matches are with SSG-A2 (Gaelic Settler Viking Iceland); SSG-A4 (Viking Gaelic Mix Iceland); TSK-A26 (Viking Saxon Iceland); FSS-A1(Viking Gaelic Mix Iceland); VDP-A7 (Viking Gaelic Boat Burial Iceland); ORE-A1(Gaelic settler Viking Iceland) and GRS-A1(Saxon Settler Viking Iceland).
What is interesting that my double first cousin George's top Icelandic match is one I have not inherited KNS A1(Viking Norse Iceland). He also has inherited strands of dna from VDP A5 (Viking Boat Burial Iceland) his second top Icelandic match which I don't. He has also inherited more dna from TSK A26 (Viking Saxon Iceland) than me and also has SSG A2 (Gaelic Settler Viking Ireland) but has inherited a few less strands than me. He also has TGS A1 (Viking Norse Iceland) which I don't and SVK A1 (Viking Norse Iceland) and SSJ A2 (Viking Nose Iceland) which I also don't have. He also has KOV A2 (Late Medieval Icelandic Murder) which I am listed as related to but don't share the dna strands as George does. I am happy to have lost that bit of dna.
MyTrueAncestry.com at first dated KOV A2 to 1650 AD whose y-dna is R1b and his mt-dna is H1ab1 mt-dna, but they have now changed that to 1678 and they reveal his name was Sigurdur Arason. On my timeline I am listed as related to him at a genetic distance of 8.931 whereas George is listed as being a genetic distance of 7.265 and sharing dna at 2.6 Cm.
According to the MyTrueAncestry it would seem I am related to 11 of these Icelanders while sharing dna strands with 7. George is related to 11 of them too but has inherited strands from 8. Interestingly some of these are now listed as being related to the Norwegian Kings which fits with my research such as VDP A5 and KNS A1. However our grandfather Hillyer must have had at least 13 Icelandic genetic matches with 11 of them with dna strands from his 3x great grandmother. He may have had more which neither George or I inherited but some of our other siblings or cousins may have done.
All this may be true as it matches with genealogical research into our family. My mother's paternal great -great-grandfather Daniel Whittington of Sussex, who came and settled in Western Australia in 1830, had a Finnish born Grandmother called Susanna Margarethe Palander (1736-1774). Susanna had a maternal grandmother Anna Henriksdottir (1665-1711) who was born in Iceland and married a Finnish Lutheran priest or pastor Lars Johansson Frisius (1660-1732).
Rev. Lars Johansson Frisius of Finland (1660-1732)
Anna's father Henrik Jonsson was descended from the famous Icelandic Catholic Bishop Jon Arason (1484-1550) who had a mistress and a number of illegitimate children and died as a martyr for his Catholic Faith. Jon Arason was also a Catholic descendant of the earlier Jewish families of Godar (Rosh Galutot). The Bishop's son Magnus Jonsson (1505-1537) married Kristin Vigfudottir (1512-1550) a daughter the Icelandic Governor Vigfus Erlandsson (1466-1521). Their daughter Gudrun Magnusdottir (b.1530) was the great grandmother of Henrik Jonsson. Henrik's father-in-law Bjarni Jonsson (1600-1651) was also a direct male line descendant of the Bishop's son Bjorn Jonsson (1506-1550). So it would even seem that these now Lutheran families of Jewish origin were intermarrying with other families of this descent as the Marrano families of Spain and the crypto-Jewish families of England did.
It would seem by genealogical research that Sigurdur Arason the murderer through his paternal grandmother Godrun Magnusdottir may also descend from Bishop Jon Arason and his son Bjorn thus making him our 4th cousin 9x removed. How amazing that George and he still share some of the same dna strands. Through Sigurdur's paternal grandfather we are also related and have a common ancestor in the 14th century.
So my Finnish ancestress opened up for me and my family tree generations of Finnish and Icelandic forebears that I had once never known about. I am told by a Finnish friend that the surname Palander is actually Swedish so I expect that this also opens up many Swedish forebears. My at-dna tests hardly even hint at this ancestry it is only with the testing of ancient dna and comparing that with the at-dna that evidence has been found that confirms the paper tree.
Bishop Jon Arason of Iceland (1484-1550)
The Descent of my maternal grandfather from Bishop Jon Arason
Bishop Jón Árason of Iceland 1484-1550
13th great-grandfather
His mother was descended from Magnus IV King of Sweden and Norway through his son Eric XII King of Sweden. He was born at Grypta near Modruvellir and had his school at the Benedictine Abbey at Munkathera and ordained a priest by the Bishop of Hola in 1504. He was consecrated a Bishop of Holar by Olav Engelbrektsson the last Catholic Archbishop of Norway.
13th great-grandfather
His mother was descended from Magnus IV King of Sweden and Norway through his son Eric XII King of Sweden. He was born at Grypta near Modruvellir and had his school at the Benedictine Abbey at Munkathera and ordained a priest by the Bishop of Hola in 1504. He was consecrated a Bishop of Holar by Olav Engelbrektsson the last Catholic Archbishop of Norway.
/
Magnus Jónsson 1505-1534
He married the daughter of the Royal Governor of Iceland who came from the south coast of Iceland. He was born at Holar on the northern coast of Iceland and moved to Grenjadarstadur to live and there he died.
He married the daughter of the Royal Governor of Iceland who came from the south coast of Iceland. He was born at Holar on the northern coast of Iceland and moved to Grenjadarstadur to live and there he died.
/
Gudrun Magnusdottir 1530-1564
She was from Grenjadarstadur on the north coast but her husband was from the south coast of Iceland from Maelifell. She died at Blonduhlid to the west of Vidivellir.
/
She was from Grenjadarstadur on the north coast but her husband was from the south coast of Iceland from Maelifell. She died at Blonduhlid to the west of Vidivellir.
/
Bjorn Gunnarsson 1561-1602
He was born at Víðivellir near Akureyri on the Northern coast of Iceland but moved to Bustarfell Hof (Bustarfellsafleggjari)
near Vopnafjordur in the eastern part of Iceland.
He was born at Víðivellir near Akureyri on the Northern coast of Iceland but moved to Bustarfell Hof (Bustarfellsafleggjari)
near Vopnafjordur in the eastern part of Iceland.
/
Jon Bjornsson 1576-1657
He was born in Bustarfellsafleggjari in Eastern Iceland. He married Margret Bjarnadottir of Vopnafjörður which became a major trading port at this time in Eastern Iceland.
/
He was born in Bustarfellsafleggjari in Eastern Iceland. He married Margret Bjarnadottir of Vopnafjörður which became a major trading port at this time in Eastern Iceland.
/
Henrik Jonsson 1621-1657
He lived atSkriduklaustur in Iceland where there had been a Catholic monastery in the 16th century.
/
He lived atSkriduklaustur in Iceland where there had been a Catholic monastery in the 16th century.
/
Anna Henriksdotter 1665-1711
moved to Finland where she married a Lutheran pastor
/
/
Anna Elisabetha Frisia 1698-1778
She married Gabriel Johansson Palander and were the ancestors of the Palander family of Palander House in Hämeenlinna whose children were great friends with Sibelius the musician.
/
/
Susanna Margaretha Palander of Hämeenlinna
1736-1774
1736-1774
She was born in Tyrvanto, Hame in Finland and moved to England with her younger sister Elisabetha (married William Walker of Hereford) and her older brother Anders (Andrew) Palander (b.1728) before 1750. She moved to the area known as the Isle of Thanet in Kent in England where she married an English farmer Richard Grant (1730-1781) of the St Lawrence, Isle of Thanet in 1755 where Richard owned his own freehold with a house and land. They later lived in the village of Ashford in Kent in the early 1860's before moving back to the Isle of Thanet.
/
/
Elizabeth Grant
H1ab1 mt-dna ?
1757-1809
H1ab1 mt-dna ?
1757-1809
She moved from Isle of Thanet (Margate) in Kent in 1778 on her marriage to Edward Whittington a farmer of Thakeham in Sussex. Her family must have have a connection with Sussex as her father had been born in Slindon in Sussex while his other siblings were born at the Isle of Thanet in Kent.
/
/
Daniel Whittington 1798-1862
in 1830 on the "Wamstead" sailed to the Swan River Colony in Western Australia and settled there and became a farmer in Guildford
/
/
Eliza Whittington 1833-1881
one of the first born Western Australians of the Swan River Colony
/
/
Elizabeth Kersley 1853-1930
the Australian-born daughter of the grazier farmer George Kersley of Beverley and Dumbleyung who arrived from Hampshire in England in 1841 on the "Ganges"
/
/
Henry Hillyer Bartram
of R1b DF27 SRY2627 Z207 CTS4299 FGC11245 y-dna 1883-1949
of R1b DF27 SRY2627 Z207 CTS4299 FGC11245 y-dna 1883-1949
leading farmer and grazier of Dumbleyung in Western Australia. His grandfather James Bartram came to Western Australia in 1843 on the "Janet" at the age of 16 with his relative Thomas Carter and later went into partnership with George Kersley
Note Added 22 Feb 2022: I have noticed that MyTrueAncestry have updated the information since I first wrote this and maybe they read my blog post as they have changed the date to 1104 and mention the destruction of Mt Hekla. I must say out of all the dna sites this is my favourite and it is getting better all the time.![]()
I am thankful to MyTrueAncestry for revealing this Icelandic dna in my dna as it caused me to study the history of Iceland and discover a new branch of the Davidic family that I hadn't known about. For nearly 40 years I have been studying these families and their history and it is always exciting to make new discoveries. Today there are about 14,000 Catholics in Iceland and 250 Jews and since 2018 there is a permanent Jewish Rabbi with his Rebbetzin residing in Iceland. Both these communities are a rich part of Icelandic history along with that of Lutheranism which is the religion of most Icelanders today.
Makhir Todros ben Yehuda (Amorai/ Theodoric/ Aimeri de Narbonne) Western Exilarch and Jewish King of Septimania Count of Autun and Toulouse aka Theodoric (Dieitrich) King of SaxonyR1b L21 DF13 S470/Z251 S11556 BY3231 y-dna 710-773
/
Mar Menachem (Hernaut de Gironde/ Eystein Gudrod/ Harald Hildetonn) King of Denmark aka Herod/ Herard Ancestor of R1b L21 DF13 Z39589 S470/Z251 S11556 BY3231 Z18092 y-dna 730-770
/
King Halfdan (Helgi/ Heligaud/ Oleg, Olaf, Eystein, Haarik and Eirik) ha Arik King of Denmark, Margrave of Frisia and Jutland aka Ha Alef Dan (Chief or Prince of Dan) 750-830
/
Prince Ragnar (Ragnvald/ Berenger) of Scandinavia 782-845
/
Bjorn Ironside (Bern/ Bernard) King of Sweden 802-862
/
/
Ingólfr Bjornasson Arnarson 1st Jewish Rosh Galuta (Godrod/ Godi/ Gothi) of Iceland 837-920
/
/
Torstein (Þorsteinn Ingólfsson) 2nd Jewish Rosh Galuta (Godrod/ Godi/ Gothi) of Iceland 865-945
/
/
Torkell Mani Torsteinsson 3rd Jewish Rosh Galuta (Godrod/ Godi/ Gothi) of Iceland 900-985
/
/
Torstein Godi Torkelsson 4th Jewish Rosh Galuta (Godrod/ Godi/ Gothi) of Iceland 945-1004
/
Bjarni "Spaki" Torsteinsson 5th Jewish Rosh Galuta (Godrod/ Godi/ Gothi) of Iceland 965-1040
/
/
Bjarni "Spaki" Torsteinsson 5th Jewish Rosh Galuta (Godrod/ Godi/ Gothi) of Iceland 965-1040
/
Skeggi Bjarnasson 6th Jewish Rosh Galuta (Godrod/ Godi/ Gothi) of Iceland 1000-1065
/
/
Torarinn Skeggisson 7th Jewish Rosh Galuta (Godrod/ Godi/ Gothi) of Iceland 1040-1120
/
/
Torgeir Torasson 8th Jewish Rosh Galuta (Godrod/ Godi/ Gothi) of Iceland 1075-1152
/
/
Torgil Torgeirsson 9th Jewish Godi (Rosh Galuta) of Iceland 1100-1174
/
/
Arnor Thorgilsson 1120-1170
/
/
Finnur Arnorsson 1152-1196
/
/
Bjorn Finnsson 1193-1263
/
/
Finnur Bjarnasson 1242-1285
/
/
Halfdan Finnsson 1270-1222
/
/
Finnur Halfdansson 1305-1359
/
/
Jon Finnsson 1340-1397
/
/
Jon Jonsson 1375-1450
/
/
Sigurður Jónsson 1407-1492
/
/
Ari Sigurdsson 1450-1533
/
Bishop Jón Árason 1484-1550/
Bjorn Jonsson 1506-1550
/
/
Magnús Björnsson 1541-1616
/
/
(Rev.) Jon Magnusson 1580-1630
/
/
Bjarni Jonsson 1600-1651
/
/
Margret Bjarnasdottir 1628-1659
/
/
Anna Henriksdotter of Iceland 1665-1711
/
/
Anna Elisabetha Frisia of Finland 1698-1778
/
Susanna Margaretha Palander of Finland 1736-1774/
see