The Ganza Family was originally from the Mount Ganzaria region of Sicily in the 15th century. Ganzaria is made up of two words ‘Ganza’ which means goose and ‘ria’ that means song. This was the mount of the goose song. The ancient goose songs (Ganza chansons) are told from the times of Muslim Sicily. These tales were connected with Charlemagne and the Davidic descendants of Makhir Todros ben Judah (also called Aimeri de Narbonne and Theodoric of Narbonne) the Jewish King or Exilarch of Septimania in Carolingian France.
The original Mother Goose or Imma Ganza was the sister of Makhir, Bat Yehudit (Judith)who was also called Bertude or Bertha Goosefoot and was the mother of Charlemagne. She is said to have taught Charlemagne through the use of chansons or goose tales. Many of the famous fairytales of Europe such as Little Red Riding Hood is said to come from this collection of Mother Goose Tales as well as many Nursery Rhymes.
Imma Ganza ‘s songs were added to by her descendants in Sicily which became the base of the famous epic ‘Orlando Furioso’ and the poem ‘Orlando Innamorato’ in which two of Makhir’s "children" (descendants) Rinaldo and his sister Bradamante take a leading part. These tales are also the base of the famous Sicilian puppet shows. The Ganza/Ganassa family bought these marionette versions of the Ganza chansons to Naples and Rinaldo was involved with them in Naples. Professor David Renaker writes: "In Ariosto's Orlando Furioso ,III.xvii, Bradamante enters a cave containing the tomb of Merlin, which utters prophecies concerning her descendants when she shall have married Ruggiero. These descendants shall spread all over Europe and the east as far as India, producing marquises, counts, dukes, and Caesars." Makhir is called Duke Aymon in these tales and his son Nehemiah ha Makiri (Amery l’Chetif/ Theodoric) is called Duke Namus (Namon) of Bavaria. This Namon is also found in the story of the Swan Knight who came to Charlemagne’s court. The Italian bards confuse events from the time of Charlemagne with those of the 11th century in Muslim Sicily. Ferrau is in fact Mar Nathan Kalonymus Barzillai (William Bras-de-fer) and Bradimante (Eremburga) is his daughter. Rinaldo is actually her uncle Reynold de Falais rather than her brother as related in the tales. Eremburga is the second wife of her half-uncle Rogero.
The Marionette Puppets of Sicily
In my article entitled "The Davidic Ancestry of Prince William and Prince Harry" I write:
"Many different genealogies trace back to the family of Mar Eliyahu ben Barzillai giving him different ancestral names. He left Barcelona for Flanders and Normandy. He took Richard as his Frankish name, Mari Bohun de Ferrers was his title as Princely Captain of the Barzeloni. Both Fulbert and Tancred are aliases or nicknames given to him at different phases of his life. He also had two wives and a very large family. Many of his descendants would go to Sicily and battle the Saracens. His son Mar Nathan Kalonymus Barzillai was also called William Iron-Arm (Barzillai/Bras-de-fer) and in the Ganza chansons Ferrau. The Saracens called him Wala Kalon of the Ferrau (i.e. Barzeloni). He was named for his ancestor William de Gellone (Natan Kalonymus) a son of Makhir of Narbonne. His brother Reynold de Falaise was called Rinaldo in the Ganza chansons of Sicily and Rinaldo married the beautiful eastern princess Angelica de Hunza who lived with her brother Argalia at Yhanazria (San Michele di Ganzaria) in Sicily. William’s daughter Eremburga was called Bradimante in the Chansons and she married her half-uncle Rogero. The chansons are confused about the ancestry of Rogero stating he is a descendant of Alexander the Great and a Davidic Prince. It is Angelica (Angiola/Ultar) and her brother Argalia of Hunza who descend from Alexander the Great. Rogero is indeed a Davidic prince of the House of the Barzeloni for whom Barcelona was named."
Mar Eliyahu's aliases are descriptive of him. Fulbert means 'very bright' and Tancredi means 'thoughful counsellor'.
The tales speak of a beautiful Eastern Lady Angelica and her brother Argalia who come from the far East (either India or Cathay in the tales). Both Rinaldo and Ferrau (Barzillai) a Moor desire Angelica. I believe that Angelica(Ultar /Altar /Altrude) and Argalia (Aga)belonged to the Royal Family of Hunza. Hunza was a Muslim state in Pakistan. Argalia de Hunza was the Moor ruler of the village named Yhanzaria or Hunzaria in Sicily. Like his sister Angelica he married into the Jewish family descended from Makhir and Charlemagne. His French Jewish wife passed the Ganza tales to her Jewish descendants and Yhanzaria became Ganzaria. They built a Temple in honour of the Archangel Michael the Warrior, which was also called ‘Tempio de Francesi’- the Temple of the French. The town then became known under Christian rule as San Michele di Ganzaria.
The Home of Angelica/Ultar on Mt Ultar
In the eastern Aramaic Jewish dialects Gaz means goose and Argalia de Hunza's father was Mir Gazan or Ghazan of Hunza who was also called Guaimar. In Hunza legend Queen Ultar was a fairy Queen who lived in a crystal or ice castle on Ultar Mountain which was named for her. Sarina Singh writes in her travel book: "On the lofty summit of Ultar (7388 Metres) towering dramatically above Hunza, a fairy queen once lived in a crystal palace. And from this legendary mountain flows Hunza's life giving irrigation water. Baltit Fort guards the entrance to the steep narrow canyon which opens in it's upper reaches onto surrounded by a cascade of glaciers and granite."
Hunza legend also speaks of the founder of the Hunza dynasty as a fairy or skyborn Prince who married into an older dynasty. John Mock writes:
"We should also note that the legendary hero who married Shri Badat's daughter and founded the line of Hunza Mirs (Biddulph 1880:135) was no mere human, but a "fairy-born" prince, who descended to earth from another realm. The rulers of Hunza were ascribed magical powers and held to be "sky-born" (Ayesho in the local language Burushashki) like the hero who routed Shri Badat. The celebration in song and ceremony (Clark 1956:175) of the overthrow of Shri Badat by his own daughter and her sky-born husband forms a narrative about kingly power and its legitimate usage. Because of this significance, the legend finds a place in Hunza history as a validation of social and political conditions. John Clark shows us the legend being sung in the royal assembly, its singing patronized by the ruler, and the ruler sponsoring the tumshiling festival which reenacts the legend (Clark 1956:175)."
The royal House of Hunza descends from Ayesho and the Ganish (Queen)of Hunza the daughter of Girkis according to the Hunza legend related by Colonel Biddulph.
One branch of the Ganza family descended from Argalia de Hunza and Imma Muriel de Barzeloni (Ferrau)went to Portugal and settled in Braga where the town of Barcelos was named for them. The name of Braganza is a combination of 'braga' and 'ganza'. Alfonso the first Duke of Braganza is said to have had a Jewish mother who was the lover of the Portuguese King. It would seem that the Royal House of Braganza descends from the Ganza family only through the female line. Argalia and Muriel's (daughter of William Iron Arm and his wife Mabilie de Wallincourt)son Rogero de Hunza has been confused in the Ganza chansons with his maternal granduncle Rogero who married Bradimante (Eremburga)the sister of Muriel.
Some of the Hunza People of the Hunza Valley were Jewish before their conversion to Islam. The Ruler of Hunza was called the Mir. This name derives from the Jewish Mar for descendants of the Royal House of David. He may have been a member of the Khazar Royal family or one of the Khazar Nobles. Rieski based on the book of John Clark describes the Hunza or Hunzkuts as a lighter skinned Causasian people.
"The Hunzakuts had lighter skin than the neighboring tribes and appeared to be of Caucasian origin. John Clark reported in 1950 seeing children with black, brown and blond hair and an occasional redhead. They probably chose the Hunza River Valley because of its sheer isolation, but the men took wives from neighboring peoples. Hunza women were said to have been beautiful. This is highly probably since the Persian women taken as captives were likely the best looking."
The Mir of Hunza claimed descent from Alexander the Great, and in the 'Orlando Furioso' the same claim is made for the hero Rogero. He is also said to be of the Royal House of King David (see Milner "The Royal House of Britain: An Enduring Dynasty"). An article in the Times entitled "A kind of Kingdom in Paradise" states:
"The Mir, or ruler, of Hunza believed his tiny kingdom to be the equal of China, and likened himself to Alexander the Great from whom he claimed descent. When the British turned up in the 1870s he took them for petitioners seeking to make Queen Victoria his vassal. Not wishing to waste time arguing, the colonial officials had him deposed, replacing him with an amenable brother whom the Mir had carelessly neglected to murder on his way to the throne."
Michael Winn writes in his article "Hunza :Shangri-la of Islam":
"The "Hunza Road" is a 2,000-year-old branch of the ancient Silk Road that linked China to Rome, the Mediterranean, Africa and India. It was probably its economic and military value that led Muslim Pathan tribes from Afghanistan to try to capture the valley; they would have wanted to prevent neighboring Tibetans, Mongols, Chinese or Kashmiri forces from controlling the Karakorum passes. And though it took three major invasions in the eighth, ninth and thirteenth centuries, the Muslim forces eventually succeeded and Hunza has been a center of Islam ever since."
It is believed that many of the Pathan are descended from Jews. See this article about the Pathan.
Kurinsky in his article "Dye-Making: A Judaic Traditional Art" writes:
" Judaic merchants learned silk production (sericulture) in China and first established the art in the Near-East. The Romans, the Byzantines, and later the Norman Crusader Roger (when King of Sicily), all employed Judaic sericulturists to introduce the art into their economies. A sophisticated dyeing technology was likewise brought to Europe from the Near-East by Judaic masters of the art. The eighteenth century European textile industry, so masterfully illustrated by Diderot, was based largely on these and other Judaic innovations. Jews continued to be deeply involved in all aspects of the dyeing industry."In ancient times the goose was associated with Warriors. The Ganza family would associate their name with that of a Warrior. The Ganza Family were involved in the silk trade as well as being trained warriors. The name Hansa or Ganza would become associated with a military troop or trade group as these Jewish warrior merchants traded in silk throughout Europe. In many Hasidic tales we hear of these Jewish soldiers who appear and surprise the Jews of Europe. Many assume they must be warrior descendants of the Khazar Jews. The Muslims of Sicily referred to the people of Ganzaria as 'kanzir' which is associated with pigs in Arabic. This is an Arabic version of Marrano.
Argalia (Aga Khan) and Angelica (Ultar) were the children of Mir Ghazan of Hunza a descendant of Ayesho of Gaz Kul and the Ganish of Hunza. Ghazan refers to this ancient dynasty from Gaz Kul (Goose Lake) high in the mountains. Mir Ghazan is the Goose Lord. The European historians and genealogists had hidden his identity by calling him Guaimar a name found in the ruling family of Salerno. Mir Ghazan is called Guaimar de Salerno in later records and genealogies. Like the Royal Family of Khazaria, Ayesho and Ganish embraced Judaism in the 8th century. The Jewish Mir Ghazan was allied with the Muslims and left Hunza with his goose warriors for Muslim Sicily, where they were based in Catania. Mir Ghazan and his family and warriors then allied themselves with the Normans of Sicily where he took the name of Guaimar de Salerno when he married Gaitelgrima de Salerno [a descendant of Makhir Todros of Narbonne] (born 1013)and the daughter of Guiamar III of Salerno and Gaitelgrima of Capua. Gaitelgrima de Salerno wife of Guaimar V (Mir Ghazan) was also called Imma Gaitelgrima or Gemma. It is possible that Guaimar V (also called IV) of Salerno was Mir Ghazan a son-in-law of Guaimar III rather than his son Guaimar IV. The later chroniclers sought to hide his eastern Jewish connection. The chronicler Amatus of Montecassino notes how different he was to his supposed father Guaimar, he writes that Guaimar IV was "more courageous than his father, more generous and more courteous; indeed he possessed all the qualities a layman should have—except that he took an excessive delight in women". Guaimar (Ghazan) became confused with his wife's brother who became the ruler of Salerno after his father's death in 1027 under the regency of his mother Gaitelgrima of Capua. He died in 1031 and it is then that Mir Ghazan took the name of Guaimar de Salerno and married Gailtelgrima the young daughter of Guaimar III. This is the reason that the numbering of the Guaimar rulers is often confused. Mir Ghazan is Guaimar V of Salerno but has been confused by the chroniclers with his brother-in-law Guaimar IV.
Gaz Kul or Goose Lake is also called many other names such as Oikul, Cakmak, Chaqmaqtin, Victoria Lake and Little Pamir Lake. Gaz Khan is the Goose City which is in Badakhshan in Afganistan. This part of the world is known as 'the Roof of the world". It is also called the Wakhan Valley. Citt Williams describes the Wakhan Valley:
"This fertile valley has been inhabited and used as a Silk road trade route for centuries and is littered with archaeological markers. Age old petroglyphs, 3rd century BC Forts, Buddhist stupas and hermit caves, Islamic mausoleums, and burnt out army tanks document the valley’s colourful history. This valley straddles the Tajiki-Afghani border and looking right across the Pyanj river is Afghanistan and the magnificent Hindu Kush. Famously known as the Wakhan Corridor, it was divvied up as a "no-mans land" by Britain and Russia during the Great Game era."
One of the main ethnic groups of Hunza are the Wakhi.
At the time of the expulsion of the Jews of Sicily in 1493 some of the Ganzas converted and the others fled North into Italy. They may have gone to Calabria first. It is said that the Franciscus or Francisco branch of the family went to Naples. I believe they have taken their name from the “Tempio di Francesci’ in San Michele di Ganzaria. They became Christians and they later went to Switzerland where they became Mennonites. . In 1540 the Michele Ganza (Ganassa) and his family left Calabria for Naples. In Naples Michele’s son Raphael Ganza and his family outwardly embraced Catholicism and he took the name Rinaldo after his ancestor. Rinaldo de Ganza’s sons Michele, Antonio, and Fernando moved to Lombardy. Michele de Ganza the Younger was the great grandfather of Antonio Ganza who went to Poland at the end of the 17th century.
One branch of the family went to Lombardy others remained in Naples. In Lombardy most of the family remained outwardly Catholic while observing Judaism in secret due to the persecution of Jews at this time. They intermarried with other crypto-Jewish or Marrano families who had gone to Peru and later due to the persecutions of the Inquisition fled to Italy. Antonio Ganza (aka Aharon Ganzarski) of Lombardy married Maria Escudo (aka Miriam Magen) whose family had come from Chiclayo in Peru. Two other families that came with the Escudo family from Chiclayo were the Niculas (Niklaj or Nicolaj) and Cecilia families. The Escudo family were originally from Valladolid in Spain. The Cecilia family were originally from Sicily like the Ganza family.they reverted to open Judaism in Poland. The Frankist Branch of the family in Ireland took the name Ganley. 
Chiclayo in Peru: Home of the Niculas and Escudo families
Orginally published on November 19 2009