My Heritage

Last fall in my English 251 class, in discussing Multiculturalism as a literary theory, we talked about how we can be Americans and still feel connections to our heritage from other places. Our text focused on African-Americans and the dual consciousness theory. Our instructor broadened the topic and asked us each to share a little something about our heritage.

Our discussion got me thinking about the irony of some of my older heritage coupled with my political ideology and my American patriotism. It should be noted that there is no such irony that pertains to my more recent ancestors. I have some ancestors from Scandinavia and England who settled in Colonial America. Some of the Hessians who defected to the Americans' side in the Revolution were my ancestors. In the 1800's some of my forbearers converted to Mormonism and came from England, Denmark, and Switzerland to escape persecution and to be with others of their faith. They were stalwart pioneers who worked for what they had and lived their religious convictions, even when it meant they had to give up comfort and convenience. My grandparents were part of the Greatest Generation, and both of my grandfathers put their lives on hold while they fought in WWII to defend their homeland. My parents carried on and created family traditions that taught us the value of family, moral principles, work, and service. All of these made possible many of the opportunities I have now.

Go back far enough along some of my lines, and you'll find noble families in England and France in the late Medieval period, and before then, kings and queens and emperors anywhere from Norway to Italy to Bohemia, and from anytime between the second or third century AD to the thirteenth. (Now, I do want to look at other sources and get second opinions just to make sure this is all true.) Look at my family lines, and you'll see the history of Medieval Europe pass before you. If you took them all literally, you'd also see some myths and semi-myths in my family history. (According to the download-able pedigrees on familysearch.org, I am a descendant of both Odin and Zeus.)

Empires

I have a few ancestors listed who were Roman emperors, but I'm a little dubious about that (...and I'm not too excited about being related to Tiberius or Nero). Neither Constantine nor Justinian is in my line, but there are emperors and empresses of the Macedonian Dynasty of Byzantium. Then, there are the Franks and their chieftains, Merovignian kings, and then Charlemagne of the Holy Roman Empire. His descendants married other royals from Italy and other places. I can assume that some of them took part in the Crusades because they died in the Middle East.

Scandinavians vs. Celts

Meanwhile, we have the Norsemen and their legends of Sigurd the dragon-slayer and his in-laws' ill-fated connection with Attila the Hun (Atli). Then we run into real kings like Harald Bluetooth. Several of the Scandinavian royals married or were related to Russian, Polish, and Ukrainian princes and princesses. I the fifth century, we have the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain from Denmark. Then, because of royal people marrying other royal people, I have connections with ancient Welsh, Scottish, and Pictish kings. So now, we have the heptarchy in England. Then Alfred the Great, among others, unifies England and fights the vikings, also my ancestors.

Normans vs. Saxons

A couple hundred years later, back in Normandy, France, William starts eying England, then invades. More ancestors fighting ancestors. A few English kings and princesses are married to royals from places like Spain, Italy, Prussia, Germany, and Bohemia. From then on, I start to have more family in noble ranks and less in royalty. I am a descendant of Henry V's ancestors, (like Duncan of Scotland) but not him. I did have some ancestors follow him to France. One died at Harfleur, another at Agincourt.

My Heritage

Now, all the big names I've mentioned here are listed in my pedigree. These are the guys that kept records of their predecessors or made them into epic heroes and gods, and these are they guys in the history books and the Shakespeare plays. They're remembered by everyone. Here I am hundreds or thousands of years later at my desk at my house on a quiet street in rural Utah writing about them. Unlike them, I am only known by those I meet face-to-face. I am a middle-class college student who intends to raise a family and pursue whatever career I choose. I bow to no kings. I vote people into or out of office, and don't think they are superior to me. Instead of saying “Hail Obama. May he live forever,” I revere my grandparents and great-grandparents, etc. for making the decision to come here to be free, even when it meant great hardship and sacrifice, and then to defend that freedom when it was threatened. 

Further down the line, I will say that I appreciate Charlemagne's and Alfred's efforts to promote education in their time, but I don't think they were any less human than I am. They used their position for some good, but others in the same position have done great harm. 

I always remember my Furse family motto that came from the time when Furses were noble land-owners in Medieval England: Nec desit virus, or “Nor let Valour be lacking.” However, I don't want to think less of anyone else if they don't have family heraldry or lots of land. I don't think more of people just because they have big fancy houses and lots of shiny stuff.

I'll admit, it's kind of hard not to get a big head when I think of all the well-known names in my pedigree. I have to remember that there are places where the lines end abruptly, but there are still people there to be found: people who lived and dreamed just like me, but just aren't remembered by the world. I am glad that some people left records, even if it was only the kings and nobles. It gives me at least an outline of my long heritage, and it reminds me that I am standing here in a present that was built layer upon layer in the past. I am a part of the movements of people and ideas that have changed our world and our understanding of it over the centuries. My posterity will look back at me and say, “She was alive when 9/11 happened and during the War on Terror.” Or perhaps, “She lived in 21^st century America during the time of the republic. She was alive when... I wonder what she was thinking.” I hope I can leave them a legacy that they will be proud to remember, even if it's only remembered by them.

Below are a couple of links to resources I've been using for family history. FamilySearch.org is a free service, but as with anything, I like to get a second opinion if possible. I found the second website that I use to for this purpose for my medieval lines.

I've been using the older Family Search because I'm still trying to figure out the new one. If you can figure it out, great! If you do use this resource, you'll want to download the free PAF Family History software you see at the bottom left corner of the page. That way, you can save your findings on your computer and/or a removable disk. As you can see, there are also links to several helps like online classes, or you can find the nearest Family History Center where people are there to help you in your search.

FamilySearch.org
Foundation for Medieval Genealogy