Remediating Viking Origins: Genetic Code as Archival Memory of the Remote Past

Abstract

This article introduces some early data from the Leverhulme Trust-funded research programme, ‘The Impact of the Diasporas on the Making of Britain: evidence, memories, inventions’. One of the interdisciplinary foci of the programme, which incorporates insights from genetics, history, archaeology, linguistics and social psychology, is to investigate how genetic evidence of ancestry is incorporated into identity narratives. In particular, we investigate how ‘applied genetic history’ shapes individual and familial narratives, which are then situated within macro-narratives of the nation and collective memories of immigration and indigenism. It is argued that the construction of genetic evidence as a ‘gold standard’ about ‘where you really come from’ involves a remediation of cultural and archival memory, in the construction of a ‘usable past’. This article is based on initial questionnaire data from a preliminary study of those attending DNA collection sessions in northern England. It presents some early indicators of the perceived importance of being of Viking descent among participants, notes some emerging patterns and considers the implications for contemporary debates on migration, belonging and local and national identity.

High Y-chromosomal diversity and low relatedness between paternal lineages on a communal scale in the Western European Low Countries during the surname establishment

“…On the basis of the modern DNA samples, in-depth genealogies, extensive surname data and high interest of the wide public for participation in history-oriented genetic studies (Scully et al, 2013), it was possible to link Y-chromosomal variants to citizens from six communities and four regions in Western Europe at the time of the surname establishment between the 14th and 15th century. This survey revealed a similar (i) low relatedness between indigenous paternal lineages and (ii) high Y-chromosomal diversity and low differentiation on the communal versus regional scale.…”

“…Secondly, the results of our communal survey also confirm the relevance of diachronic analysis within a community or region based on the surname distribution data for historical demographic research (Barrai et al, 2004;Schürer, 2004;Redmonds et al, 2011;Boattini and Pettener, 2013), as a surname might represent one specific Y-chromosomal variation and therefore one specific biological identity in the community. Finally, the study is interesting for each genetic genealogist who is focusing on biological relatedness between their paternal lineage with other families without a known CGA or a similar surname (King and Jobling, 2009a;Scully et al, 2013). The results suggest that within Flanders they do not obtain a higher advantage in their research by performing a sampling campaign in the place of birth of their ORPA in comparison with a region wide sampling.…”

Becoming a Viking: DNA testing, genetic ancestry and placeholder identity

“…This echoes Richard Tutton's (2002Tutton's ( , 2004 analysis of interviews with Orkney-based participants in the 'European Genome Diversity Project', who saw the donation of their sample (in this case blood rather than saliva) as a way of exploring their family genealogy from a position that was clearly rooted in their current identity as 'Orcadian' with its associated social ties. Similarly, the participants here were all to some degree 'secure' in their local regional identity, but saw the research as being able to extend and enrich the intersection of their family history with their contemporary regional identification (see Scully et al, 2013). But as both Tutton, and Sommer (2012b) show, gaining knowledge that may inform family genealogy is typically not done for purely personal satisfaction.…”

A New Research Agenda for the Study of Genetic Ancestry Tests and the Formation of Racial and Ethnic Identities and Ancestries

“…In spite of this important sociological critique, there is very little sociological research that explores the actual use of genetic ancestry tests in British contexts compared to the volume of work published on the use of the tests in the USA. Those UK-based studies that have examined everyday experiences of genetic tests have explored the impact and outcomes of public encounters with this technology at media and staged research events whereby individuals are invited by scientists and other researchers to take the tests (see Scully et al 2013;Tutton 2004). A pertinent example here is Nelson (2008b) reflections on her meetings with the producers of, and research participants that feature in, the Motherland documentary described above.…”