Where did your ancestors come fom?

[Bereta_Eder]

darla dirladada.
1/3 sugar
1/6 chocolate
etc etc etc

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia


why? it is the nation of 'israel' that they talk about, not the nation of 'jews.' there is today a nation of israel, which is not exclusively jewish

In Biblical times there were two states, Judea and Israel. The bibilical stories (apparently) blend the myths of the two related peoples, so that are descended from Jacob/Israel and the nation is called Israel. The tribes of the northern kingdom disappear after being conquered by assyria. From that point on (about 630 BCE, or so) all Israelites are Judeans. Judeans in hebrew is Yahudim, jews. English gets the word via Latin, and its cut down.

The "nation of Israel" as used in the Jewish religion, am yisrael, is NOT identical with the State of Israel, which was founded in 1948, and of course has non-Jewish citizens. Exactly what meaning the State of Israel has in the Jewish religion is a matter of some dispute, especially as it was founded after some bitter post-enlightment religious divisions. Suffice it to say that Reform, Conservative, Modern Orthodox, and Ultra Orthodox Jews would all answer differently. And there are disagreement WITHIN those groupings as well.


at no point was the word "jews" defined to mean only those who believe in Judaism.

[Starchild]

I'm just a celtic mutt when you really get down to it.

My dad's from Cornwall and his father is from Wales. My mum's side of the family has connections to the London-Brighton area but traces their heritage back up to Scotland. Go back far enough and my grandmother's family line goes back to Ireland and ultimately, the Netherlands.

Workout out some rough percentages in my head, I'm....

.... 1/4 Welsh
.... 1/4 Cornish
.... 1/8 Scottish
.... and the rest is a mix of English/Scottish to what extent I'm not sure about. The other bits of my blood run a bit too thin for me to consider them.

[Verto]

Swiss/Germany
Scotland/Ireland/England

[Starchild]

Rydhsys rag Kernow lemmyn!

[Pyrodrew]

1/2 Polish
1/2 Czech

[Az]

Originally posted by Starchild
Rydhsys rag Kernow lemmyn!

"insert generic european flag here"

[Bereta_Eder]

now i have a bit more time

Let's start with the vlachoi.

Che defined them as a "racial group" different from "greeks". that's why i say he's clueless!!!
you can know history and say that the romioi let them stay inside the empire and blah blah.

But racial definitions are 1)boring 2) extremely limited 3)sometimes border on racist "credentials" and other naziesque stuff.

when i talk about you (che) not knowing squat what i mean is that you only take a "descendance" based on "race" or "genes" as oerdin does. that is to me limited and to be frank repulsive.

to talk about "racial pecentages" is racist to me too.
i dont know. perhaps there's a definite difference between a "western" mind and an "eastern" mind. the way most of you talk is limited only to nationalists/racists and assorted scum in these parts.

instead you can talk about it from the societal anrthopological perspective. that's what i mean when i say "you dont know". you would be laughed out loud if you said that the vlachoi are not greeks and you'd be given very hostile stare if you insinuate that they are not "pure" greeks. such mentality is viewed as horribly racist and is limited to the marginal nationalists freaks, certaintly not the mainstream greek mind set. this sort of classification is "western" evil aka nazi-like. it is alien to the east.
dig deeper sociologically and you'll see that vlachoi is today a term which is used to classify "rude mannered vilagers" and that can be anybody. something like your "redneck". but noone would even consider your mindset, that they are not "pure greeks". that's why i replied to you.
then you take a sack and put everything together. what i can tell you is what can be seen. you talk about albanians where in fact you talk about arvanites, yet another part of differentiation that you pass by.

[Ecthy]

Originally posted by Starchild
Rydhsys rag Kernow lemmyn!

It's the Swedish flag! He's Piano Man!

[Frankychan]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
I know a fair number of Jews who consider themselves Jews.. but for the most part a nonpracticing (not Kosher and the like)

but they do things like passover and the like

Jon Miller
(and of course aren't religious)

Kosher food kicks butt. It tastes different, but in a good way. I really like Kosher dogs.

[Provost Harrison]

100% English...not a nationalistic statement, just a fact...the black hair came from my dad's side which originally seems to come from Cornwall...

[MichaeltheGreat]

Mom's side - dates back in US to early 19th century at least, mix of English, German and Dutch with some likely immigrant mixing.

Dad's side - dates back to Virginia colony to early 17th century, with Scots and English, and earlier pre-colonial ancestry including Norman and Norwegian.

[ahasverus]

Well my moms family name and thereby mine(Etzerodt) comes from Germany. I believe they came to Denmark in the 17th century. My father is Danish but his mother came from Southern Jutland, which as you may know, was occupied by Germany from 1864-1920 so his paternal grandfather served in WW1 for the Germans, but I still think that, that part of the family was ethnically Danish.
So I'm Danish with a little dap a German.

I may be in family far out with one the assasins involved in the Lincoln-assasination George Atzerodt, albeight he got drunk and never killed his target, but he still got to hang for it.

Does anyone know where you can check the ethymology of surnames, 'cause I'll like to know mine. Someone in the family says it's a name for goldsmith, byt I'll like to be shure.

[Richelieu]

French on both sides, as far back as i know (mid 1600s).

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Az


"insert generic european flag here"

I thought it was four broken thumbnails at first glance.