I'm Danish. I've always been Danish, I'll always be Danish, I look Danish, speak 4 Danish words and part of my general knowledge includes knowing that Viggo Mortensen and 1980's supermodel Helena Christensen are Danish. So. Clearly. Danish. The only problem is, as it turns out ... I'm Irish. IRISH.
In 2016 I got my mother and myself one of those DNA tests for Christmas to find out if we were Jewish. There's a long kept secret in our family and no one knows what it is. Based on a name change, some rather sketchy word of mouth rumours involving a mercantile, a whisper and a generations-ago cosmetic surgery, several of us thought this secret was that we were Jewish.
That's the sort of thing people used to have to keep secret in order to stay alive, so those kinds of secrets are taken quite seriously and they tend to stay secret long past the need for it.
So when I sent in my spit to be analyzed I was fully prepared and excited to embrace my new Jewessness. L'chaim! Most of my high school friends were Jewish so I know the customs, I've been to plenty of Shabbat dinners and have the whole back of throat "Ch" sound in Challah and Chanukah down pat.
Jewish. That's me! And Danish of course, but that's from my father's side and we all know he was 100% Danish, making me 50% Danish as evidenced in my ability to make Klejner, Danish Christmas cookies and my uncanny resemblance to It was the other 50% that we were all unsure about.
The 23andME test results came back and as soon as I checked whether or not I was likely to die from some rare and incurable disease (I'm not) I barely glanced at my ancestry other than to see if we were indeed Jewish. We were not. Booooo. I don't give a care, I'm still going to eat latkes. Then a few weeks ago for some reason I went back in and looked at some of the DNA results more closely.
The things they predicted about me based only on my DNA were impressive. They had no pictures, no history, no nothin', other than my dancing little chromosomes passed down from generation to generation.
For instance, I am more likely, according to my DNA, to be a sprinter rather than a distance runner. Pfttt. No kidding. I'm basically Hussein Bolt. Everybody knows that.
Here I am taking a much deserved break from watching someone else exercise.
Also, according to 23 & me:
I am likely to have blond hair.
I am likely to have blue eyes.
I am likely to have straighter than average hair.
I'm likely to have wet ear wax. ( Um. O.K. )
I am likely to consume more coffee than the average person. (3-4 cups a day?)
And ... I have an average sensitivity to the odour of sweat.
Allllll true.
If you're now clamouring to get a 23&Me spit kit I have an affiliate link.
I clicked on my circle of ancestry that tells you what percentage of you is from what country and ... I had to do a double take. According to the percentages ... I was ... I was Irish.
Or British of some sort. London or Manchester England most likely.
UPDATE: I just checked my results again in 2023 and I am still Irish. But now things look like they're leaning more into the England territory. I think.
It's entirely possible I'm not reading this thing right, but it's looking like I'm more British & Irish than anything else. Which is making me feel a bit off kilter.
What with me being Danish and all.
I never knew much about my maternal ancestry. When I was growing up whenever I asked my mother what nationality her side of the family was she'd always answer with "I don't know ... we're just Canadian. Now go play with your potato."
This gave me the slight hope that by "Canadian" she meant that we had a long ancestral history going back to the First Nations. Like maybe we were Micmac. Or Metis or Mohawk.
Which, wouldn't explain my love of Challah but would explain my love of beaded suede.
But according to my mother's side of DNA I wasn't First Nations, I was 29.3% British and Irish. This whole maternal Irish thing has since been confirmed by my Uncles Conor, Seamus and Padraig. You'd think one of them would have mentioned something about our being Irish it at one of our monthly Irish Stew and Soda bread dinners over the years.
Just kidding. Kind of. It has been confirmed through other more "ancestry interested" relatives that my mother's side of the family is indeed Irish. How she never knew that, I have no idea. Maybe she was thrown by the fact that none of us were born with Irish accents.
I wish I understood these DNA results a little more than I do, but from the look of it ... yeah ... Kiss me. I'm Irish? But maybe from London.
Since I'm relatively new to this whole Irish thing feel free to make any recommendations on this, my 7th St. Paddy's day as an Irish person. See? I've even learned that it's "St. Paddy's", not St. Patty's.
I'm basically the most Irish person ever born who for some reason has an above average command of cooking Danish Christmas cookies.
omg. this explains so much about my relationship with potatoes.
Jane Whiteman-Turl
So if it says you are 29.3% British Irish why have you decided you are Irish and not British? There was a lot of 'British' action in Canada - way way way back and you are part of the Commonwealth and all that - maybe because I am English (British) that I am more drawn to the idea of Britishness. But then there is such a mix in Britain of Celts (Irish and Scots) and Vikings and Angles and Jutes and even some Roman - apparently people used to paint themselves blue and run about brandishing swords - which I feel I should not be keen on but find oddly comforting. Not only that there are the Welsh too (Celts too I think) - so could it not have said British Celtish - then you could pick from four possibilities English, Welsh, Scottish or Irish........... Each of them have a Saint and a special day - you could have 4 days of celebration as well as all the Canadian ones......... Maybe you could even consider New Zealand and Australia we had some action going on over there too - I am NEVER getting a DNA test I would be too confused. I am too confused by yours .... Happy Paddys Day - remember to wear green and drink Guinness - perhaps not Welsh you'd have to wear a leek on St Davids day........
Susan
Because it's St Paddy's Day, silly! You can't be British on St Patrick's Day.
Jennie Lee
LuAnn sent me a reply that's not showing up here, for some strange reason. But when it comes to "Outlander", LuAnn, dinna fash ye; I've read them all. :)
Tine Lisberg
I’m Danish and I have blond hair and brown eyes. My mom I Dutch and have brown eyes and my dad I Danish and had clear light blue eyes.
I always thought that my brown eyes came from a Spanish soldier that -under the Spanish war- was hiding in the house of one of my female ancestors.
My sister told me that, when I was little - and I found that soooo romantic.
THAT’S NOT TRUE.
My brown eyes comes from…..wailt…… POLEN!!
WHAT - POLEN??...not funny….
I found out, that my great granddad was from Polen. Now I have to live with that! ;-)
Lauren from Winnipeg
I'm confused. Is there something wrong with being from Poland? I'm assuming you are referring to Poland when you write Polen?
Megs
Polen is Poland in many Scandinavian countries...
Tine Lisberg
No no, there i absolutely nothing wrong with Poland, but as a young girl I felt, that Spain sounded exiting and exotic. Spain is one of the warm Countries where we go to on holidays - summerromance, dark hot men and soo... ;o)
Elaine
Where's Polen??
Lez
Very interesting Karen! I'm thinking you should get your sister to test hers, coming from the same parents, (I'm assuming), & to compare results. As that would maybe give more conclusive results.
The results should, in theory, be almost identical.
Would be good to read the feed back, should you decide to do this highly scientific research!
Happy St. Paddy's day to you! Have a Guinness or 3! :)
whitequeen96
I've read (maybe at Ancestry.com) that it's good to get your siblings tested as well, as something in your family's past may show up in them that doesn't show up in you. Like that visitor from China or something.
Mary
Actually, you can both inherit different DNA from your parents. So one of you might have more Danish and another might be more Irish. It's actually really interesting. I did mine at both companies and used the information to find my birth parents (I was adopted). I also found three half siblings.
Lynn Johanson
SO cool. Congrats!
Sherry in Alaska
Life is just full of little surprises. Welcome to the clan!
I bought myself one of those kits (Ancestry) for Christmas and somehow have not used it yet. I guess I better spit in the tube and get it over with.
Dad's pop came from Ireland. And his mom was from Norway so I've always assumed that was pretty solid. But now I'm wondering how much Irish 'cause there was a lot of interchange with England....... Mom's side I have no idea about but I believe probably Germany and surrounds might be a good guess...... No proof other than I like sausage. But then I hate sauerkraut.........? So not conclusive.
Who knew a DNA test would be so gross as to tell you that you likely have wet earwax?
???!!! Ew!!!!!
Is nothing sacred?
Happy March 17th, 2017.
Suzanne Herbruck
I think perhaps all this genetic testing is very suspect, trash?
Dachshunds come back being Great Pyrenees? Probably not. Snort.
Lyn
My first husband, who was Estonian, would have had an explanation for that 0.2% Finnish on your father's side. He said that the Finns & Estos (basically the same cultural-genetic group) used to go and, well, visit, the lands of the Swedes, Norwegians and Danes when their fellas were off pillaging & looting and etc., in other countries (like England where I think half of my ancestors are from). They would liberate some of the goodies from previous raids, and leave a little of themselves, so to speak.
Nancy
I want to do this!! A black man I work with turned out to be 28% Croatian and other African stuff. He is pale, we joke about the Massa on the plantation. I guess this doesn't sound very PC.
Anyway, it sounds so interesting. I am just afraid I will come up 100% Alzheimers and have to decide when to go kayaking in my chest waders.
Jennie Lee
Your DNA shock was much like mine. I thought I was Scots/Irish/English/Dutch/German/Cherokee. Nope. No Cherokee. 98% European. "Iberian Peninsula"? I always felt Irish. Well, I am-14% Irish. But I'm 16% Scandinavian, and I hadn't a clue. Except I love watching "Vikings". (And "Outlander")
LuAnn
Hi 5 Jennie Lee on OUTLANDER! If you haven't already, read the books OUTLANDER is based upon. You won't regret it!
LuAnn
Melissa
I just heard about this book (and series) last night. The books seem so... BIG. And there are so many... but if you say I won't regret it, then... I'll definitely have to explore the first book.
Brandy
Melissa, You will NOT regret it :) The books are most excellent!!!!
Lynn
Have to agree the Dane Vikings have left their mark all over Britain, Ireland and Scotland just to name a few. As for go play with the potato that I have heard before ( as I have Scottish/ Irish ancestry myself). Scot via Ireland great great great grandfather. Which makes it impossible to get info 😐 Most early records in Ireland having been destroyed. 😟 Have to say welcome to the clan Karen. 🍀
Deb
Do you have a long upper lip? That is the real proof you are Irish .
Laurie
Having ones DNA done is really an eye opener. Can I ask who you used for your test? I had one done with ancestry.com and I was disappointed at how general it was. I'm 5% Irish. I didn't even know I was that much. I must say Guinness is my fave beer.
Lynne A Burns
I did the 23&Me test..... Very very informative. They give you all 12k pages of how your DNA breakdown.... With a bit more online research you can find sites that you upload all of that info to for even more information... Like your health related items
Suel Anglin, the Anglo-Saxon
Dear Karen,
Do not despair! As a fellow pale, blue/grey eyed, Anglo-Irish, light-haired descendant, you have many layers of genetic material to explore. Keep in mind that a lot of Vikings made it to Ireland and many of them were from Denmark. Just look at that handsome Danish royal family. You'd fit right in.
Karen
Well my dad was 100% Danish (both parents from Denmark) so I'm a bit confused as to how I'm not 50% Danish! I must say I feel very Viking at heart. ;) ~ karen!
Suel
I'm for sure not an expert, but I have cousins who come close. Since our family has a rare name, its been easier to match ancestors to specific locations in the UK and Ireland, but it isn't exact.
While the underlying science is exact, these profiles are comparing your data to other folks in their system. The information these folks provide isn't always objective.
Although, it wasn't easy then, a lot of our ancestors moved around and they left a trail of DNA everywhere they went. Unless your ancestors were from a very isolated group, its hard to pinpoint exactly where everyone started out. Long story short, we're all mutts. ;) If your grandparents were both from Denmark, then you're still 50% Danish.
Megs
Some is based on other persons in a system. But mostly its based out of older data models meant to represent populations in different places about 500 years ago before documented mass migrations. Like you said, our ancestors were moving around all over the place, but at least sometime before 1550 they tended to stay more in place.
Genetic identity is therefore interesting but not relevant. Again, like you said, if Karen's parents were both from Denmark, she sure as heck is 50 percent Danish regardless!
KJ
I'm not Jewish either but i'm gonna eat latkes anyway too :)
Renee
Must be why yer my besty rrrr 😉
Karen
Ha! What the hell Renee! I'm supposed to be Danish! Maybe I'm reading this thing wrong, lol. ~ k!
Lianne Raymond
You know what happens now that this is out, right? The Irish Rovers show up at your house, tie you to a chair and don't let you go until you can sing their entire oeuvre by heart. Start preparing now. Green alligators and long necked geese.....
Mark
Happy St. Patty's Day!
Jacquie
Paddy, never never never Patty :-)
Jacquie
That box is supposed to be a smiley face to show that I was being friendly, not a St Paddy's Day nazi (another smiley face, just to be sure)
Karen
I know! All of a sudden emoticons don't show in my comments. I'm going to have to look into it! ~ karen
Teri
The first smiley showed up in my comments section.
Top o' the morning to everyone. Those who are Irish and those poor souls who wish they were.
TucsonPatty
You never know...Happy St. Paddy's Day!
Mark
If you’re enough lucky to be Irish...
You’re lucky enough!
Slainte!
Rod from Calgary
Karen O'Bertelsen...sounds good to me! :)