A note or 2 on the Norse:
Sandy expressed some interest in the Norse connection so I thought I’d add some detail here since all of the data has not yet been added into the Family Tree. It is taking some time to flesh out the details due to overlap that exists with what has already been added. I have already identified one connection between the Swann line and the LaDue line and I suspect that there are more than just that one.
Before starting, the reader should take a look at “The Toa of LaDue” for an idea of how I approach the research and my views on the records have been left by our ancestors.
The Norse enter the Family Tree in the person of one Rollo, “The Granger”, a Viking who pillaged and raided towns in northern France about the year 885 AD including a raid on the city of Paris to which he even lay siege. He comes from a line of Vikings who had been making a living doing just that for centuries. He was eventually “bought off” after suffering a defeat by the French king and given dominion over what has evolved into Normandy (as in Normandy of the D-Day invasion that Dad/Grandpa was a part of). Rollo and his descendents settle down and marry into the existing lines of French nobility as well as the eventual line of English Kings. That line continues with some of the descendents remaining in the “upper crust” of French and English society until about 1100 when from a single family comes a daughter whose marriage leads us to the Swann lineage and a son whose marriage leads to the LaDue line. But more of that later.
Rollo, on the other hand has ancestors who were Kings of a variety of lands in the northern lands of the Norse. This includes Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and a variety of islands including Iceland. In particular there are Svedi, “The Sea King” and Olaf, King of Jutland. There is also a brother and sister who share the same mother but different fathers who marry each other….and perhaps as no accident, have a son known as Eystein, “The Fart”. There is a “White Leg”, “Tree Hewer” and “The Severe”, all of whom lived and ruled in what is now Scandinavia and from whom we have the Norse and Vikings. One of my favorites is “Frosti, King of Finland”. I have yet to have the time do do any research on the lives of these colorful characters.
What I do know so far is that they were a bloody lot….the stories are filled with brothers who kill their siblings as well as sons who kill their fathers and fathers who kill their sons….all in the name of who is King. They were less that respecting of women, trading them like we trade baseball cards, routinely unfaithful and downright scoundrels. All of this, especially the infidelity has genealogist more than confused. There was such a thing as a “Danish Marriage” that was in vogue…which means “living together” and having children who may or may not have been recognized as rightful heirs to the throne…which helps to explain a lot of the violence.
Keep in mind…”romantic love” or “romance” did not exist until much later…like 500 years later at least.
The reason I mentioned the reference to the Tao of LaDue is that is has a bearing upon what references I was willing to include in the family tree. It should be obvious that there is little “formal” documentation of any of these people and many genealogist frown upon including anyone who is less that certain, which I find to be a tad silly…after all, have you seen the Birth Certificate of Julius Caesar or any video of Jesus? Besides, as I stated elsewhere, I have a high degree of faith in the veracity of the stories carried thru the ages by the ancients.
I want to find a way to add a copy of the chart I have drawn up so far of the actual tree but it is a daunting task. The product I use to create it with does not have a lot of flexibility so I will have to do a “merge” process using PhotoShop…maybe later this week.
Enjoy…