R1a Viking or Polish?

[Zaleski]

I think they were.

The second wife of Viking King Harald Bluetooth of Denmark was Tova or Tovi, the daughter of King Mistivoj of the Wends, who inhabited the Baltic coast of what are now Poland and northeastern Germany. Mistivoj and Harald were military allies, as well as relatives.

Bluetooth's son Sweyn Forkbeard married the daughter of Mieszko I of Poland. Their son Canute (Canute the Great) became King of England, Norway and Denmark. A contingent of Polish troops took part in the invasion of England.

No doubt some of the British R1a is Norwegian, especially in the North (Shetlands, Orkneys, Scotland), but I suspect a lot of the Danelaw R1a is Wendish, i.e., Polish.

If my memory serves me, approximately 25 percent of male norwegians are R1a. About 60 percent of this is of Slavic origin. The remaining forty percent appears to be Norwegian specific and may have its origin in the Altai region of Central Asia. I suspect that a good percentage of Danish and East German R1a is also of Slavic origin.

[Stevo]

Bluetooth's son Sweyn Forkbeard married the daughter of Mieszko I of Poland. Their son Canute (Canute the Great) became King of England, Norway and Denmark. A contingent of Polish troops took part in the invasion of England.

If my memory serves me, approximately 25 percent of male norwegians are R1a. About 60 percent of this is of Slavic origin. The remaining forty percent appears to be Norwegian specific and may have its origin in the Altai region of Central Asia. I suspect that a good percentage of Danish and East German R1a is also of Slavic origin.

Entirely correct.

It is well known that the Slavonic tribes advanced into what is now eastern Germany early in the Middle Ages.

Funny thing, though: how come you and I seem to be the only ones who know that a lot of the R1a in Britain is probably of Polish origin?

We need to get together and write a book on the Slavonic element in the Viking invasion and settlement of Great Britain.

[Eki]

We need to get together and write a book on the Slavonic element in the Viking invasion and settlement of Great Britain.

But first you need to find out why they stayed in the eastern parts of Britain and didn't go west

[Stevo]

But first you need to find out why they stayed in the eastern parts of Britain and didn't go west

You mean to Wales and Ireland?

That's a darned good question.

I'm sure there must be an answer.

Perhaps the boats that went to Wales and Ireland were from different districts where R1a was not as populous?

[Svein Davidsen]

Vikings in the west of Britain.

The Vikings tried, and tried, to go west, but Alfred, the cake-burner, finally defeated them in AD 878 in ?? in Wiltshire. In Ireland they were thrown/forced out of the trading ports they had set up by the various Irish kings because there were too few of them. The last stronghold, Dublin, was lost in 902. (or the Irish would say "re-gained"!!)