Susan Sarandon and DNA genealogy

[Jim Denning]

Cretans are fine people and Crete is a beautiful place to visit with great archeological sites. To say otherwise might make one a cretin!

John

some people think Crete is where noah went

[Andrew M]

"Ness" seems to be coming into vogue. In the National Geographic "Traveller Great Britain" book I got from the library, page 161 contains this paragraph: "In recent years there has been a resurgence in Welsh language and culture, spreading from its stronghold in the north and west of the country. Anyone who travels through this beautiful nation today cannot fail to be struck by the stregthening 'Welshness' of Wales.

In the book of Titus, Paul mentioned a description of a local Cretan writer about his own people: "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons." Paul continues by saying "This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith..." (Titus 1:12b-13a)

The sad story behind this is that in the first century there were an abundance of smokey lead-smelting factories on the Isle of Crete. They gave the local population physical and mental disabilities. This gave rise to the term "cretin". Today, without the lead, the people living on Crete are just as happy and well-adjusted as the rest of the world's population.

[Pleroma]

Although slightly off the topic of genealogy DNA---I couldn't help but look into the word Cretin. Apparently it's not absolutely certain why this word was used to describe what is a disabling congenital condition, but it was "brought into medical use in the 18th century from an Alpine French dialect prevalent in a region where persons with such a condition were especially common."

"Cretinism is a condition of severely stunted physical and mental growth due to untreated congenital deficiency of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism). The term cretin refers to a person so affected."

You learn something everyday.

[Arch Yeomans]

Cretans are fine people and Crete is a beautiful place to visit with great archeological sites. To say otherwise might make one a cretin!

John

yeah, almost went on my honeymoon to Crete. Would have loved being there....