Exploring the Roots: Unravelling the Tales of the Blanke Heritage Through DNA
Family name Blanke
The excavation of my family's past, focusing on the surname Blanke, through an iGENEA DNA test was a journey filled with revelations. From Viking and Germanic tribes to the displacements of the Sephardic Jews, the test vividly illustrated my ancestors' travels, culminating in rich, diverse European roots.
As someone always curious about their past, I decided to explore my genealogical roots, specifically focusing on my Blanke surname. The conclusions of my iGENEA DNA test were indeed intriguing. The test has provided an engaging window into the past, casting light on my history, spanning continents and centuries.
It seems my ancient Blanke ancestors has their roots firmly in Europe. To my astonishment, my paternal lineage hails from Northwestern Europe, precisely between Denmark and Germany. These areas were once occupied by the Vikings and later, the Germanic tribes.
The analyses of my specific Y-DNA haplogroups suggest a direct male line ancestry from the North German Plain which spreads across the northern part of the country, including the lower parts of Scandinavia. This area was the core of the Nordic Bronze Age culture, between 1700–500 BC, an era marked by tin and bronze trading networks.
Surprisingly, my mitochondrial lineage didn't exactly mirror my paternal. It traces back to the Celts, a diverse collection of tribes with their culture rich in myths and legends. Celtic tribes spanned across Western and Central Europe during the Iron Age, effectively making my maternal lineage as exciting and colourful as my paternal lineage.
Moreover, a small percentage of my genetic traces linked to the Sephardic Jews, which might explain the diaspora, echoing Jewish displacement from the Iberian Peninsula during the 15th century. This finding has added a new dimension to my overall familial narrative.
The study of genetic markers gave an overview of my greatest anthropological group, the Indo-Europeans. This association paints a picture of a linguistic group that broke off from Asia and spread across Europe, introducing the basis for modern European languages.
In a nutshell, my Blanke lineage lies within the tapestry of Europe's history, echoing its rich past. Wrapped up in my DNA are tales of overland trods of the Germanic people, the adventures of the Celites, Jewish displacements, and the expansive linguistic impact of the Indo-Europeans.
D. Blanke