Are you REALLY Celtic?

[BoldHighlander]

While on the subject of DNA, I should mention the blood disorder called hemochromatosis. Most people have never heard of this disorder, and very few physicians even understand it.
Due to my nephew developing this disorder (& almost dying from it) my family has become very aware of the disorder. From the info I have seen if you are of Celtic origin it is reported that 1 in 4 carry the gene. However I don't wish to be an alarmist. If you do have hemochromatosis, it is not a death sentence unless you do not take care of yourself.

I had the blood test & found I do not have it, however I could still be a carrier of the mutated gene and pass it along to my children. Unfortuantly, do to the high cost of a DNA test I am going round & round with my doctor to test, because of the insurance companies balking. So be forewarned, unless you show symptoms, your insurance company maynot wish for the tests to be carried out.

This from my sister who has studied the disorder, along with a link with more info:

"a person has to inherit two copies of the hemochromatosis gene to develop severe symptoms. Everyone has two HFE genes, but a person with hereditary hemochromatosis has inherited two mutated genes from each parent (mutation of chromosome 6 in the HFE gene). Basically every child of a parent that has HHC has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease only if the other parent has the mutated gene as well. So, it isn't one parents "fault" (not that there is any fault at all). Hemochromatosis is the most common genetic disorder affecting every 1 in 200 to 400 people.
If you are of Celtic origin 1 in every 4 people carry the gene for this disease.

If both parents have the gene, each of their children have a 50% chance of getting this disease - thus Anthony does not have it and Marcus does. A parent can have the mutated gene and be a "carrier" but they will not develp any symptoms as they are only a carrier of the gene. If your spouse also carries the gene then your children have a 50% chance of getting the disease.

Does this kind of make sense? A website that is fairley good with some diagrams and such on the cells, etc. (if you are interested) is: http://www.yourgenesyourhealth.org/hc/whatisit.htm "

[Roan Carter]

This sounds to me like more race theory from Europe that'll do more harm than good. I would also like to say that the term "Celtic" is so vaporous and broad that it seems kinda silly to have a marker like the big toe.

But it does sound like a fun test, lol. I checked. I seem about even.

[gilmore]

This sounds to me like more race theory from Europe that'll do more harm than good. I would also like to say that the term "Celtic" is so vaporous and broad that it seems kinda silly to have a marker like the big toe.

But it does sound like a fun test, lol. I checked. I seem about even.

People with even toes always think that things like this are European race theories. Check it out.

[michaelbeeman]

My big toe is a bit longer than my second. Since I know the majority of my people come from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, and France, I am not to concerned about my kilt wearing credentials.

[Riverkilt]

Yup, same length toes.

AND wide feet. What I CANNOT understand is WHY ghillie brogue makers make their brogues in NARROW sizes.

Doesn't anyone research the obvious???

Rant Rave!

Its bad enough few shoes are made in wide sizes anymore...like us wide footed Scots are supposed to go barefoot...but for TRADITIONAL wear you'd think they'd make the brogues in TRADTIONAL foot sizes.

They gotta be missing a LOT of sales... and wondering why their brogues don't sell.

HELLO ghillie brogue makers....I need a 4E minimum please - and that's gonna be snug on me with kilt hose.

Sulking off to nourish a resentment....

Ron

[kevinkinney]

9.5EE No Ebay deals for me. LL Bean and Danner are my friends though..

Big toes shorter on both feet. Gibbon arms.

Reddish brown beard, but only on the neck. The remainder never comes in.

Too bad my mom slipped some Hungarian and Slovak into me, or I'd be 6'2" or taller like all the others. Atleast 5'10" is the tallest on her side.

Huge skull.

My boy lucked out. He popped out with red hair just like his mom. Now it's blonde. Same feet as me, just smaller. Big noggin too.



Kevin out.

[Bob C]

Yup, same length toes.

What I CANNOT understand is WHY ghillie brogue makers make their brogues in NARROW sizes.

So people like me can wear them?

[Nighthawk]

Red hair... Green eyes... Celtic toes... What are my chances of having Celtic ancestors with all three features?

[Nanook]

What is referred here as "Celtic toe" is normally called Morton's toe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton's_toe
..Although commonly described as a disorder, it is sufficiently common to be considered a normal variant of foot shape (its prevalence varies with different populations, but around 10% of feet worldwide have this form). In shoe-wearing cultures it can be problematic: for instance, in causing nail problems from wearing shoes with a profile that doesn't accommodate the longer second toe.

It has a long association with disputed anthropological and ethnic interpretations. Morton called it Metatarsus atavicus, considering it an atavism recalling prehuman grasping toes. In statuary and shoe fitting it has been called the Greek foot (as opposed to the Egyptian foot, where the great toe is longer). It was an idealised form in Greek sculpture, and this persisted as an aesthetic standard through Roman and Renaissance periods and later (the Statue of Liberty has toes of this proportion). The French call it pied ancestral or pied de Néanderthal, believing it to be a sign of intelligence. Podiatrist/archaeologist Phyllis Jackson has interpreted it as a characteristically Celtic toe, as opposed to a Saxon toe. Cleopatra was known to have this, and many consider this trait to be a sign of beauty.

I will also add that many Egyptian idols such as the lion-headed Sekhmet had Morton's toe so despite the widespread depiction of the Egyptian form in sculpture by the Egyptians it did too find their way into some sculpture as, obviously, some idealization of beauty.



Despite redish light coloured hair and fair skin, Morton's toe and very long and narrow a foot I would very strongly doubt that I have Celtic forebears.

(P.S.: In Germany as the UK the most common widths today are wide. The "Greek foot form" is a tiny minority.)

[gilmore]

... In statuary and shoe fitting it has been called the Greek foot (as opposed to the Egyptian foot, where the great toe is longer). It was an idealised form in Greek sculpture, and this persisted as an aesthetic standard through Roman and Renaissance periods and later (the Statue of Liberty has toes of this proportion). The French call it pied ancestral or pied de Néanderthal, believing it to be a sign of intelligence. Podiatrist/archaeologist Phyllis Jackson has interpreted it as a characteristically Celtic toe, as opposed to a Saxon toe. Cleopatra was known to have this, and many consider this trait to be a sign of beauty...

So, do we have in this proof that Celts are descended from the Greeks? or from the Neanderthals?