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60-815: According to the Icelandic Book of Settlements ( Landnámabók ), the farmstead was established by Erik the Red 's uncle, Þorkell Farserkur ( Thorkell Farserk ) in the late 10th century. The farmstead was known as Þjóðhildarstaðir (Thjódhildsstead) by the time of Ivar Bardarson's report of ca 1360/64. In the 14th century, it belonged to the Kings of Norway : Næst Einarsfirði liggr Hvalseyjarfjörðr. Þar er kirkja, sem heitir Hvalseyjarfjarðarkirkja. Hún á allan fjörðinn ok svá allan Kambstaðafjörð, sem er næstr. Í þessum firði stendur bær mikill, sem konungi tilheyrir og heitir Þjóðhildarstaðir. Beside Einar's Firth lies Hvalsey Fjord. There

120-419: A FamilyTree database, historical records, digitized family history books, resources and indexing for African American genealogy such as slave and bank records, and a Family History Research Wiki containing research guidance articles. Indexing is the process of transcribing parish records, city vital records, and other reports, to a digital database for searching. Volunteers and professionals participate in

180-462: A brief genealogy of his or her descendants. Sometimes short anecdote-like stories are also included. Landnámabók lists 435 people ( landnámsmenn , which includes men and women) as the initial settlers, the majority of them settling in the northern and southwestern parts of the island. It remains an invaluable source on both the history and genealogy of the Icelandic people. Some have suggested

240-452: A case for identity and kinship. All evidence and conclusions, together with the documentation that supports them, is then assembled to create a cohesive genealogy or family history . Genealogists begin their research by collecting family documents and stories. This creates a foundation for documentary research , which involves examining and evaluating historical records for evidence about ancestors and other relatives, their kinship ties, and

300-680: A citizen if one of their grandparents was born in that country, regardless of their own or their parents' birthplace. In societies such as Australia or the United States, by the 20th century, there was growing pride in the pioneers and nation-builders. Establishing descent from these was, and is, important to lineage societies , such as the Daughters of the American Revolution and The General Society of Mayflower Descendants . Modern family history explores new sources of status, such as celebrating

360-567: A coordinator, booster, and contributor to the growing movement. In the 1820s, he and fellow antiquarians began to produce genealogical and antiquarian tracts in earnest, slowly gaining a devoted audience among the American people. Though Farmer died in 1838, his efforts led to the founding in 1845 of the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), one of New England's oldest and most prominent organizations dedicated to

420-674: A degree of scepticism. However, the desire to find ancestral links with prominent figures from a legendary or distant past has persisted. In the United States, for example, it does no harm to establish one's links to ancestors who boarded the Mayflower . And the popularity of the genealogical hypothesis of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (1982) demonstrates popular interest in ancient bloodlines, however dubious. Some family trees have been maintained for considerable periods. The family tree of Confucius has been maintained for over 2,500 years and

480-452: A doctrine of baptism for the dead , which necessitates that members of that faith engage in family history research. In East Asian countries that were historically shaped by Confucianism , many people follow a practice of ancestor worship as well as genealogical record-keeping. Ancestors' names are inscribed on tablets and placed in shrines, where rituals are performed. Genealogies are also recorded in genealogy books . This practice

540-430: A greater understanding of specific topics in their respective fields, and some may employ professional genealogists in connection with specific aspects of their research. They also publish their research in peer-reviewed journals. The introduction of postgraduate courses in genealogy in recent years has given genealogy more of an academic focus, with the emergence of peer-reviewed journals in this area. Scholarly genealogy

600-409: A means to reinforce lessons regarding immigration and history. Other benefits include family medical histories for families with serious medical conditions that are hereditary. The terms "genealogy" and "family history" are often used synonymously, but some entities offer a slight difference in definition. The Society of Genealogists , while also using the terms interchangeably, describes genealogy as

660-479: A particular group, e.g., a Scottish clan ; a particular surname , such as in a one-name study ; a small community, e.g., a single village or parish, such as in a one-place study ; or a particular, often famous, person. Bloodlines of Salem is an example of a specialized family-history group. It welcomes members who can prove descent from a participant of the Salem Witch Trials or who simply choose to support

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720-428: A person's DNA contains information that has been passed down relatively unchanged from early ancestors, analysis of DNA is sometimes used for genealogical research. Three DNA types are of particular interest. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is contained in the mitochondria of the egg cell and is passed down from a mother to all of her children, both male and female; however, only females pass it on to their children. Y-DNA

780-744: A relatively recent common ancestor. See, for example, the Molecular Genealogy Research Project . Some tests are limited to either the patrilineal or the matrilineal line. Most genealogy software programs can export information about persons and their relationships in a standardized format called a GEDCOM . In that format, it can be shared with other genealogists, added to databases, or converted into family web sites. Social networking service (SNS) websites allow genealogists to share data and build their family trees online. Members can upload their family trees and contact other family historians to fill in gaps in their research. In addition to

840-485: A single author, while others have believed it to have been put together when people met at things (assemblies). Ari Þorgilsson may have written the earliest version of Landnámabók in addition to his shorter Íslendingabók ; or early versions may have been based on the genealogies that Ari states he left out of Íslendingabók . The oldest surviving versions were written in the 13th and 14th centuries. The initial settlement of Iceland largely took place during

900-489: A unique area of focus, such as a particular surname, ethnicity , geographic area, or descendancy from participants in a given historical event . Genealogical societies are almost exclusively staffed by volunteers and may offer a broad range of services, including maintaining libraries for members' use, publishing newsletters, providing research assistance to the public, offering classes or seminars, and organizing record preservation or transcription projects. Genealogy software

960-494: A wide variety of records in their research. To effectively conduct genealogical research, it is important to understand how the records were created, what information is included in them, and how and where to access them. Records that are used in genealogy research include: To keep track of their citizens, governments began keeping records of persons who were neither royalty nor nobility . In England and Germany, for example, such record keeping started with parish registers in

1020-480: Is 14 metres (46 ft) long and 3 metres (9.8 ft) or 4 metres (13 ft) wide, is in the middle of the ruins. The well-preserved newer hall measures 8 metres (26 ft) by 5 metres (16 ft). The church house, which was first erected in the early 12th century, might have been built by Scots-Norse stonemasons as similar structures are found in Norway and Orkney . The church might have been maintained due to

1080-552: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Genealogy Genealogy (from Ancient Greek γενεαλογία ( genealogía )  'the making of a pedigree') is the study of families , family history, and the tracing of their lineages . Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members. The results are often displayed in charts or written as narratives. The field of family history

1140-470: Is a church there called Hvalsey Fjord Church. It serves the entire fjord and all of Kambstad Fjord as well, which is beside it. On this firth stands a large farmstead, which belongs to the king and is called Thjodhild's Stead. The farmstead was a major center in South Greenland. The site, which has the ruins of two stone great halls, had an additional 14 houses close to a churchhouse. The old hall, which

1200-461: Is a complex process that uses historical records and sometimes genetic analysis to demonstrate kinship. Reliable conclusions are based on the quality of sources (ideally, original records), the information within those sources, (ideally, primary or firsthand information), and the evidence that can be drawn (directly or indirectly), from that information. In many instances, genealogists must skillfully assemble indirect or circumstantial evidence to build

1260-410: Is a growing interest in family history in the media as a result of advertising and television shows sponsored by large genealogy companies, such as Ancestry.com . This, coupled with easier access to online records and the affordability of DNA tests , has both inspired curiosity and allowed those who are curious to easily start investigating their ancestry. In communitarian societies, one's identity

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1320-446: Is beginning to emerge as a discipline in its own right, with an increasing number of individuals who have obtained genealogical qualifications carrying out research on a diverse range of topics related to genealogy, both within academic institutions and independently. In the US, the " one-drop rule " asserted that any person with even one ancestor of black ancestry ("one drop" of "black blood")

1380-517: Is broader than genealogy, and covers not just lineage but also family and community history and biography . The record of genealogical work may be presented as a "genealogy", a "family history", or a " family tree ". In the narrow sense, a "genealogy" or a " family tree " traces the descendants of one person, whereas a "family history" traces the ancestors of one person, but the terms are often used interchangeably. A family history may include additional biographical information, family traditions, and

1440-422: Is defined as much by one's kin network as by individual achievement, and the question "Who are you?" would be answered by a description of father, mother, and tribe. New Zealand Māori , for example, learn whakapapa (genealogies) to discover who they are. Family history plays a part in the practice of some religious belief systems. For example, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has

1500-696: Is limited to 50 living fellows. ASG has semi-annually published The Genealogist , a scholarly journal of genealogical research, since 1980. Fellows of the American Society of Genealogists , who bear the post-nominal acronym "FASG", have written some of the most notable genealogical materials of the last half-century. Some of the most notable scholarly American genealogical journals include The American Genealogist , National Genealogical Society Quarterly , The New England Historical and Genealogical Register , The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record , and The Genealogist . Genealogical research

1560-602: Is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest extant family tree. The fifth edition of the Confucius Genealogy was printed in 2009 by the Confucius Genealogy Compilation Committee (CGCC). In modern times, genealogy has become more widespread, with commoners as well as nobility researching and maintaining their family trees. Genealogy received a boost in the late 1970s with

1620-552: Is present only in males and is passed down from a father to his sons (direct male line) with only minor mutations occurring over time. Autosomal DNA (atDNA), is found in the 22 non-sex chromosomes (autosomes) and is inherited from both parents; thus, it can uncover relatives from any branch of the family. A genealogical DNA test allows two individuals to find the probability that they are, or are not, related within an estimated number of generations. Individual genetic test results are collected in databases to match people descended from

1680-602: Is rooted in the belief that respect for one's family is a foundation for a healthy society. Royal families , both historically and in modern times, keep records of their genealogies in order to establish their right to rule and determine who will be the next sovereign. For centuries in various cultures, one's genealogy has been a source of political and social status. Some countries and indigenous tribes allow individuals to obtain citizenship based on their genealogy. In Ireland and in Greece , for example, an individual can become

1740-454: Is used to collect, store, sort, and display genealogical data. At a minimum, genealogy software accommodates basic information about individuals, including births, marriages, and deaths. Many programs allow for additional biographical information, including occupation, residence, and notes, and most also offer a method for keeping track of the sources for each piece of evidence. Most programs can generate basic kinship charts and reports, allow for

1800-568: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 's tracing of the ancestry of several English kings to the god Woden . With the coming of Christianity to northern Europe, Anglo-Saxon royal genealogies extended the kings' lines of ancestry from Woden back to reach the line of Biblical patriarchs : Noah and Adam . (This extension offered the side-benefit of connecting pretentious rulers with the prestigious genealogy of Jesus .) Modern historians and genealogists may regard manufactured pseudo-genealogies with

1860-558: The Indo-European world from Scandinavia through ancient Greece to India. Historically, in Western societies, genealogy focused on the kinship and descent of rulers and nobles, often arguing or demonstrating the legitimacy of claims to wealth and power. Genealogy often overlapped with heraldry , which reflected the ancestry of noble houses in their coats of arms . Modern scholars regard many claimed noble ancestries as fabrications, such as

Hvalsey - Misplaced Pages Continue

1920-670: The Vatican . Archaeological evidence shows that over the next hundred years the last Norse settlements in Greenland slowly died out. It was not until 1721 that a joint merchant-clerical expedition led by Danish -Norwegian missionary Hans Egede discovered that the Norse colonies in Southern Greenland had disappeared. In the Greenlandic Inuit oral tradition , there is a legend about why

1980-520: The Viking Age between 870 and 930, but Landnámabók mentions descendants significantly later than the actual settlement period, at least into the 11th century. Five versions of Landnámabók survive, of which three were written in the Middle Ages, the other two in the 17th century preserving medieval material: Landnámabók is one of the main sources of information on the heathen religion of

2040-537: The settlement ( landnám ) of Iceland by the Norse in the 9th and 10th centuries CE. Landnámabók is divided into five parts and over 100 chapters. The first part tells of how the island was found. The latter parts count settlers quarter by quarter, beginning with west and ending with south. It traces important events and family history into the 12th century. More than 3,000 people and 1,400 settlements are described. It tells where each settler settled and provides

2100-813: The "establishment of a pedigree by extracting evidence, from valid sources, of how one generation is connected to the next" and family history as "a biographical study of a genealogically proven family and of the community and country in which they lived". Individuals conduct genealogical research for a number of reasons. Private individuals research genealogy out of curiosity about their heritage. This curiosity can be particularly strong among those whose family histories were lost or unknown due to, for example, adoption or separation from family through divorce, death, or other situations. In addition to simply wanting to know more about who they are and where they came from, individuals may research their genealogy to learn about any hereditary diseases in their family history. There

2160-777: The (SNS) websites, there are other resources that encourage genealogists to connect and share information, such as rootsweb.ancestry.com and rsl.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Volunteer efforts figure prominently in genealogy. These range from the extremely informal to the highly organized. On the informal side are the many popular and useful message boards such as Rootschat and mailing lists on particular surnames, regions, and other topics. These forums can be used to try to find relatives, request record lookups, obtain research advice, and much more. Many genealogists participate in loosely organized projects, both online and off. These collaborations take numerous forms. Some projects prepare name indexes for records, such as probate cases, and publish

2220-487: The 16th century. As more of the population was recorded, there were sufficient records to follow a family. Major life events, such as births, marriages, and deaths, were often documented with a license, permit, or report. Genealogists locate these records in local, regional or national offices or archives and extract information about family relationships and recreate timelines of persons' lives. In China, India and other Asian countries, genealogy books are used to record

2280-700: The Founding Fathers and the heroes of the Revolutionary War became increasingly popular, however, the pursuit of "antiquarianism", which focused on local history, became acceptable as a way to honor the achievements of early Americans. Farmer capitalized on the acceptability of antiquarianism to frame genealogy within the early republic's ideological framework of pride in one's American ancestors. He corresponded with other antiquarians in New England, where antiquarianism and genealogy were well established, and became

2340-412: The Norse population of Hvalsey died out and why their houses and churches are in ruins. According to the legend, the reason was a feud between a local Norse chieftain named Ungortoq and a young but determined Inuit warrior named K'aissape. In revenge for Ungortoq's slaying of his younger brother, Inuit warriors under K'aissape approached Hvalsey by sea in kayaks disguised as an iceberg and then burned down

2400-457: The Norse settlers inside their houses. Ungortoq escaped the massacre with his family, but K'aissape finally hunted down and slew Ungortoq and his whole family in a Norse farmstead near Cape Farewell . Landn%C3%A1mab%C3%B3k Landnámabók ( Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈlantˌnauːmaˌpouːk] , "Book of Settlements"), often shortened to Landnáma , is a medieval Icelandic written work which describes in considerable detail

2460-647: The United States and around the world, where volunteers assist the public with tracing their ancestors. Brigham Young University offers bachelor's degree, minor, and concentration programs in Family History and is the only school in North America to offer this. The American Society of Genealogists is the scholarly honorary society of the U.S. genealogical field. Founded by John Insley Coddington, Arthur Adams, and Meredith B. Colket Jr., in December 1940, its membership

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2520-466: The United States was first systematized in the early 19th century, especially by John Farmer (1789–1838). Before Farmer's efforts, tracing one's genealogy was seen as an attempt by the American colonists to secure a measure of social standing, an aim that was counter to the new republic's egalitarian, future-oriented ideals (as outlined in the Constitution ). As Fourth of July celebrations commemorating

2580-488: The ability to handle same-sex marriages and children born out of wedlock; searching the Internet for data; and the provision of research guidance. Programs may be geared toward a specific religion, with fields relevant to that religion, or to specific nationalities or ethnic groups, with source types relevant for those groups. Online resources involve complex programming and large data bases, such as censuses. Genealogists use

2640-432: The early 2000s. The Internet has become a major source not only of data for genealogists but also of education and communication. Some notable places where traditional genealogy records are kept include Hindu genealogy registers at Haridwar (Uttarakhand) , Varanasi and Allahabad ( Uttar Pradesh ), Kurukshetra (Haryana) , Trimbakeshwar ( Maharashtra ), and Chintpurni ( Himachal Pradesh ). Genealogical research in

2700-487: The events that occurred in their lives. As a rule, genealogists begin with the present and work backwards in time. Historical, social, and family context is essential to achieving correct identification of individuals and relationships. Source citation is also important when conducting genealogical research. To keep track of collected material, family group sheets and pedigree charts are used. Formerly handwritten, these can now be generated by genealogical software. Because

2760-404: The group. Genealogists and family historians often join family history societies , where novices can learn from more experienced researchers. Such societies generally serve a specific geographical area. Their members may also index records to make them more accessible or engage in advocacy and other efforts to preserve public records and cemeteries. Some schools engage students in such projects as

2820-508: The import of digital photographs and the export of data in the GEDCOM format (short for GEnealogical Data COMmunication) so that data can be shared with those using other genealogy software. More advanced features include the ability to restrict the information that is shared, usually by removing information about living people out of privacy concerns; the import of sound files; the generation of family history books, web pages and other publications;

2880-483: The indexes, either online or off. These indexes can be used as finding aids to locate original records. Other projects transcribe or abstract records. Offering record lookups for particular geographic areas is another common service. Volunteers do record lookups or take photos in their home areas for researchers who are unable to travel. Those looking for a structured volunteer environment can join one of thousands of genealogical societies worldwide. Most societies have

2940-569: The indexing process. Since 2006, the microfilm in the FamilySearch granite mountain vault is in the process of being digitally scanned, available online, and eventually indexed. For example, after the 72-year legal limit for releasing personal information for the United States Census was reached in 2012, genealogical groups cooperated to index the 132 million residents registered in the 1940 United States Census . Between 2006 and 2012,

3000-1110: The like. The pursuit of family history and origins tends to be shaped by several motives, including the desire to carve out a place for one's family in the larger historical picture, a sense of responsibility to preserve the past for future generations , and self-satisfaction in accurate storytelling. Genealogy research is also performed for scholarly or forensic purposes, or to trace legal next of kin to inherit under intestacy laws. Amateur genealogists typically pursue their own ancestry and that of their spouses. Professional genealogists may also conduct research for others, publish books on genealogical methods, teach, or produce their own databases. They may work for companies that provide software or produce materials of use to other professionals and to amateurs. Both try to understand not just where and when people lived but also their lifestyles, biographies, and motivations. This often requires—or leads to—knowledge of antiquated laws, old political boundaries, migration trends, and historical socioeconomic or religious conditions. Genealogists sometimes specialize in

3060-648: The mid-17th century. Perhaps the most outstanding example of this genre is Leabhar na nGenealach / The Great Book of Irish Genealogies , by Dubhaltach MacFhirbhisigh (d. 1671), published in 2004. The LDS Church has engaged in large-scale microfilming of records of genealogical value. Its Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, houses over 2 million microfiche and microfilms of genealogically relevant material, which are also available for on-site research at over 4,500 Family History Centers worldwide. FamilySearch 's website includes many resources for genealogists:

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3120-499: The names, occupations, and other information about family members, with some books dating back hundreds or even thousands of years. In the eastern Indian state of Bihar , there is a written tradition of genealogical records among Maithil Brahmins and Karna Kayasthas called " Panjis ", dating to the 12th century CE. Even today these records are consulted prior to marriages. In Ireland, genealogical records were recorded by professional families of senchaidh (historians) until as late as

3180-645: The preservation of public records. NEHGS publishes the New England Historical and Genealogical Register. The Genealogical Society of Utah , founded in 1894, later became the Family History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . The department's research facility, the Family History Library , which Utah.com claims as "the largest genealogical library in the world",

3240-622: The resilience of families that survived generations of poverty or slavery, or the success of families in integrating across racial or national boundaries. Some family histories even emphasize links to celebrity criminals, such as the bushranger Ned Kelly in Australia. Lawyers involved in probate cases do genealogy to locate heirs of property. Detectives may perform genealogical research using DNA evidence to identify victims of homicides or perpetrators of crimes. Historians and geneticists may carry out genealogical research to gain

3300-480: The settlers. According to Sveinbjörn Rafnsson, the Sturlubók and Hauksbók versions tend to overemphasise Christianity, Melabók less so. An epilogue to ' Þórðarbók , probably copied from Melabók , justifies studying Icelandic history as a defence against foreign accusations of descent from "slaves or rogues" and because "all reasonable peoples" want to know about their origins. This Iceland -related article

3360-521: The site's royal ownership. The church house was exceptionally well built from carefully chosen stones that in some cases weigh in excess of five tons. Its walls, which are up to 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) thick, measure 16 metres (52 ft) by 8 metres (26 ft) on the outside. The gables rise 5 metres (16 ft) to 6 metres (20 ft) from the floor and may have risen 2m higher when first constructed. Side walls, which would have been higher when new, now stand 4 metres (13 ft). The building

3420-546: The television broadcast of Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley . His account of his family's descent from the African tribesman Kunta Kinte inspired many others to study their own lines. With the advent of the Internet , the number of resources readily accessible to genealogists has vastly increased, fostering an explosion of interest in the topic. Genealogy on the internet became increasingly popular starting in

3480-760: Was considered black. It was codified into the law of some States (e.g. the Racial Integrity Act of 1924 ) to reinforce racial segregation. Genealogy was also used in Nazi Germany to determine whether a person was considered a "Jew" or a "Mischling" ( Mischling Test ), and whether a person was considered as "Aryan" ( Ahnenpass ). Hereditary emperors, kings and chiefs in several areas have long claimed descent from gods (thus establishing divine legitimacy). Court genealogists have preserved or invented appropriate genealogical pretensions - for example in Japan , Polynesia , and

3540-449: Was established to assist in tracing family lineages for special religious ceremonies which Latter-day Saints believe will seal family units together for eternity. Latter-day Saints believe that this fulfilled a biblical prophecy stating that the prophet Elijah would return to "turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers." There is a network of church-operated Family History Centers all over

3600-584: Was plastered with ground mussel shells and would have been white when in use and was roofed with timber and turf . A 1408 wedding at the site's church is the last documented event to occur during the Norse settlement of Greenland. Two years later the Icelandic newlyweds, ship's captain Þorsteinn Ólafsson and Sigríður Björnsdóttir, returned to Norway, before sailing to Iceland and settling on the bride's family farm at Akrar, north Iceland, in 1413. The details were recorded in letters between papal dignitaries in Iceland and

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