Dragged by DNA: An Unanticipated Ancestral Journey with iGENEA
Family name House
After participating in a DNA-test by iGENEA, I discovered surprising insights about my House family roots. These new findings have substantially changed my understanding of my identity and family history.
After conducting my DNA test through iGENEA, I found an abundance of new information and insight into my ancestral roots in the House family line. This unexpected journey into my genetic past has not only altered my perspective on my familial history, but also deeply impacted my self-understanding and identity. Astonishingly, the test results further granted me a glimpse of a remote history, tracing my genes back to times and places I would have never imagined.
The test initially showed that my lineage is deeply rooted as part of the indigenous peoples of Western Europe, with a significant amount of ancestry linked to Celtic and Germanic tribes. Although I had accepted this as my primary background, I soon found out this was only part of the truth. As the results continued, I found myself with an unexpected connection to the region of the Middle East, particularly modern-day Iran and Iraq. This was surprising as my immediate family have always identified as purely Western European, with no known links to Middle Eastern regions in our written genealogy.
Pages from my family's history, not visible in any documented familial records, were revealed with a few strands of hair. Still in shock, I grew curious of these distant relatives - their stories, their struggles, their lives. I felt a strong urge to dig deeper into cultures I unknowingly shared DNA with, shattering my predefined self-understanding.
This unexpected insight has also illuminated my understanding of human history in a broader context. It reminded me of the migratory nature of our ancestors, constantly traversing the globe in search of better lives. I feel a sense of pride in the resilience and fearlessness of my forebears.
Connecting to these deeper roots, I realized that my perceived identity was only a part of a larger narrative, with chapters still unexplored. Besides changing my perspective on my identity, my DNA test with iGENEA has also nurtured a deep appreciation towards ancestral history and the valuable insights it carries. I find myself now, positioned at the crossroads of the past and the present, understanding the fluidity of identity and readying myself for my role in carrying these lineages forward.
R. House