Thread: Who were the Original Spaniards?
I am very puzzled about who the original Spaniards were. Some say they were a mix between various North-Western European peoples such as Celts, and later the Goths migrated there and mixed in. Later on Semitic invasions from North Africa occured, and an actual Kingdom of some sort was established for 500 years.
Mind elaborating on who the original Spaniards were?
Visigoths. Later Muslim invasion. Just like all of Europe, many different peoples have traveled through Spain with all sorts of phenotypes that contributed to the gene pool.
And Basque in the North-Central Regions.
There was also a sizeable Jewish minority from the Roman times onwards; they were persecuted under the the Visigothic king Sisebut who made them wear yellow starts. Furthermore the Moors brought with them Arab and Berber blood, and possibly some sub-Saharan Africans too. The Moors imported "Slav" slaves and mercenaries: "Slav" meant Northern European, in this case Frankish and Saxon. Spaniards are probably one of the most mixed peoples in Europe, genetically speaking.
There was also a sizeable Jewish minority from the Roman times onwards; they were persecuted under the the Visigothic king Sisebut who made them wear yellow starts. Furthermore the Moors brought with them Arab and Berber blood, and possibly some sub-Saharan Africans too. The Moors imported "Slav" slaves and mercenaries: "Slav" meant Northern European, in this case Frankish and Saxon. Spaniards are probably one of the most mixed peoples in Europe, genetically speaking.
The Suevi did have a brief reign in Galicia and N. Portugal but were defeated and assimilated by the Visigoths. Although the "Germanic" rule of Spain lasted 300 years, I don't think it is recognised as having a great genetic impact, except in the higher stratas of society eg. nobility, gentry. As I said, Spain (and for that matter the whole Iberian peninsula) is probably the most genetically diverse in Europe.
just a thought about the arab, berber, sub-saharan and slav genes... do not forget that the Holy Inquisition in Spain and Portugal have done a really good job eliminating all this non-christian (in this case non-roman catholic) blood... and we are not that mixed... if you compare some Portugueses, or Spaniards to the most mediterranean people in europe, the Basques, you will notice lots, and i really mean lots, of similarities!
Was the inquisition and ethnic or religious cleansing exercise? There was a certain amount of coercion to convert to Catholicism, which might have prevented some ethnic Jews, Moors etc from being expelled.