Unveiling Unexpected Celtic Roots: My iGENEA DNA Test Journey as a Baer
Family name Baer
As a seasoned bearer of the surname Baer, I always thought my lineage was unquestionably German. When I took an iGENEA DNA test, I was catapulted into new, astonishing dimensions of ancestry. No longer was I merely a bearer of German roots, but a direct descendant of the ancient Celts.
When I received the results for my iGENEA DNA test, a hearty mixture of incredulity and excitement took hold. The surname Baer, I was given to understand by family folklore, was as German as sauerkraut. Imagine my surprise when my DNA traced not merely to Germany, but further into the past, all the way back to the ancient Celts!
This unexpected Celtic connection traced my roots back some 2,500 years to a time when these tribes were dispersed across the majority of Europe. The ancient Celts, as historians recount, were a culturally rich and artistically vibrant civilization. I learnt about my ancestors' significance in minting coins, brewing ale, and their love for ornamental art - all things I unexpectedly found myself having an affinity with.
The Baer surname, according to the information from iGENEA, is believed to bear a strong Celtic connection. The name's origin seems to be a derivative of the Celtic bear 'Art', pronounced as 'Artos'. The Celtic bear, as per the lore, would be symbolically related to strength, courage, and leadership.
One of the most mesmerizing moments was finding a connection to the Y-DNA haplogroup R-L2, which occurs primarily among populations in Western Europe. This discovery decisively consolidated my Celtic link. Equally spellbinding was the revelation that I am part of a small percentage of individuals who can trace their mitochondrial DNA straight back to the Mesolithic era.
What I anticipated to be a straightforward German lineage became an expedition into a much richer tapestry of ancestral history. The iGENEA DNA test not only illuminated aspects of my heritage I had never expected, but it also provoked a deeper interest in studying my progenitors' past. The Baer line now seems less like a simple surname and more like an old, beguiling novel waiting to be unfurled, page by page.
Y. Baer