The first major linking pattern to understand in Scandinavian genealogy is Nominal Linking. This refers to an individual’s surname. There are a few types of surnames used in Scandinavia. The most common surname type is Patronymics. Patronymics in Scandinavia refers to the practice of using the father’s given name and Read more…
Research in Scandinavia has a few unique challenges. The biggest challenge is keeping everyone organized into the correct families because the names are all so similar! Our ancestors had a small number of given names for men and for women that were in extremely high rotation. Combined with patronymics, it Read more…
Last night I was helping my 13-year-old son look at a few things on his FamilySearch family tree. He was interested to see how far back some of our family lines have been traced. One line of my dad’s family is very Danish, and I’ve researched it extensively. It’s one Read more…
This week I’ve been working on a project for my professional development. I serve as a commissioner for the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen). One of my recent assignments for the group has been to help develop a new credential: Accredited Genealogist Lecturer™. The group of Read more…
The ratio of sheep to humans in Iceland is more than 2:1 in favor of the sheep. (Depending on the time of year, it can be nearly 3:1.) Denmark has a livestock population that nearly equals the human headcount. Many of our ancestors lived in a world of relatively few Read more…
The concept of a State Church is rather foreign today, especially here in the US where we try to have a firm barrier between Church and State. When we talk about a State Church, this implies that The Church (whatever religion that may be) is supported by the government. The Read more…
This is the Black Church of Budir in Iceland. We visited five years ago on a gorgeous blue sky day–very uncommon for Iceland! It lies on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. The unusual black color is from the wood being painted with pitch as a way to prevent damage from the salt Read more…
My dad passed away quickly and unexpectedly earlier this year. As I sat with my siblings and my mom that weekend, working through the list of immediate needs, writing the obituary became a priority. As a genealogist, I quickly volunteered to lead out on this project. While I definitely needed Read more…
Naming patterns are an excellent tool to support our family groups and feel confident that they are complete and correct. When children are born today, many new parents select a name for the child based solely on personal preference. The same does not hold true for our ancestors. Throughout Protestant Read more…
The town of Olafsvik lies on the northern coast of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula of Iceland. The population is only about 1000. I love this view of the town because it has all the elements of a classic Icelandic setting. The background is the beautiful mossy cliffs with a waterfall. Then Read more…