I hate to quote a Lady Gaga song but, Baby I was born this way.....

YUP. The craggy visage set in stone uplaoded with this blog just may be my 31st great grandfather. Meet Rollo the Viking. Like me, Rollo didn't start off a happy little daisy chuckin' grampa. See Below:

born c. 860 ? died c. 932) Scandinavian rover who founded the duchy of Normandy. After raiding Scotland, England, Flanders, and France on pirating expeditions, he took lands along the Seine River as his base (c. 911). He battled Charles II of France, who gave him, in return for Rollo's promise to stop pillaging, the part of Neustria that came to be called Normandy.

His kiddies in succession were Richard(s) I, II and III - Dukes of Normandy. Admittedly, the connection is a bit suspect - Supposedly Helena le Bon is the daughter of Richard II or Richard III but its conjecture - there is no historical written proof that I see. Helena married the oldest Hughes I can trace on my tree: Hubert Huse (1025-1066)

It would go far in explaining certain aspects of my personality - my adoration for anything Viking (starting in my early teens) my pagan overtones, that thing about dragons I have - and even my own boss calling me a Viking - and saying that I have a penchant for "hunt it down, kill it, clean up the mess and make something out of the hide" It would justify my salivation for "Beowulf" and my soft spot for Grendel. And it cracks me up to tell my family who are SURE they're of Welsh descent - that they're in fact pillagin' piratin' Viking stock. UFF DA! It would also validate the appearance in every generation I see of massive, fair to auburn haired, furry cretan males. My first born for example is about 6' 3" - 240 lbs - dark blonde with a read beard - blue eyed and can plough through anything in his path.

I can't help it. I find it humorous. It makes a chick chuckle. And finding a Rollo on my family tree is one of the things that keeps me going when the going gets full of dry census information and pictures of headstones.

Peace.