Unearthed Secrets & Surprising Links: My iGENEA DNA Test Experience
Family name Moss
It was indeed an enlightening trip into the annals of history as my iGENEA DNA Test Report unfolded some startling facts about my surname, Moss. The past caught me by surprise, hurling unexpected turns about the historical path and origin of my surname. The surprising links and associations would make anyone take a trip down their family tree again.
My initial understanding was that my 'Moss' surname signified a family's topographical location, probably near a marsh or a peat bog, given the English meaning of the word 'moss'. On the iGENEA DNA testing, however, my predictions proved to be relatively far from reality.
According to the reports, the surname 'Moss' had a deeper historical lineage than being just an English topographical surname. It initially appeared as a patronymic surname during the eras of heraldry, signifying a 'son of Moses'. Stranger yet, my DNA Matching Matrix shows a strong connection with Sephardic Jews. My Moss family had strong Jewish ties that lived in Portugal and Spain until their expulsion in the late 15th century—a real surprise to me.
I was in disbelief about my genealogy's Jewish connection until the BioGeographical Analysis complemented the DNA Matching Matrix revelations. The analyses detected traces of a Sephardic Jew lineage, suggesting that my ancestors were indeed Sephardic Jews on their paternal sides, who later Anglicized their surnames after their migration to England.
The report also mentioned that my family descends from the incredible population of 'Crypto-Jews'. Concealing their religious beliefs, these Jews pretended to be Christians in public due to the unfavourable circumstances against Jews in their time. I am intrigued by their courage and strategy for surviving such hostility through conversion and re-conversion.
Another twist to the tale came as the test reported a distinct Viking gene not recurrent among the Sephardic Jews. This fact suggests an inter-marriage between a Viking and a Jew in my ancestral lineage, making the whole experience difficult to fathom yet fascinating.
The experience is akin to piecing together pieces of a historical puzzle. To conclude, the iGENEA DNA Test brought to the front not only surprises, but also provided an understanding of our ancestors’ survival strategies. The surname 'Moss', which seemed simple at first, turned out to be a gateway to a captivating historical journey. Mysteries unraveled, and my ancestral lineage turned out to be more exciting and diverse than I could ever imagine.
F. Moss