It all started with a simple question from my son Bobby: "Dad, where do we actually come from?" That question sent me on a fascinating journey of discovery, leading to unexpected revelations, a deeper understanding of my heritage, and a glimpse into a past far more extensive than I had ever imagined. What began as mere curiosity quickly turned into an in-depth exploration of my family tree, revealing that my ancestry was intertwined with some of the most significant figures in history.
DNA vs. Family Tree Research: Two Very Different Methods
As I delved into my ancestry, I quickly realized that there are two main ways to explore family history: DNA matches and family tree research. Both offer fascinating insights, but they work in completely different ways and require different approaches.
DNA Matches: From a “Predictable” Story to a Global Perspective
At first, my DNA research seemed somewhat... boring. It showed that most of my genetic relatives were from Western Europe and Scandinavia—hardly surprising given my Dutch background. It felt almost too expected, as if my roots had always been neatly confined to these regions.
But as I looked deeper, I realized this was only the tip of the iceberg. These people—the Vikings, the Normans, the medieval nobles—didn’t just stay in one place. They were travelers, conquerors, merchants, and rulers, shaping history across entire continents. What seemed like a simple regional ancestry actually told a much larger, interconnected story.
Here’s a glimpse of where my DNA relatives are located:
- Netherlands – 2,936 matches
- United States – 1,856 matches
- Germany – 782 matches
- United Kingdom – 684 matches
- Denmark – 286 matches
- Sweden – 268 matches
- France – 234 matches
- Norway – 220 matches
- Belgium – 175 matches
- Turkey, Greece, and Israel – unexpected traces leading to Byzantine and Crusader ancestry
This was a wake-up call: My ancestors weren’t just from one place—they had roamed the world, shaping history far beyond what I had imagined.
Building a Family Tree: A Puzzle with Missing Pieces
While a DNA test provides a great starting point, it doesn’t tell the full story of how my family moved through history. For that, I had to build my family tree, which turned out to be an entirely different challenge.
Websites like Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, and MyHeritage offer extensive archives of historical records, but building a family tree is far from easy. Family lines almost never continue seamlessly, and many historical records are incomplete, inaccurate, or even contradictory.
Dates often don’t match up, names are misspelled, and key records are missing. I spent countless hours cross-referencing sources, reading old documents, and reconstructing family connections. But slowly, the puzzle pieces started coming together, and the discoveries I made were astonishing.
My Ancestors: From Viking Warriors to Byzantine Royalty
My journey led me to an impressive array of ancestors, spanning different time periods and continents. Here are some of the most fascinating figures I uncovered:
Rollo of Normandy (860-931, Normandy, France)
Rollo, also known as Robert of Normandy, was a Viking leader and the first Duke of Normandy. His descendants would later influence the English royal family through William the Conqueror. Rollo is my 27th great-grandfather, making him a key link to my Nordic heritage.
Charlemagne (742-814, Aachen, Germany)
Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, was the first Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and one of the most influential rulers in European history. He is my 32nd great-grandfather, and it is fascinating to see how far his bloodline has spread.
Wolfger van Amstel (1075-1131, Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Wolfger was a medieval nobleman and an early ruler in the Amsterdam region. His family played a role in the early development of the city. His descendants would later hold prominent positions in Dutch history.
Wala de Bobbio (754-836, Bobbio, Italy)
This name was a surprise. Wala de Bobbio was a medieval priest and scholar, connected to Charlemagne’s court and later associated with the Abbey of Bobbio in Italy. His intellectual contributions to the Carolingian Renaissance link my lineage to the world of medieval monasticism and scholarship.
Baldwin II of Jerusalem (1056-1131, Jerusalem, Israel)
One of the most unexpected discoveries was Baldwin II, a leader during the Crusades and the second king of Jerusalem. More importantly, he was one of the founders of the Knights Templar, an organization that has fascinated historians for centuries. It’s incredible to think that my bloodline connects to a figure so deeply embedded in both medieval warfare and myth.
Maria de Jerusalem, Princesse Byzantine (born Komnene) (1154-1217, Istanbul, Turkey)
Tracing my roots even further east, I found a direct ancestor in Maria Komnene, a Byzantine princess born in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). She was part of the Byzantine imperial family and later became involved in the Crusader states of the Holy Land. Through her, my ancestry ties into the grandeur of the Byzantine Empire, one of the most sophisticated civilizations of the medieval world.
What This Journey Has Taught Me
Beyond the impressive names and royal titles, this journey was mainly about understanding my family’s path—the challenges they faced, the lives they built, and the legacy they left behind.
These discoveries gave me a much greater appreciation for history, but also for my own life. The resilience and determination of my ancestors—from Viking warriors to Byzantine princesses—reminded me that the same strength runs through my DNA.
Moreover, this experience brought me and my son Bobby closer together. His curiosity sparked this entire journey, and sharing these discoveries with him has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
The Power of Family History
Whether you choose a DNA test or dive deep into archives to build your family tree, uncovering your ancestry is a journey worth taking.
What started as a simple Western European and Scandinavian story turned into a global epic, stretching from Viking longships to Byzantine palaces, from Crusader fortresses to medieval monasteries.
My search is far from over. If history has taught me anything, it’s that every discovery leads to new questions. And I can’t wait to keep exploring.
Pieter Vijgeboom
