Well, there are raiding parties on record around this period and afterwards and raping was a standard part of pillaging so it would be surprising if it didn't happen.
I don't know if there's any evidence either way about whether this is the reason a lot of Cornish people are dark-skinned, though. But I did know quite a few girls who looked Spanish enough to fool Spaniards, though, when I was younger.
I always suspected that, while the men of Mousehole and Penzance ran away, their womenfolk rowed or swam out to the Armada ships for a bit of R+R.
Seriously, though, the compact, dark swarthy Cornish type that crops up regularly bears little resemblance to the tall pale Celts as described by various ancient writers.. I wonder if they are descendants of a people who inhabited Cornwall BEFORE the Celts (or celtic influence). People who moved north from the mediterranean area as the ice receded after the last Ice Age, up to 9000 years before the Celts.....???
In some areas of Cornwall, German, Italian, Polish, Ukrainians and other nationalities stayed on after ww2, St Just area is typical, with its Kautes, Ongaros, Urbanskis, Cillos, Pastuchs etc...perhaps thats where Benetto came in?
Diane, this is off the top of my head, so I am not 100% sure. Bennetto, o ending as in Pasco, Kitto, Jago, it is the Cornish equivilant of s. Therefore the name is most probably Bennetts in English.
You're right about the plurals, angofbew. Pasco: children born around Easter time. Kitto: children of Kit (pet form of Christopher). Benetto is, I think, derived from a pet form of Benedict.
I've been stopped and asked directions on numerous occasions whilst in both Madrid and Barcelona, being mistaken for Spanish. The misses is always calling me a Spaniard.
Yeah your right Flamm, now you said it, I remember.
As far as I am aware, present thought is that the Celts are the original Inhabitants of Europe. I suppose we can all go back to that Little Woman in Africa who is the Granny of all Humans. I am not sure if the dark appearance of Cornish Folk really has any significance to Celtic Grouping. The Celts were a Linguistic and Socal grouping, not ever stated as a Race. Originaly called Keltoi by the Greeks. They never called themselves Celts, as i have said before. They would of gone by their Tribal names, Cornwall - Cornovii is one suggestion for our line.
I do not think we will ever know the truth about it. Celtic today is still a name we use to describe our Linguistic Group, and it's as good as any. So lets not get too caught up with Celtic and what it meant Historically so much.
You're right Angof, I expect there'll be a NEW theory before long.
I DO look forward to more and better DNA research, though, as that might 'add more bits to the jigsaw'
Reminds me of the Jethro story, where a female sex researcher was telling Denzil Penberthy that her research had shown that the best 'eqipped' men were American Indians, and the best lovers were Cornishmen. Denzil then introduced himself as "Tonto Trevaskis"..........
Talking of DNA research, did anyone see the Programm to do with that and Native Americans. Apparently there is a lot of European DNA in their Populace, which now disproves the Theory that they all came via a land bridge form Asia. They now reckon that about 14000 years ago, People from Europe travelled along the edge of the Ice during the Ice Age. Sounds feasible to me.
Well, there's also a theory that the vikings made it to the N American continent.......which takes us back to raping and pillaging........(Pastymaniac's fave subject!)
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