Asturian-American Migration Forum

Art wrote:So, why are there so many blonds and some redheads in the north of the peninsula? Is it because of the Germanic heritage? There weren't many Nordic incursions were there?

My impression is that there aren't so many blonds neither redheads as it is usually assumed. It's correct that there are valleys and villages (in Asturies at least) where the roxa population is plentiful but I don't think they represent a notable % respect the total population.

On the roxos, it is believed that they come from the vikings who attacked the Asturian Kingdom in the IX century. I don't know whether is right or not but, e.g, it's right that there were some settlement in the peninsula; Povoa de Varzim in Portugal, where it was built a properous fishing community whose seamen were of nordic origin. Even nowadays it can be appreciated the typical scandinavian phenotype at the local people.

In Galicia, Cantabria and País Vasco; I didn't see many blond people.
Well, it's juts my impression and I can't assure anything because I didn't do any study on this subject.

That would make sense, Villamil. I think there was also a large impact of Vikings in Britian, Ireland, and Scotland. Perhaps red hair may have nothing to do with Celts!

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Eso tendría sentido, Villamil. Creo que también hubo un gran impacto de vikingos en Gran Bretaña, Irlanda y Escocia. Tal vez el pelo rojo tenga nada que ver con los celtas!

Maybe vikings, maybe some of the multiple waves of invasion by Germanic tribes (Suevi, Vandals, Visigoths, etc). And, of course, the celtic cultural influence along the Atlantic arc undoubted brought genes with it.