The tribe of Segni – Sygner

 

BACKGROUND

The Segui and Condrusi, of the nation and number of the Germans [Germani], and who are between the Eburones and the Treviri , sent embassadors to Caesar to entreat that he would not regard them in the number of his enemies, nor consider that the cause of all the Germans on this side the Rhine was one and the same; that they had formed no plans of war, and had sent no auxiliaries to Ambiorix. Caesar, having ascertained this fact by an examination of his prisoners, commanded that if any of the Eburones in their flight had repaired to them, they should be sent back to him; he assures them that if they did that, he will not injure their territories.

These tribes are referred to as the "Germani Cisrhenani", to distinguish them from Germani living on the east of the Rhine, outside of the Gaulish and Roman area. Whether they actually spoke a Germanic language or not, is still uncertain. The region was strongly influenced by Gaul, and many of the personal names and tribal names from these communities appear to be Celtic. But on the other hand it was claimed by Tacitus that these Germani were the original Germani, and that the term Germani as it came to be widely used was not the original meaning. He also said that the descendants of the original Germani in his time were the Tungri.^[3]

The general area of the Belgian Germani was between the Scheldt and Rhine rivers, and north of Luxemburg and the Moselle, which is where the Treverii lived. In modern terms this area includes eastern Belgium, the southern parts of the Netherlands, and a part of Germany on the west of the Rhine, but north of the Moselle, which was Treverii territory.

The specific location of the Segni, as can be seen from the brief mention of Caesar, quoted above, was between the Eburones and the Treverii, somewhere in the region of the Ardennes. The Condrusi, mentioned as living in the same area and being part of the same embassy to Caesar, are thought to have lived in the Condroz region in the north of the Ardennes.

In the 19th century, it was sometimes claimed that the name of the Segni is preserved in a modern town of "Sinei or Signei", on the Meuse river, in the Belgian province of Namur.¨

The Sygnir were a tribe in Western Norway who settled in the area known as Sogn. It is most likely that this area was settled by migrants from North West Europe, of Gaulish-Germanic descent.

Norwegian DNA Results

 

Either because of late glacial or of more
recent migrations the Norway Y chromosome gene pool
appears to be very close to present day Germans. In fact
the Fst and the Fst data indicate Germans and a few other
Central European populations as being the closest to the
Norwegians. When we compare our results with those
based on different polymorphic systems,9,17 we can infer
that these conclusions are also valid for Swedish, while
Finns and Saami had a quite different genetic history with
a great impact of Uralic Finno-Ugric speaking population.
The mtDNA polymorphisms had previously shown the
genetic closeness of Norwegians with Germans, based on the statistic r.8
Our data are consistent with this finding
and support the Y chromosome representation of a strong
genetic influence from central European groups, although
it is less quantifiable.

(Different genetic components in the Norwegian population revealed by the analysis of mtDNA andY chromosome polymorphisms)

 

According to Cavalli-Sforza, the closest related populations (By genetic distance) are: Germans (13), Dutch (13), Danes (14), Swedes (15), English (16).

 

 

 

NORWEGIAN Y-DNA HAPLOGROUPS

The Norwegian R1a varies between regions. It ranges from 13% in the South, to 19% in the South East near Oslo. It’s maximum is at 31% in Trøndelag.

This type can be split in several undergroups.

R1b is another major haplogroup. This ranges from 26% in Eastern Norway, and the North, to 44% in the West and South. One noticeable thing is that it is a lot more common near the coast than far inland.

I1 is the most common haplogroup on average in Norway, but it varies regionally. It’s lowest percentage is found in the West, 30%. In the North it is 34%. In the South, South East near Oslo, and Trøndelag it is 39-42%.

Halogroup N3 is found at 10% in the North, and a very low percentage in the East and South East. This haplogroup is typical of Finnic-Ugric speakers.

 

MY SUGGESTION TO HOW THESE HAPLOGROUPS CAME TO NORWAY.

 

R1b is also most common in Norway, although most common in the West and South, and more found near the coast then inland. I suggest that early settlers brought this type with them. These tribes, who migrated from the Continent abt. 400BC, settled mostly in the West, South and South East. This is the most R1b rich area of Norway. It is likely that these Germanic tribes also brought haplogroup I1 with them. This is the most common haplogroup in Norway. It is noticeable that this type is more common inland than near the coast. 

The  Norway Y chromosome gene pool
appears to be very close to present day Germans (Report by Cavalli-Sforza, 2007).

Tribes of the Goths came to Norway abt. 100AC. They brought the Norse religion (Asatrui). My thesis is that these people brought most of the R1a DNA (Particularly the M17 marker) to Norway.

 

The Raetians and Noricians

Cladius started building roads through the Alps to the Donau border 49AC. He deported the Norician leaders, a Celtic people also called Hades. The inhabitants of Noreia, Teurnia and several other cities were  deported 41-50AC. The Romans did they same in the province of Raetia (Modern Switzerland).

Dio Cassius wrote ca. 200AC about the history of the Roman Empire:

- Raetia had a large population of men who could fight and carry weapons, so the majority of military aged men had to be deported in order to make the area safer to travel through. Large areas were empty of people after the deportations. Cassius does not tell anything about were these people were sent, but those who were too old for military service, were used as slaves. (12). It is likely that they were sent where the Romans needed them the most.

 

THE EINANG STONE

Einangsteinen is a stone located in Slidre, Valdres (Norway). It’s got an inscription on it, written like this (translated into the latin letters):

DAGARTHARRUNOFAIHIDO

The Raetians and the Venetians used almost the same alphabet, but they used different languages. The Venetians started using points in between the words to seperate them. The Raetians dit not. That’s how you can see if an inscription is done by a Raetian or a Venetian. They inscription on the Einang stone haven’t got any points, it could be Raetian.

Ratroromansch is a language used by a minority in Switzerland today. By using a dictionary, one can seperate the sentence into the following words:

DA GARTHAR RUNO FAINIDO

Translation:

Da Garthar (Eng. Do watch , look after)

Runo (Eng. Field)

Fainido (Eng. Hay crop).

So the inscription means : DO WATCH THE FIELD AND THE HAY CROP

 

Professor Dr. Helmut Rix writes “It is certain to anyone who knows the alphabets used in Northern Italy the last centuries BC, that they are the source of the Germanic Runs.

Dr. Sybille Haynes writes “The Etruscan alphabet originated in Greece and spread to Central and Northern Italy, and northwards to the Germanic people, who called it Runs. “

(Sybille Haynes. Etruscan Civilization. British Museum Press 2000.)`

The inscription tell us about a people who had to leave a safe life in the Alpine valleys. These people risked their lives by starting from scratch. If the crop failed, the cattle would die, and the humans would follow. That’s why they prayed to their gods for assistance.

 

DID THE RAETIANS SETTLE DOWN IN NORWAY?

The –ar ending in “Garthar”, suggests that the dialect is from Lower Engadin. The dialect and the valley is called Vallader, which sounds a lot like Valdres, the valley in Norway.

The Romans annexed Raetia and the kingdom of Noricium during the reign of Keiser Augustus 15AC. He had roads built through the Alps to the Donau border. To make this area safer to travel trough, the Romans deported most men who could carry weapons. (Dio Cassius Cocceianus: Historia Romana LIV, 22.)

These men were trained as soldiers and a lot of them were sent to the support troops in England. The Raetians were common members of these troops.

Soldiers retired after 25 years of service. They were given a Roman citizenship, and the choice of a lump sum of money or a piece of land. Those who chose the latter were given it, where the Romans wanted a Roman-friendly population. The Raetians settled down in England, Norway, West-Sweden, Jutland (Denmark), Northern Germany and Holland.

The inscriptions at Einang could have been made by a Raetian who, after finished millitary service got a piece of land there. After the work of clearing the land, he would inscript a prayer to the gods. He would know the latin alphabet, being a Roman soldier.

The inscriptions in the Furtharch alphabet are found all over Norway. That means that these soldiers where placed all over the country.

Archaeological discoveries of soldier graves with Roman weapons are found in Norway. The weapons are those  of a Roman support troop. It is unlikely that they were native Norwegians. A Roman support soldier could not have been a slave, and a Roman citizenship was necessary in order to be recruited. The Romans would also avoid using a country’s native inhabitants as soldiers, fighting against their own people (21).

 

RAETIAN VERSUS NORWEGIAN LANGUAGE

A language and place names can tell a lot about where a people has got its origins. The spelling and pronunciation do vary a lot between countries and even regions. But with a little bit of local knowledge, connections can be found. Here are some examples of similar sounding words in Raetian Romansch and Norwegian.

Raetian / Romansch	Norwegian	Meaning
Schliere	Slidre	Where two valleys meet
Baito	Beito	Cabin
Lej Ra	Leira	Where a lake ends
Bagno	Bagn
Ble	Blefjell	Ble – moor
Godbrenta	Gudbrandsdal	Forest valley
Lescha	Lesja	Entrance (door)
Tovre	Dovre	Windy place
Ota	Otta	Upper
Sel / Sil	Sel	Forest
Vaugod	Vågå	Where you cross a river
Sio-ch	Skjåk	Upper or highest
Vriun	Fron	Place of defence
Vintsra	Vinstra	Area – Val Venosta
Laugen	Lågen	River
Vaz	Vats	Place in Graubunden
Savogn / Sogn	Sogn	Sacred place
Peis	Peis	Fireplace
Vad / Vau	Vad	Where you cross the river
Bläss	Bless	White spot to mark the animals
Brascha	Brasa	Fire
Buordi	Byrde	Burden
Cherin	Kjerring	Wife / woman
Korv	Korp	Raven
Crösch	Krok	Crook or latch
Fliar	Fli	Getting dressed
Ingün	Ingen	Nobody
Maugliar	Maule	Eating
Muoch	Møkk	Dirt
Mort	Mørkt	Dark
Rar	Rar	Funny
Regla	Regle	Rime
Dret	Rett	Straight
Ria	Ri	Ride
Sön	Søvn	Sleep
Squit	Skvett	A little of milk or water
Cratschlar	Skrasle	Laugh
Stachar	Stakkar	Poor person
Tagliar	Telje	Axe
Trev	Trev	Beams
Truoch	Tråkk	Path
Ovazun	Ofsen	Overflow
Biestga	Beist	Animals
Vurdar	Vurder	To think
Trel	Træl	Someone who struggles
Scurv	Skurv	Hill
Schmievler	Smuler	Crumpets
Stizi	Sti	Path
Rond	Rondane	The big mounains
Fil	File	A mountain with a road through
Egga	Egga	Edge
Juf	Juv	Very narrow valley
Fly	Flya	Mountain Plateu
Eng	Eng	Field
Quinda	Kvinda	River name (Amden, St. Gallen)
Seere	Sire	A place with two farms
Grut	Grøt	Place name
Windeg	Vindegg	Place name

 

Sources:

Bok a. : Oscar Peer: Dicziunari rumantsch ladin – tudais-ch.
Lia Rumantsch, Chur, Sveits. 1968.
Bok b. Reto Bezzola u. Rud. Tönjachen.
Dicziunari tudais-ch – rumantsch ladin. Lia Rumantscha 1944
Bok c. Bernardi, Decurtins, Eichenhofer, Saluz, Vögeli :
Handwörterbuch des Rätoromanischen.
Societa Retorumantscha und Verein f. Bündner Kulturforschung.
ISBN 3-907-495-57-8.

 

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Norway – The Earliest Settlers