For a discussion elsewhere about the girls of County Mayo, Ireland, I
wonder if anyone, perhaps like Michel more versed in the Gaelic, can
give me a name for a very attractive color combination not uncommon in
the Highlands. These girls have jet black curly hair, very white skin
and blue eyes and I knew several of them when I was growing up in Oban,
Argyll.
--
James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland
Email, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not
Sorry about this but I posted this query a few hours ago and it has not
appeared on my browser.
>Hello All!
>
>For a discussion elsewhere about the girls of County Mayo, Ireland, I
>wonder if anyone, perhaps like Michel more versed in the Gaelic, can
>give me a name for a very attractive color combination not uncommon in
>the Highlands. These girls have jet black curly hair, very white skin
>and blue eyes and I knew several of them when I was growing up in Oban,
>Argyll.
Burdz !
--
http://www.ian-stewart.eu
Mna Na H'Eireann (Women of Ireland)
Nighean donn (brown-haired girl)
Cailean - girl
Caile-baleach - tomboy
Caile - jade /wench.
I think this must have been a poetic phrase you heard somewhere.
Seems to me that's an interesting combination, jet black hair, blue eyes -
what genetic source could that be? Obviously I don't know anything about
genetic sources.
I have known that combination in a Scotsman and the black hair was
recessive.
As you know, the first fit on New Year's day must be a man with jet black
hair.
Mine, for one. (Except he mentioned the hair had
to be curly, which let's me out.) Braindead Fred for
another (or perhaps it was "people in his family," I
can't recall just now).
> Obviously I don't know anything about genetic sources.
Picts. Although First Footers ought also to be Tall, yes?
> I have known that combination in a Scotsman and the
> black hair was recessive.
Pronounced Widow's Peak? And thick-ish fur All Over?
> As you know, the first fit on New Year's day must be
> a man with jet black hair.
"No Vikings In This House!" was the message that came from!
Awaiting My Black Bun,
The Phantom Piper
>> I have known that combination in a Scotsman and the
>> black hair was recessive.
Hair colour inheritance isn't quite as Mendelian as that...it's
a function of contributory allelles coding for eumelanin and
phomelanin respectively...the alleles for eumelanin are carried
on four different chromosomes (3, 4, 10 & one other...18 or
19, I think) for a maximum of 8 points of inheritance (a po-
tential of four from each parent). The ones for phomelanin
are less frequent and you can only inherit two of them from
your folks. The more eumelanin you have the darker your
hair. Phomelanin, which codes for red, can also be present,
but can be masked by eumelanin, so as to appear dark brown
or black...the natural colour of your hair depends upon how
many and what type of alleles you carry.
As far as genetic sources, there were probably many, but
I expect some of those eumelanin alleles arrived in the DNA
of Armada sailors.
Deirdre
________________
The visibility of an error is inversely proportional to the number
of times you have looked at it.
Picts. Although First Footers ought also to be Tall, yes?
> As you know, the first fit on New Year's day must be
> a man with jet black hair.
"No Vikings In This House!" was the message that came from!
**************************************
I haven't found any definitive info re hair colour of Picts or Celts.
I hadn't heard that First Footers should be tall - I would think just the
opposite.
Yes, the word appeared to be "Let no Viking be the first to darken my door
on New Year's Day".
I wonder if "first foot" is a practice in any other culture?
Thanks for that - I now better understand my family which is complete with
all colours of hair - blond, red and black.
It may also be relevant that The Netherlands was under Spanish rule in the
16th century.
Turns out that Wikipedia has an entry on it. Here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-Foot
"The first-foot is traditionally a tall, dark-haired male..."
"In a similar Greek tradition, it is believed that the first
person to enter the house on New Year's Eve brings
either good luck or bad luck."
Superstitiously,
The Phantom Piper
"In a similar Greek tradition, it is believed that the first
person to enter the house on New Year's Eve brings
either good luck or bad luck."
********
Please do not cross my threshold then............
"In a similar Greek tradition, it is believed that the first
person to enter the house on New Year's Eve brings
either good luck or bad luck."
**********************************
But not a Greek bearing gifts?
Better that than a Freak wearing Shifts!
<*Shudder*>,
The Phantom Piper
It is still in some parts of the Southern United States; as a child,
early on New Year's Day, I used to make a habit of being chased off
other people's front porches and doors as I was not First Footers
material--not being black haired or male...
O memories!
JML
reflecting on the past
Probably a good idea anyway, in your case, yes? */;~}
Waiting For The Movie Version,
The Phantom Piper
:On Dec 23, 7:25�pm, "Happy" <a...@b.c> wrote:
:>
:> Yes, the word appeared to be �"Let no Viking be the first to darken my door
:> on New Year's Day".
:> I wonder if �"first foot" is a practice in any other culture?
:>
:
:It is still in some parts of the Southern United States; as a child,
:early on New Year's Day, I used to make a habit of being chased off
:other people's front porches and doors as I was not First Footers
:material--not being black haired or male...
:
:O memories!
:
:JML
:reflecting on the past
:
I guess there's no accounting for tastes. Personally, if a statuesque
redhead (or even a wee short one) turns up on the doorstep on New
Year's Day, my impulse runs more toward inviting them in, taking their
coat, plying them with liquor, ...
--
"Adrenaline is like exercise, but without the excessive gym fees."
-- Professor Walsh, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
...or even Chloroform, in your case, as who'd have you
otherwise?
Nauseated At Fred's Date-Rape Fantasies,
The Phantom Piper
:On Dec 28, 10:49�am, Fred J. McCall <fjmcc...@gmail.com> wrote:
:>
:> ...my impulse runs more toward inviting them in,
:> taking their coat, plying them with liquor, ...
:
:...or even Chloroform, in your case, as who'd have you
:otherwise?
:
Projecting again, I see....
:
:Nauseated At Fred's Date-Rape Fantasies,
:
Poor Pillock. He doesn't understand the difference between 'social
lubricant' and Date Rape.
Or perhaps he's just jealous that he would get an entirely different
reception were he to turn up on my doorstep....
--
"You take the lies out of him, and he'll shrink to the size of
your hat; you take the malice out of him, and he'll disappear."
-- Mark Twain