Gem And From Russia With Love

JOHN THURSTON is back and eager to discuss Western Martial Arts, especially relating to its history.

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JOHN THURSTON
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Gem And From Russia With Love

Post by JOHN THURSTON »

HI:

Sorry to be absent so long.

It is a little known fact (or belief on my part) that the Romanoffs had a strong Nordic Bloodline.

It is a known fact the, aside from their other hobbies (such as regukar settling, depredation, rape and pillage of most of coastal Europe and the British isles, including Ireland,) many scandinavian ---ah----adventurers, traders, conquerors and settlers also made their way into what is now Russia, Ukrraine. the Baltic States and Belorussia, by various means, some as traders , some as warriors and some as conquerrors.

They provided the recruits of the Varangarian Guard (equivlent to the Swiss Guard of the Papacy) who guarded the later Emporers of the East. They referred to Constantinople as "Miklagaard".

Normandy, for a paralell example, and the Scandivinavian mini Kingdoms of Dublin and Limerick (a very loose characterization ) were "VIking" and the Viking territorial and control aspirations in Ireland were not fully and more or less finally until Ireland's "King Arthur"; Brian Boru, King of Leinster, was able to from a temporay high Kingship (the "Tara King") in Ireland long enough to defeat a major Invasion of Ireland by an assortment on scandivaian leaders, adventurers and raiders at the battle of Clontarf around 1034 AD (a land sea affair in Eastern Ireland i think).

He lost his own life and the life of his oldest son.(the last is questionable but his line did not long survive this victory)

It is doubly Ironic that what the invasion of Ireland by the Normans,s DID do and what the English and Romans never managed, a complete conquest of Ireland, was carried out by the kin of the conquerors of England , also obviously of Scandinavian descent, but now Catholic and speaking Norman French, was a conquest of Ireland within 50 years of Hastings.


In any event I have the STRONG feelings the the Romanoffs' gene pool was replete with Scandinavian genes.....

I admit that my knowledge of the same type of the various Northern incursions and trading networks in Russia et al. is fairly limited.

Perhaps the adoption of a strong line of rulers, partially scandinavian or not, was a relief to the slavic Russian people who had suffered long and hard under the Mongol Yoke.

For a musical commentary on this terrible period see the movement entitled "Russia Under the Mongol Yoke" in Prokfieffs Symphonetta "Alexander Nevsky".

For a rough history and view on Mongol incursions into Russian read "Until the Sun Falls" a novel of the Mongol conquest of Russia.. A code called the "Blue Sky" was a sort of the "Hagakure" equivlent for the Mongols, although it was not commited to writing as far as I know.

But perhaps the strongest proof on my mini theory lies in surname dissection and photographic evidence from a much later time eg: Mattson,
Matthewson, Mattisson, and the like.

A telling piece of evidence (to me) as to assimilated Northman power in Russia can be obtained by finding a book on World War I, viewing photographs of Tsar Nicholas II therein and simply visually comparing the pictures of the last Tsar to one of GEM.

They could be brothers based on this pictorial comparison.

Perhaps GEM has the blood of Nicholas or of the lost daughter of Nicholas (Anstasia) his running in his veins.

Also, many Russians of the Nobility fled to Europe after "the Red October" revolution of 1917.

It would come as no surprise, of course, if many of the nobility were related to the Line of the Tsars.

Look at the facial and body structure remblance, do research, refute me!!!

Many of us dream that some, one, or a great numbers of kings and nobility (although I am sure GEM cares little for this type of dreaming) run in the unknowable history of our antecedents

I must say I am not intending to curry any favor from anyone in this thread, but it is a theory that has long tumbled in my mind.

JT
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One thing I'm sure of John...

Post by gmattson »

I'm a "mongrel".

Tia has more "breeding" than I do. :)
GEM
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Family Resemblence

Post by JOHN THURSTON »

Hi Gem:

I am sure, but I found the physical resemblance quite intriguing, if accidental.

Besides, few Americans can trace their family tree back beyond their grandfather, and you may well have a piece of the bloodline and have no clue.

I know I don't about mine except to say Thurston also has many variations (Thurstan, Turson. Thureison) probably stema from "Thor's Son".

Despite the name's is undeniably of "Nordic" origins. I am as much a mongrel as any here, but some characteristics reoccur, I think.

I just don't have any Royal pictures to point to.

All intended in good humor as a comment on the "coincidences" of life on this planet.

My antecedents came from the maritimes, but my guess, considering the more common occurence of the family name outside of Boston in the New England area and, given the fact that Tories in the Boston area were distinctly 'persona non grata' as Boston was a veritable hotbed of left wing revolution in 1775, there is a "possibility" that somewhere back there a "Thurston" was politely asked to vacate the area.

Most of these "Political Refugees" ended up in the Maritimes, some departing Boston as late as "Evacuation Day" when the British were forced to leave Boston (Same day as St. Patrick's day) in 1775 by Washington upon the emplacement on Dorchester heights of heavy guns seized from Fort Ticonderoga . For a Parallel read Kenneth Robert's "Oliver Wiswell".


These emplacements dominated Boston and probably were in the vicinity of St. Elizabeth's hospital as that "seems" to be the high point of the heights in Dorchester. As an aside, Boston was a city of seven hills, as was Rome, but several of them were leveled to fill in "the Back Bay"

Besides, was it not an excellent way to get a few readers and cover some historical ground?

I just do not have any pictures from that era to buttress this thought.



JT
Last edited by JOHN THURSTON on Sun Jan 29, 2006 4:03 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by f.Channell »

John,
I know of my great grandparents and have been to their graves in the last 6 months or so. I didn't realize one of my great grandparents was buried not only in this country but nearby.
The other my great grandfather was killed by the Germans in WWI and the pursuit of his records I must carry out in Scotland. Unfortunately the nazi's destroyed 80% of these records bombing England in WWII.

It has been interesting discovering remnants of the past. Most people perhaps don't know there were city directories which are similiar to phone books and so if you know where relatives were living you can look them up for their address. I found relatives online dating back to the 1860's in Nova Scotia. One can then go looking for baptism records which many places have dating back hundreds of years.
Currently I can tell you when and how my great grandparents died with complete medical records which may tell with some certainty what ailments I should be watching out for.

F.
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A Joy!!

Post by JOHN THURSTON »

Sensie Fred:

What a joy to hear from you.

Come down and visit!

My antecedebts are from Nova Scotia noted, and to further back would, as in your case, require a trip overseas. I APOLOGIZE for misstating theywere from the maritmes.l.

If you want I shall give an example of the feelling of "someone walking one one's grave."

I traced some Thurstons to Tenessee.

Otherewise the first JohnThurston I found was a John Thurston who came from Suffolk England and settled in Medfield Mass. in 1659.

Despite the nordic sounding name, many of the folk carrying this name were Scots who May have fled to New England and the the Maritimes after Culloden.

A group sf frontiersman with this surname left Tennesee and "jined" up with Colonel Austin at the time ofo the Texas revolution which I beleive was in 1836. Also, Many Scots joined with Crocket, Austin and Travis by at other times.

Their major antangonist, as you may recall was General Antonio y Lopez de Santana.

In any event, related or not, one of the casualties at the Alamo was one unfortunate John Thurston.

Imagine the odds,

My branh apparently fled back to the Settlement/refuge/stongho;d the the Scots Clan Maitland in Nova Scotia, aka( Port Maitland---so I doubt the JT of San Antonio de Behar was anywhere near closely related.

Thanks for your post and I hope to see you soon.

I was fortunate ehough to visit my great grandparents graves in Port Maitland whne I wass hunting there in the Mid 70's.



JT
Last edited by JOHN THURSTON on Sat Jan 28, 2006 4:38 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Post by f.Channell »

John,
You could look up some old relatives in these.

http://www.collectionscanada.ca/canadia ... dex-e.html

I found a few of mine. Going back to the 1860's.

Fred
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John.. You piqued my interest

Post by gmattson »

So I looked up "Tsar Nicholas II" and guess where I found him? Under "Dictator of the Month"! :)

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Yep

Post by CANDANeh »

:lol:
Léo
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Yesblamce

Post by JOHN THURSTON »

Beatifful Genteleman.

Naturally that would be the case as my contention remain that he resembles you.


:)

And you would by no means of the qualify as a dictatorial type. Also, Nicholas was trying to reform his government, but I am not sure he could have done it in time. It was one war when the undermining of the opponent's power from within worked well..

Besides, the origin of the position "dictator' lies in Roman times as a "dictator" would be elected (???) to centralize control.

One such Dictator of a "Fabius Cuntator" (fabius the delayer) whose delaying tactics were at least partially responsible for the eventual defeat of Hannibal.

Hannibal had to, like it or not, leave the Italian Penisula as Fabius had directed the sealing of roads around Hannibal's army, the fortification of all major cities and towns, the supply of same by sea and by stealth, the hoarding of supplies theirein etc.. Such de facto 'scorhed earth" tactics, and the destructution of Hannibal's brother's (Hasdrubal)'s releiving army. and patience seemed to make Pome's victory inevitiable. I calculate the at least 150, laboriosuly trained Legionaries died in this Punic War, 80,000 alone a Cannae.

Later in the campaign, after Fabius was mad "dicator" Hasdrubal's head (Hannibal's brother, signifying the destruction of the relief Army from Carthage, was tossed into Hannibal's camp at night, which camp remained more or less flexibily surrounded by the Romans during it's remaining stay.

When Hannibal decided to departed Italica, lacking supplies, forage, and replacements, the Romans simply let him leave.

"Ave Fabius Cuntactator"!!!!

JT

Best

JT
Last edited by JOHN THURSTON on Sat Feb 04, 2006 1:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Family Resemblance

Post by JOHN THURSTON »

at this point I have only the remblance to make my case on.

My research into my own for bears produced similar results. Emigration to New Englang, Some travel South and settlement there.

But I am going to keep digging all the same.

.

JT
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Nicholas II

Post by JOHN THURSTON »

GEM:

I never thought of Nicholas II as an enthusiastic despot.

He was expected to be, but didn't make the grade, nor did he dare try to inplement reforms during that bitter stage of the war prior to the 1917 Revolution after which he and his family were summarily executed.

This shocked western Republics and/or Consitutional monarchies greatly.

His replacements (the Bolsheviks. which meand "minorty group") were inclined to eliminate their political opponents. They were more effective at that than nearly anything else. Crops could fail, but the population of the Gulags grew relentlessly, and the body counts of political opponents never slowed until the death of Stalin..

Stalin said: "no man--no problem", he believed that.

More later.

JT
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