Sunday 31 October 2010

Hanes Môn: Anglesey's Ghengis Khan?

A 2003 study discovered through DNA analysis that as many as 8 percent of the male inhabitants of Asia are probable descendants of Genghis Khan, the Mongol warrior emperor, leader of the Golden Horde, and founder of an Empire that stretched from Central Asia all the way to gates of Vienna. However due to his even more considerable conquests with the opposite sex, it is estimated that Ghengis Khan has roughly 16 million male descendants -- i.e. half of one percent of the entire male population of the world.

What has this got to do with Ynys Môn? Well, take a look at this inscription from a tombstone at Eglwys Tregaian, near Capel Coch:


William Ap Howel may not have conquered half of Eurasia, but I wonder how many of us Islanders are descendants of this clearly extraordinary man?

(Hat tip: Photonic Anglesey)

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

The place was previously called "Capel Cock"...

Anonymous said...

if it was a female under discussion just imagine the reputation she would have.
Dazzler

Anonymous said...

It is no surprise....it is a known fact that even then, the Welsh sperm count was higher than the English.

Anonymous said...

nice to see druid posting stuff on here from his other Blog ! lol

Paul Williams said...

Anon 13:39 - I can assure you this is my one and only blog.

Anonymous said...

got your number mate , slipped up but do you know where it is to delete it ? (Don't worry I won't let on ;-)

Nooka said...

Living to 105 in the 1500s is no mean feat. It may be that high child mortality rates bring down the average life expectancy usually said to be less than forty years, but nevertheless this gentleman reached a ripe and no doubt active old age.
Does anyone know anything else about Mr Ap Howel?

Anonymous said...

his nickname was Stallion
dazzler

Photon said...

It would be a good (and challenging) project for some funding from somewhere.

Anonymous said...

In this part of Anglesey he was called Hywel y coc, but now as his descendant I'm called Huw cwd.

Anonymous said...

Like any rural community, there's always been a light ribbing of those from the Island they were inbread's. Now there's inconclusive proof!!