I've been reading a lot of various topics about genetic anomalies and decided to put some things together that I've been mulling over. However, I want to emphasize that the things I mention below are not limited to any particular class or race, it's just a few examples I'm using, based on research, that had me scratching my head and wondering what if.
First, through my genealogy research, I started, inadvertently, learning about history and genetics. I discovered that past royalty inbreeding or limited spouse availability, in earlier times, caused various genetic anomalies... some were often fatal... and these genes can show up down the line.
Then, after reading about Queen Christina of Sweden being considered an intersex (formerly known as hermaphrodite) person, along with some thinking that the first Queen Elizabeth may have had male pseudohermaphroditism, I started wondering, what if inbreeding may have contributed to intersex people? Why not? Anything's possible. Right?
I first heard about inbreeding through a 1966 movie called Hawaii. It had early 1800 missionaries explaining that siblings marrying, having sex, and murdering their deformed babies was a sin. To the Hawaiians, it was all normal. But afterwards, I began to learn that, since ancient times and with many civilizations, it was considered quite normal for royal siblings to marry and have children, including disposing of any which may have been seriously deformed.
I guess they didn't know how to put two and two together, back then. However, time has shown us that there is definitely good science behind the laws that prohibit siblings from having children. The risk for passing down a genetic disease is much higher than with first cousins.
As I continued researching, I read something about a Native American acceptance of a certain anomaly and wondered why. Was it done for a deeper meaning? For instance, what if newly instilled religious morals protected deformed babies from being murdered and then special names were created, for the afflicted, as compensation... to justify their deformities... a gift from God, so to speak.
For example, the East India girl with four arms and legs being called a goddess instead of a conjoined twin. Or, in the case of Diodorus Siculus (1st Century BCE) who described Hermaphroditus as having a physical body of a man and woman and who was able to foretell future events. Again, special names and talents... as a gift from God... or stories created due to genetic anomalies?
The reason I started wondering about this was because I discovered, while researching transgenders, that there are various culture names, which are used for people having confused genders (like "two spirit"), that have been around for eons. I wondered if it was possible that they may have had some form of deformed genitals or genetic anomaly, in the past, but murder wasn't an option and corrective surgery wasn't either. So, names were created to make them feel special... instead of an outcast in their small villages, tribes or communities.
Also, I read that some of these past royal's "noticeable deformities" may have been overemphasized. It seemed plausible to me. Isn't that how some myths begin? A little bit of fact mixed with a lot of creative writing. But, what if some anomalies weren't physically noticeable? With all that inbreeding, could some have had sexual abnormalities, like an intersex person? Possibly kept a secret for any number of reasons. It may explain why some couldn't have children, which may be a blessing in disguise... removing bad blood.
Yet, what if some royal children weren't from inbreeding and were actually produced via secret affairs and surrogates, in order for someone who was intersex to appear normal to the public or to produce normal children? After all, we know eons of deceit and hanky-panky ran rampant with some royalty, too. Maybe this too could have been a blessing in disguise... new blood.
Anyway, this is only some of my what ifs. Hopefully, you can see why I was having them. I felt it was interesting enough to share, because I'm one who seeks answers in order to remove fears and prejudices. I just think it's amazing the things one discovers, and the questions that are provoked, because of genealogy questions, which often lead to various paths of research, like history and genetics.
No comments:
Post a Comment