I thought it may be interesting to discuss
the backgrounds of OLO posters - just for
something a bit different. It would be interesting
to learn, what kind of heritages - each of us
has. I'll go first.
I've borrowed from the writings of author -
Al Zolynas whose heritage is the same as my own.

He writes in "Lituanus: Lithuanian Quarterly Journal
of Arts and Sciences," V. 49. No. 2, Summer 2003:

"I come from a tribe of nature worshippers, pantheists,
believers in faeries, forest sprites, and wood nymphs.
Who heard devils in their windmills, met them in the
woods, cloven-hooved and dapper gentlemen of the night.

Who named the god of thunder, who praised and glorified
bread, dark rye waving waist-high out of the earth, and
held it sacred, wasting not a crumb.

Who spent afternoons mushrooming in forests of pine, fir,
and birch. Who transferred Jesus from his wooden cross,
transformed him into a wood-carved, worrying peasant,
raised him on a wooden pole above the crossroads where he
sat with infinite patience in rain and snow, wooden legs
apart, wooden elbows on wooden knees, wooden chin in
wooden hand, worrying and sorrowing for the world.

These people who named their sons and daughters after amber,
rue, fir tree, dawn, storm, are the only people I know who
have a diminutive form for God Himself, "Dievulis," -
"God-my-little-buddy."

Any wonder I catch myself speaking to trees, flowers, bushes -
these eucalyptus so far from Northern Europe. Or that I
bend down to the earth, gather pebbles, acorns, leaves, boles,
bring them home, enshrine them on mantlepieces or above porcelain
fixtures in corners, any wonder I grow nervous in rooms and
must step outside and touch a tree, or sink my toes in the
dirt, or watch the birds fly by..."

What tribe do you come from?

Well look at it this way Foxy. Given another generation or so
about every 20 years, just 500 grandmothers ago, all our ancestors
were living in caves etc. (10'000 years)

In genetic terms that is a mere eyeblink!

Agriculture had yet to be invented, hunting and gathering was
the norm. Life was tribal.

Our natural instincts would still carry those genes.

Dear Yabby,

Not everybody lived in caves.

For example, Northern Europe is flat and caves,
if any are very rare. People lived in forests,
and used the timber ro build their homes.

Seriously though, this thread is not about
people - generally speaking, but about our
individual ancestry - and you haven't told
us a thing about where you - and your people
originated from.

How about it?

500 generations in to the future and she’s enjoying an incredibly long lifespan with little to do besides ponder history, her ancestors and her childless present state.

Not one single ancestor made it to any footnote in history, no cave drawings, no encounters with fairy folk, no starting or ending any wars, no invention worth a mention, no poetry or moments of cinematic magic, no incredible discoveries or heroic acts, no amazing abilities, no moments of fate, no tragedies or victories.

Over one thousand generations of women is her only remarkable claim to fame, one reproducing female in every generation going back to the beginning without deviation. The one pure feminine line left.

It is enough in this time of wonders, she is Queen.

And given that it was enough she had her ovaries destroyed in secret long ago. Of the longest and most unremarkable lines in history, she alone will be noted.

My tribe[ the only way to discribe them] came from Scottish, English Irish and lived in the bush outside our own little England.
Bowral.
We worked for cattle owners who spoke of England as home who knows how many generations came after those convict ships and what they did, generations of us.
These refugees too third generation Australians but thought, still do of England as home.
They call the sons after breeds of cattle Angus Brangus you know the stuff daughters seemingly of lessor importance got daisy or such named after the house cow, or is it the other way around?
I am the second generation of my tribe to refuse to tip my hat when passing or hold it over my heart if talking to this lost tribe.
Yes we may as well have chain marks as birth marks few of us wanted so many years ago to come and not one of us would even think of leaving.
The products of my parents , our tribe are wed to people from all over the world.
And can be counted as well over 400 just from mum and dads wedding 73 years ago.

Dear Piper,

Beautifully written - and very moving
- but, more please - much more -
about you...

Dear Belly,

Thank you. My in-laws are stud-farmers in
Quirindi, NSW. When my oldest son was born
they named a prize bull in his honour.
I was thrilled to bits by that. And, I wish
that I'd been given a name like Daisy.
Instead I was given a name that no one was
able to pronounce - and I got teased dreadfully
at school. I hated being different. Mum said
it was "character-building," but I sure as heck
could have done with a lot less "character,"
and more "charm" growing up.