Are you REALLY Celtic?

[gilmore]

I recently came across this:

From http://www.electricscotland.com/fami...2002/celts.htm

Paragraph 7:

"Because of the paucity of written records, the scope of Celtic settlement
across Europe has not been easy to establish. One feature already mentioned that
is strongly associated with Celtic blood lines is red hair; a great majority of
people in the world who have red hair will be found to have a Celtic ancestor.
But that feature is not uniquely associated with the Celts, so the spread of
Celtic people in such areas as present-day Germany and Scandinavia has not been
accepted by all authorities. During World War II, a discovery was made that only
recently has received meticulous research. A couple of doctors in medical
centers in England noticed that there was a feature of Scots and Welsh soldiers
wounded in battle that was not present with English, Germans, and other
nationalities. The former frequently had a big toe (or great toe) that was the
same length as the next toe; all others had great toes markedly longer. They
marked that down for research after the war ended, but it was only a few years
ago that definitive research was done that has led to a remarkable discovery.
They found that there were burial sites across Britain where the skeletons were
completely of one ethnic group, such as Celtic burial sites on islands along the
Scottish northwest coast, and pre-Celtic burial sites in southern England.
Results from studies of those burial sites showed that to a 95 probability
Celtic remains had a big toe the same length as, or shorter than, the next toe,
while pre-Celtic remains had a big toe longer than the one next to it. That
study was expanded to cover burial sites in other parts of Europe and Asia, with
the same results. Because the so-called Celtic toe can disappear after many
generations of intermarriage, it is not a necessary condition to having a Celtic
ancestor, but it is a sufficient one: if a person has the Celtic toe, he or she
is almost certain to be of Celtic descent."

So, gentlemen, pull off those brogues.

[Arlen]

I heard about this recently and it's one of those things that tends to be very, very true.
(For reference, my big toe is the same length as the other.)

Another good one is that native Scots/Picts/Britons have wider feet than those of Anglo-Saxon or Germanic heritage.
It's a technique archaeologists studying skeletons often use to determine if remains in the U.K are native peoples.

[gilmore]

My big toes are even shorter than my second toes. Does this mean I am more Celtic than you?

[McClef]

Like Gilmore my big toes are shorter too - we must be Super Celts!

[Colin]

My big toes are even shorter than my second toes. Does this mean I am more Celtic than you?

That makes 2 of us. I always referred to it as ET toes, but not it's my Celtic toe

I don't have red hair, but my beard is reddish...okay it was before it started turning grey.

[Drillagent]

I heard about the toe thing a few years ago. My first three toes are equal length. My hair (what little there is) is light brown, but my beard is a deep red. Never could figure that one out. Now I know.

Another good one is that native Scots/Picts/Britons have wider feet than those of Anglo-Saxon or Germanic heritage.
It's a technique archaeologists studying skeletons often use to determine if remains in the U.K are native peoples.

And this explains my problems finding shoes wide enough to fit my big feet.

[BoldHighlander]

I heard about this recently and it's one of those things that tends to be very, very true.
(For reference, my big toe is the same length as the other.)

I would think DNA testing would be a far more accurate measurement??

At any rate I had to unlace my lineman boots & then lace them back up!!

The second toe on my right foot curls slightly, so I have to actually force it straight to compare. It's very nearly the same length as my big toe, barely a fraction difference. My left big toe is slightly longer, but not by much.
Though I have (had) dark hair, like others I had reddish tints to it, & my people back in Missouri had a whole bunch of red heads.

Another good one is that native Scots/Picts/Britons have wider feet than those of Anglo-Saxon or Germanic heritage.
It's a technique archaeologists studying skeletons often use to determine if remains in the U.K are native peoples.

People in my family (including myself) have rather large & wide feet. Some have had to have shoes special made for them.

[Pleater]

I think I pass - my first three toes are very close in length, probably why many brands of shoe have a box which is closer to the shape of my foot rather than the shoes contained in it.

My big toe is a fraction longer than the second, but 1/4 inch at most.

I also note that my feet are far smoother than many other women - women being more likely to show their feet in public. The ligaments and joint seem to be far more prominent than mine, and also stiff - I can pick things up with my toes.

For some reason that really freaks out some people. Not that I do it on purpose. Not a bit.

[gilmore]

...
I also note that my feet are far smoother than many other women - women being more likely to show their feet in public. The ligaments and joint seem to be far more prominent than mine, and also stiff - I can pick things up with my toes.

For some reason that really freaks out some people. Not that I do it on purpose. Not a bit.

OMG, Celtic prehensile toes. Not something one sees every day.

[Yaish]

Right foot they are the same length. Left foot the second toe is actually just a bit longer thanks to breaking it when I was kid, and it healed bigger than it started.

It can make it tough to find sandals I can wear. If they have any sort of lip or ridge around the rim my second toe (my long toe) is likely to rub on it and blister.