What is Genealogy – Genealogy is a historical discipline dedicated to the study of the origin, evolution and kinship relationships between individuals and families, based on its own scientific methodologies, such as the critical and systematic analysis of documentary sources of various kinds.
In this article, we explain in simple terms what is genealogy and why so many people are dedicated to learning about their family history and their roots.
You can read the article in Portuguese | By Diana Carvalho, author of the online certificated course "Genealogy Course – Step by Step Methodology"
What is genealogy
The importance of historical sources
Not knowing historical sources and their importance is like trying to build a building with sand.
Historical sources are essential for genealogy and family history because they provide reliable evidence about past lives and family relationships.
Documents such as birth, marriage and death records, parish registers, census data, wills and notarial archives help confirm names, dates and places, allowing family histories to be built with accuracy.
Beyond facts, historical sources also reveal social context, traditions and patterns of everyday life, helping families understand not only who their ancestors were, but how they lived and how their stories fit into wider history.
What is Genealogy in the context of history
In the context of history, this area falls within the field of auxiliary sciences of history, maintaining close affinities with:
Heraldry (the study of coats of arms),
Palaeography (the study of ancient writing),
Diplomatics (criticism of sources), and
Faleristics (the study of decorations, medals, and other insignia of honour).
What is Genealogy as a legitimisation of power
National genealogical traditions in most countries, with deep roots, are closely associated with the formation of states, the influence of the Church and the social structures that have shaped countries over the centuries.
We will present some examples that illustrate what genealogy is, focusing on Portugal but with parallels in most European countries.
In the Middle Ages
Since the Middle Ages, genealogy has been used as an instrument of legitimisation of power and social status, as evidenced in 13th-century lineage books such as the Livro Velho de Linhagens (Old Book of Lineages) and the Livro de Linhagens do Conde D. Pedro (Book of Lineages of Count D. Pedro).
These texts, although imbued with mythical elements, were intended to prove the antiquity and prestige of noble houses.
In the following centuries
In the following centuries, with the progressive centralisation of royal power, genealogy took on a more technical and bureaucratic character, being used to demonstrate purity of blood and noble legitimacy.
This context favoured the production of systematic compilations, such as Felgueiras Gaio’s Nobiliário das Famílias de Portugal (Nobility of the Families of Portugal), a monumental work and an essential reference.
What is Genealogy as a means of legitimizing individuals
The processes of qualification de genere, vita et moribus, common in the late Middle Ages and during the modern period, represented a particularly relevant aspect of Genealogy, ensuring the verification of the legitimacy and moral conduct of candidates for ecclesiastical and public office.
These inquiries contributed to the creation of vast documentary repositories on families, while also reflecting the ideological and religious concerns of the time.
The Inquisition, especially in Spain and Portugal, also resorted to such procedures in the selection of its Familiares, whose appointment implied both social prestige and economic capacity.
What is Genealogy – 19th Century
During the 19th century, genealogy experienced a relative decline as a result of the advent of liberalism and the reconfiguration of social and political values. However, despite this, important works continued to be produced, demonstrating the continuing interest in the nobility and aristocracy.
What is Genealogy – 20th Century
In the 20th century, genealogy underwent a process of renewal and institutional consolidation that led to what is genealogy today.
For example, in Portugal, the creation of the Portuguese Institute of Heraldry in 1930 and the Portuguese Genealogy Association in 1986 gave it the structure, recognition, and academic visibility that it still enjoys today.
Later, the Association of Friends of Torre do Tombo has played a crucial role in preserving and enhancing the archival heritage that is indispensable to genealogical research.
What is Genealogy today
The progressive digitization of archives and the dissemination of online databases have democratized access to information, making Genealogy accessible not only to specialized researchers, but also to the general public.
What is Genealogy today – multidisciplinarity
In contemporary times, Genealogy in Portugal has taken on a multidisciplinary character, linking with History, Sociology, Demography, and Genetics.
What is genealogy – its role in rediscovering identity
Genealogy, beyond its academic and legal dimensions, plays a growing role in the rediscovery of identity.
What is Genealogy in relation to Intangible Heritage
It also plays an important role in the appreciation of cultural heritage, especially intangible heritage in its various contexts and levels, particularly in the rediscovery of family and community intangible cultural heritage. The study of family origins often leads to fascinating discoveries about habits, beliefs, customs (gastronomy, sayings and expressions, stories and proverbs, etc.) that are rediscovered or rethought as heritage to be preserved.
What is Genealogy in the understanding of history
Genealogical study, by reconstructing family histories and clarifying historical mobility, contributes decisively to the understanding of the collective memory and historical continuity of countries.
Based on increasingly demanding methodological rigor, genealogy is now established as a field of scientific research that is fully integrated into the historiographical universe, constituting an essential link between the past and the present, and a privileged tool for understanding social and cultural dynamics over the centuries.
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