How long ago did the Maltese actually arrive in Malta from Sicily?

[Sikeliot]

Most Maltese have surnames that are still common in Sicily, mostly along the southern coast (Agrigento, Gela, Ragusa, etc) and Palermo. I have said so many times.

Modern Sicilians, being primarily Greek speakers until the Norman rule, would not have had surnames like Camilleri, Faruggia, Vella, Falzon, Portelli, Spiteri, Sacco, etc. until quite recently, i.e. the last 800 years, following the island being Latinized.

Maltese have been speaking the Maltese language (Siculo-Arabic) since the time of Norman rule of Sicily and Malta. These surnames are not Maltese surnames, they are Sicilian; thus they would not have arrived at the same time as the Maltese language did.

So, I would assume that most Maltese people's ancestors came to Malta from Sicily 500-800 years ago, after the island's Latinization.

Who agrees? Or who thinks something else?

[Selurong]

Most Maltese have surnames that are still common in Sicily, mostly along the southern coast (Agrigento, Gela, Ragusa, etc) and Palermo. I have said so many times.

Modern Sicilians, being primarily Greek speakers until the Norman rule, would not have had surnames like Camilleri, Faruggia, Vella, Falzon, Portelli, Spiteri, Sacco, etc. until quite recently, i.e. the last 800 years, following the island being Latinized.

Maltese have been speaking the Maltese language (Siculo-Arabic) since the time of Norman rule of Sicily and Malta. These surnames are not Maltese surnames, they are Sicilian; thus they would not have arrived at the same time as the Maltese language did.

So, I would assume that most Maltese people's ancestors came to Malta from Sicily 500-800 years ago, after the island's Latinization.

Who agrees? Or who thinks something else?

I agree. It's not farfetched. My ethnic group who's language I speak (but not my ancestors) came from the kingdom of Pannai in Sri-Vijaya.
And they're awesome!

(Padanglawas ruins)


Excerpts from Wikipedia:

Pannai, Panai or Pane is a Buddhist kingdom existed around 11th to 14th century located on east coast of Northern Sumatra. The kingdom was located on the Barumun River and Panai River valleys, today located in Labuhan Batu Regency and South Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Because of the scarcity of inscriptions and historical records, this kingdom is among the mysterious and least known polity in Indonesian history. Historian suggested that the Pannai kingdom was probably a principality or a vassal allied under the Srivijayan mandala and later to Dharmasraya kingdom. The historical records mentioning this kingdom can be found from Indian and Javanese sources.

Despite the lack of local historical records, on the upstream of these rivers however, 16 Buddhist Vajrayana temples were discovered. These temples today are known as Padanglawas temple compounds, one of them are Bahal temple. The place is most probably a religious-complex for warrior-monks of Kalachakra Tantra and they had a key role, being located mid-way in the Strait of Malacca in policing the trade within the area and repelling invading forces as well as providing spiritual guidance to any pilgrim from China, India or Nusantara. Considering that the maritime causeway is where 50% of the world's commerce passes through and has been the site of multitudes of battles, the role of the Pannai in maintaining world-commerce is crucial.

Really, Venice or Rome paled in comparison compared to the kingdom we had then. I mean hell it's located in the fucking strait of Malacca, the most hotly contested maritime route in the planet. Maintaining a state there is like maintaining a crusader kingdom in the midst of a Jihad, with constant attacks from all sides (which comes as a consequence of being a world-trade choke-point) And the Portuguese had this to say about us too...

"Whoever is lord of Malacca shall have his hands on the throat of Venice."
~Tom Pires

And we were exactly that. The Lords of Malacca, from at least the 900s to the 1300s.




That was until...

The Tamil invasion of Maharajah Rajendra Chola


In which case, those who refuse to bow-down to oppression or cock-suckery rebelled and re-established the Kingdom of Pannai elsewhere.



So if my ethnicity can travel kilometers of sea-way to reach Panay island from the ruined Pannai kingdom. The route from Sicily to Malta is even shorter than ours.



So it's completely real and possible that the Maltese people are Sicilians.

And...

Visayans > Sicilians

[Selurong]

Most Maltese have surnames that are still common in Sicily, mostly along the southern coast (Agrigento, Gela, Ragusa, etc) and Palermo. I have said so many times.

Modern Sicilians, being primarily Greek speakers until the Norman rule, would not have had surnames like Camilleri, Faruggia, Vella, Falzon, Portelli, Spiteri, Sacco, etc. until quite recently, i.e. the last 800 years, following the island being Latinized.

Maltese have been speaking the Maltese language (Siculo-Arabic) since the time of Norman rule of Sicily and Malta. These surnames are not Maltese surnames, they are Sicilian; thus they would not have arrived at the same time as the Maltese language did.

So, I would assume that most Maltese people's ancestors came to Malta from Sicily 500-800 years ago, after the island's Latinization.

Who agrees? Or who thinks something else?

Yes I agree with you. If the Sicilians had arrived earlier they would have been more of a Pre-Latin culture but Malta's culture is predominantly Latin.

[Sikeliot]

Also it had to be after Sicily was Latinized. Ie 1500

[Selurong]

Also it had to be after Sicily was Latinized. Ie 1500

But the migration is pretty late. Happening around the 1500s. That's already the tail-end of the Rinascimiento.

But I have a question? How much has the Sovereign Military Order of the Knights of Malta influenced Malta as a country or as an island?

Because they have great stories while they possessed Malta as their headquarters.

After six months of siege and fierce combat against the fleet and army of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, the Knights were forced to surrender in 1523 and left Rhodes with military honours. The Order remained without a territory of its own until 1530, when Grand Master Fra’ Philippe de Villiers de l’Isle Adam took possession of the island of Malta, granted to the Order by Emperor Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and his mother Queen Joanna of Castile as monarchs of Sicily, with the approval of Pope Clement VII, for which the Order had to honour the conditions of the Tribute of the Maltese Falcon.

In 1565 the Knights, led by Grand Master Fra’ Jean de Vallette (after whom the capital of Malta, Valletta, was named), defended the island for more than three months during the Great Siege by the Turks. The fleet of the Order, then one of the most powerful in the Mediterranean, contributed significantly to the ultimate destruction of the Ottoman naval power in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, led by Don Juan of Austria, half brother of King Philip II of Spain.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soverei...of_Malta#Malta

Lolz I find it quaint over how the Knights of Malta during that period. Where besieged by the forces of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent while here in Southeast Asia we were already punishing Sultan Saiful Rijal

It was during the reign of Sultan Saiful Rijal when the Castille War broke out. He faced two main problems which was that the Spanish wanted to spread Christianity and invade the Philippines.

From their base in Mexico, in 1565, the Spanish captured Cebu in the Philippines. They turned it into a trading post and a center for spreading Christianity and Hispanicization. Because of this, Spain's goals came to clash with those of their main rival, Brunei. Between 1485 and 1521, the Sultanate of Brunei had established the state of Kota Serudong (in modern-day Manila) as a Bruneian satellite state.[1] Islam was further strengthened by the arrival to the Philippines of traders and proselytizers from present-day Malaysia and Indonesia.[2] The multiple states that existed in the Philippines simplified Spanish colonization. In 1571 Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi founded Manila, which was made the capital of the Philippine Islands, also becoming a hub for spreading Christianity. The Visayans allied with the Spaniards had also worked hand-in-hand with them in assaulting Brunei.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castille_War

You meds and europeans are so weak. We held up far longer resisting Islamic rule than you guys.

The Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem lasted from only 1099 until 1291 whereas our Tantric Kingdom of Pannai lasted from the 11th to the 14th century. That's two more centuries than your best Crusader kingdoms.

I don't know why we stooped ourselves down to your weakling level and allowed ourselves to be Latinized. We would still probably beat the crap out of Sultan Saiful Rijal even without the help of the Latins or the Latinos.

(Lol sorry about the meanness bro.)

[Ianus]

Modern Sicilians, being primarily Greek speakers until the Norman rule, would not have had surnames like Camilleri, Faruggia, Vella, Falzon, Portelli, Spiteri, Sacco, etc. until quite recently, i.e. the last 800 years, following the island being Latinized.

Sicilians spoke a romance language after the roman rule, when Normans conquered Sicily Sicilians yet spoke a latin Language (also Arab and Greek were spoken, but were a minority)

For Malta, the Sicilian influence began after 1091, when Normans conquered the Island, until 1800 when was conquered by Napoleon and then by English.

[arcticwolf]

I knew Malta was French! Where is that punk?

[Empecinado]

Also it had to be after Sicily was Latinized. Ie 1500

Sicily was Latinized when the Norman period.

[Selurong]

Sicilians spoke a romance language after the roman rule, when Normans conquered Sicily Sicilians yet spoke a latin Language (also Arab and Greek were spoken, but were a minority)

For Malta, the Sicilian influence began after 1091, when Normans conquered the Island, until 1800 when was conquered by Napoleon and then by English.

Malta is a contested battleground area. It's only miles south of the island of Sicily which is at the center of the Mediterranean.

I want to be a tough and resilient Knight of the Order of Malta.
<3<> +

[Selurong]

I knew Malta was French! Where is that punk?

I think people from Malta are tough and resilient. The case with France is different. France has a big population which should have resisted attacks but Malta is sparsely populated and have to contend with forces far larger than itself. And quoting from Zhaoyon "Punches above it's weight class" (I.E. It's role in the battle of Lepanto. The small island being majorly responsible for destroying the Ottoman fleet)

Oh the heroism. Reminds me of our former deeds of crushing Admiral Zheng He's treasure fleet when they met us in battle. ^_^
My Knights are tough so don't say they're all Frenchy.