Aud the Deep-Minded

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For an earlier and more legendary Aud the Deep-Minded, see Auðr the Deep-Minded.

Aud the Deep-Minded (Old Norse: Auðr djúpúðga Ketilsdóttir; also known as Unn or Aud Ketilsdatter) (834-900 AD) was the second daughter of Ketil Flatnose and Yngvid Ketilsdóttir. She married Olaf the White King of Dublin. After Olaf's death, Aud's son Thorstein the Red embarked on a campaign of conquest in northern Scotland. When he was defeated and killed, the audacious Aud travelled the British Isles, marrying off her daughters to important landowners, until she finally settled near her brothers in Iceland, founding Hvammur í Skeggjadal (commonly translated as "Hvamm").

She figures in several Norse sagas, including Njal's Saga, Laxdaela saga, Saga of Eric the Red, and Grettis Saga.

Unlike most other Icelandic settlers Aud was a Christian and raised crosses on her land and prayed regularly on hills now called Krosshólaborg.

[edit] Sources

• The Saga of Eric the Red
• Grettir's Saga
• Laxdaela Saga

[edit] In popular culture

The original name of Buffy character Anyanka was Aud and writer Drew Goddard said her original name was inspired by her.

[edit] Bibliography

• Vicki León, Outrageous Women of the Middle Ages (1998, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 0-471-17004-6)