Aud the Deep-Minded
Encyclopedia
Aud the Deep-Minded (834–900 AD) was an earlier settler in Iceland
.
, and Yngvid Ketilsdóttir, daughter of Ketill Wether, a hersir from Ringarike. Aud married Olaf the White
(Oleif), son of King Ingjald, who had named himself King of Dublin after going on voyages to Britain
and then conquering the shire of Dublin. They had a son named Thorstein the Red
. After Oleif was killed in battle in Ireland
, Aud and Thorstein journeyed to the Hebrides
. Thorstein married there and had many children; he also became a great warrior king, conquering over half of Scotland; however, he was killed in battle after being betrayed by his people. After this happened Aud, who was at Caithness
, learned of her son’s death and built a Knarr
, a Viking era ship commonly built for Atlantic voyages. She did this secretly in the forest possibly because women were not allowed to be in possession of these ships, or because she did not want anyone to know that she was building one. After its completion, Aud sailed to Orkney. There she married off one of her granddaughters, Groa, the daughter of Thorstein the Red. Aud then set off for Iceland
.
On her ship were twenty men, all of whom were free, but she was still the leader of them, proving that she was respected, but also that she was strong-willed enough to command a ship alone without the help of a man. She also a great deal of other men on her ship, who were prisoners from Viking raids near and around Britain. They all came from good families, and were called bondsmen. Aud gave these men their freedom once they were in Iceland, making them freed-men, a class between slave and free, where they were not owned, but did not have all the rights of a free man. She also gave them all a great deal of land to farm on and make a living. One of these men was Vifil, who was given Vifilsdal, part of Hvammur í Skeggjadal (commonly translated as "Hvamm"), the area in which Aud settled. When she arrived in Iceland, she claimed all the land in the Dales (Dalasýsla) between the Dagverdara and Skraumuhlaupsa.
Aud is a very important figure in Icelandic history because she was one of the first settlers and claimed a great deal of land. However, more importantly, is the fact that she did this and was a woman. Women did not have all the capabilities of men at the time, but Aud was a very important figure for her time, as her name would suggest, and she took control of her circumstances, and became one of the legendary settlers of Iceland. Unlike most other Icelandic settlers Aud was a baptized and devout Christian. Aud put up crosses on her land and prayed regularly at Krossholar hill, now known as Krosshólaborg.
, Njal's Saga
, Laxdaela Saga, Eyrbyggja Saga
, Eiríks saga rauða and Grettis Saga
.
in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series) was Aud. Writer Drew Goddard
said that this name was inspired by Aud the Deep-Minded.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
Biography
Aud was the second daughter of Ketill Flatnose, a Norwegian hersirHersir
A hersir was a local military commander of a hundred and owed allegiance to a jarl or king. They were also aspiring landowners, and, like the middle class in many feudal societies, supported the kings in their centralization of power. The hersir was often equipped with a conical helmet and a short...
, and Yngvid Ketilsdóttir, daughter of Ketill Wether, a hersir from Ringarike. Aud married Olaf the White
Olaf the White
Olaf the White was a viking sea-king who lived in the latter half of the 9th century.Olaf was born around 840, possibly in Ireland. His father was the Hiberno-Norse warlord Ingjald Helgasson...
(Oleif), son of King Ingjald, who had named himself King of Dublin after going on voyages to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and then conquering the shire of Dublin. They had a son named Thorstein the Red
Thorstein the Red
Thorstein the Red or Thorstein Olafsson was a viking chieftain who flourished in late ninth-century Scotland. He was born around 850 AD and was the son of Olaf the White, King of Dublin, and Aud the Deep-minded, who was the daughter of Ketil Flatnose...
. After Oleif was killed in battle in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Aud and Thorstein journeyed to the Hebrides
Hebrides
The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
. Thorstein married there and had many children; he also became a great warrior king, conquering over half of Scotland; however, he was killed in battle after being betrayed by his people. After this happened Aud, who was at Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
, learned of her son’s death and built a Knarr
Knarr
The Knarr is a Bermuda rigged, long keeled, sailing yacht designed in 1943 by Norwegian Erling L. Kristofersen. Knarrer were traditionally built in wood, with the hull upside down on a fixed frame, then attaching the iron keel after the hull was completed. The hull planks were manufactured with...
, a Viking era ship commonly built for Atlantic voyages. She did this secretly in the forest possibly because women were not allowed to be in possession of these ships, or because she did not want anyone to know that she was building one. After its completion, Aud sailed to Orkney. There she married off one of her granddaughters, Groa, the daughter of Thorstein the Red. Aud then set off for Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
On her ship were twenty men, all of whom were free, but she was still the leader of them, proving that she was respected, but also that she was strong-willed enough to command a ship alone without the help of a man. She also a great deal of other men on her ship, who were prisoners from Viking raids near and around Britain. They all came from good families, and were called bondsmen. Aud gave these men their freedom once they were in Iceland, making them freed-men, a class between slave and free, where they were not owned, but did not have all the rights of a free man. She also gave them all a great deal of land to farm on and make a living. One of these men was Vifil, who was given Vifilsdal, part of Hvammur í Skeggjadal (commonly translated as "Hvamm"), the area in which Aud settled. When she arrived in Iceland, she claimed all the land in the Dales (Dalasýsla) between the Dagverdara and Skraumuhlaupsa.
Aud is a very important figure in Icelandic history because she was one of the first settlers and claimed a great deal of land. However, more importantly, is the fact that she did this and was a woman. Women did not have all the capabilities of men at the time, but Aud was a very important figure for her time, as her name would suggest, and she took control of her circumstances, and became one of the legendary settlers of Iceland. Unlike most other Icelandic settlers Aud was a baptized and devout Christian. Aud put up crosses on her land and prayed regularly at Krossholar hill, now known as Krosshólaborg.
Primary sources
Aud figures in several Norse sagas, including; LandnámabókLandnámabók
Landnámabók , often shortened to Landnáma, is a medieval Icelandic written work describing in considerable detail the settlement of Iceland by the Norse in the 9th and 10th centuries AD.-Landnáma:...
, Njal's Saga
Njál's saga
Njáls saga is one of the sagas of Icelanders. The most prominent characters are the friends Njáll Þorgeirsson, a lawyer and a sage, and Gunnarr Hámundarson, a formidable warrior...
, Laxdaela Saga, Eyrbyggja Saga
Eyrbyggja saga
Eyrbyggja saga is one of the Icelanders' sagas. The name means the saga of the inhabitants of Eyrr, which is a farm on Snæfellsnes on Iceland. The name is slightly misleading as it deals also with the clans of Þórsnes and Alptafjörðr. The most central character is Snorri Þorgrímsson or Snorri goði...
, Eiríks saga rauða and Grettis Saga
Grettis saga
Grettis saga is one of the Icelanders' sagas. It details the life of Grettir Ásmundarson, a bellicose Icelandic outlaw.- Overview :...
.
In popular culture
The original name of the character Anya JenkinsAnya Jenkins
Anya is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She also appears in the comic book series based on the television show. Portrayed by Emma Caulfield, the character appears as a guest star in the third and fourth seasons of the show before...
in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series) was Aud. Writer Drew Goddard
Drew Goddard
Drew Goddard is an American film and television screenwriter and producer best known for his collaborations with Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams .Goddard joined the crew of Lost as a freelance writer for the first season in 2004...
said that this name was inspired by Aud the Deep-Minded.
Other sources
- León, Vicki Outrageous Women of the Middle Ages ( John Wiley & Sons, 1998) ISBN 0-471-17004-6
- Jones, Gwyn A History of the Vikings (London: Oxford Univ. Press, 1984)
- Sigurðsson, Gísli The Medieval Icelandic Saga and Oral Tradition: A Discourse on Method (Cambridge, MA: Harvard U.P., 2004)
- Jochens, Jenny Women in Old Norse Society (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1995)