The story of Breeches-Aud is one of the more memorable tales in the Icelandic Laxdæla saga, a 13th-century book filled with strong female characters that were loosely inspired by women said to have lived in the 9th, 10th, and 11th centuries. Although the exploits of many people described in the sagas were embellished or even invented, the core details (genealogy, settlement locations, poetic evidence etc.) were deemed to have enough truth that later Medieval Icelanders, such as the chieftain Snorri Sturluson (c. 1179-1241), proudly and confidently traced their ancestry back to characters in the sagas. Whether or not the sagas were histories with creative license, historical fictions or pure folklore, they were feats of impressive storytelling and, as Icelandic stories go, the tale of Breeches-Aud was one of the more unique narratives.
Read this outrageously intertaining story of a tough Icelandic woman, HERE.
The heyday of the Viking age occurred
between the eighth and eleventh centuries. Yet, some Scandinavian
noblemen continued to embark on Viking-like activities well into the
twelfth century. Jarl Rognvald Kali of Orkney (r. 1137-1158) was one
such nobleman and he ironically was said to have gone raiding in the
Mediterranean while on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The Viking Age is a
well-documented period, with sources from multiple sides and viewpoints.
Viking Age kings wrote about their accomplishments on stone monuments,
and historians such as the Icelandic Snorri Sturluson (c. 1179-1241) and
the Danish Saxo Grammaticus (c. 12th-13th century) later narrated
events from the perspective of Norway and Denmark. There are also
substantial sources from the regions attacked by Vikings, such as
chroniclers based in the British Isles and France. With such a wealth of
information, much is known about the key figures from the Viking Age
and their exploits during that chaotic time. Yet, Viking Age
Scandinavians did not excel at only daring raids and bold
seamanship—they also had some of the most creative names in all of
Europe. We previously published an article listing ten fun and unique
names from the Viking Age, yet that was barely scratching the surface. Here are ten more fun names and a brief summary of their lives in the Viking Age.
Check out our new and improved list of extra Viking Age names, HERE.
