In Search of a Founding Mother: The Case of Auðr djúpauðga in Sturlubók

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of the tale of Auðr djúpauðga Ketilsdóttir and her family in Sturlubók—a masterful piece of storytelling praising an exemplary female settler and founding mother. Sturlubók preserves a unique representation of Auðr djúpauðga. What emerges from Sturla Þórðarson’s redaction of Landnámabók is not only an unambiguous depiction of Auðr djúpauðga but also a portrait that differs significantly from the one found in Laxdæla saga.