I’m researching for the third and final installment in the Danethrall Trilogy and I’ve found myself stumped. This happens frequently – being stumped – during research for my novels. -.- When I was writing RTF I literally spent days researching a single bridge in Francia, which ended up resulting in a single sentence, possibly two, in the novel.

I have read through tales of Aud’s life, scoured Google like a mad woman and posted this question on various parts of the internet but I can’t find any results (maybe I’m overlooking it because I’m tired/being blind, I have no idea.). I present to you my question:

Did Aud the Deep-Minded gain women the right to speak at the Thing in Iceland?

I read somewhere that Aud the Deep-Minded, after settling in Iceland after the death of her husband and son, was able to speak on her own behalf at the Thing due to not having any living male relatives. Women were usually not allowed to speak at the Thing, nor could they cast a vote or be a witness, but this article stated that Aud managed to convince the men in charge to change that law and allow widows with no surviving male kin to speak for themselves.

Unfortunately, I cannot find the source to this statement nor the place I read it. I was hoping someone might be able to shine a light on it (otherwise I’ll assume I’m just going crazy, haha.).

In the Laxdaela Saga, it states that Aud went to Iceland where her brothers, Helgi and Bjorn lived. Since she had two living brothers in Iceland that completely contradicts the whole ‘no surviving male kin’ thing, which leads me to believe the article I read was incorrect (whatever and wherever that article is.).

Maybe I really am just going crazy. Bleurgh.