Auðunn illskælda

Who is Auðunn illskælda?

Auðunn illskælda was a Norwegian 9th century skald. Skáldatal lists him as one of Harald Finehair's skalds. Egils saga Skallagrímssonar notes that he was Harald's oldest skald, and had earlier been a skald for Harald's father Hálfdan svarti. He was called illskælda because he had once in a drápa about Harald copied a refrain from another skald called Úlfr Sebbason. The drápa was subsequently called Stolinstefja "the drápa with the stolen refrain". Only a few stanzas of his works are known today.

The Hauksbók contains a tale called the Skaldasaga Haralds harfagra describing an expedition to Sweden undertaken by Olvir Hnufa, Thorbjorn Hornklofi, and Auðunn to expiate an offense. Its historicity is disputed.