Oda was born blind and her father sent her on pilgrimage to Lige to visit the relics of Saint Lambert. While praying at Saint Lambert's grave she was miraculously cured from her blindness. The miraculous cure of Oda is recorded in Saint Lambert's 8th century vitae. Vowing to dedicate her life to God, she returned to Scotland. According to records written in the 13th century, her father wanted her to marry in Scotland. Because of her vow she fled across the North Sea. After a pilgrimage to Rome and Monte Sant'Angelo sul Gargano, she moved to live in an open space in the woods in a place now known as Sint Oedenrode in the Netherlands (a small manmade open space in the woods is called a 'rode' in Dutch - the village is named after Oda). 16th century records describe how Oda prayed in various villages in the Netherlands and Belgium only to be disturbed by magpies. She fled from the magpies and the birds led her to the open space in the forest. Some accounts describe her as a king's daughter, but as there was no Kingdom of Scotland at that time her background is problematic.