Goðafoss
The Goðafoss (Icelandic: waterfall of the gods or waterfall of the goði) is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland. It is located in the Mývatn district of North-Central Iceland at the beginning of the Sprengisandur highland road. The water of the river Skjálfandafljót falls from a height of 12 meters over a width of 30 meters.
In the year 999 or 1000 the Lawspeaker Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði made Christianity the official religion of Iceland. After his conversion it is said that upon returning from the Alþingi, Þorgeir threw his statues of the Norse gods into the waterfall. Þorgeir's story is preserved in Ari Þorgilsson's Íslendingabók.
A window in the Cathedral of Akureyri (Akureyrarkirkja) illustrates this story.
Named after the waterfall was MS Goðafoss, an Icelandic ship carrying both freight and passengers, that was sunk by a German U-Boat in World War II, resulting in great loss of lives.
[edit] See also
-
Fosshóll restaurant at the turnoff to Goðafoss
-
Ring Road bridge over Skjálfandafljót river
[edit] External links
|
|||||||
