This episode is part of my Folklore Friday series where I am sharing a folklore story every Friday in 2024.
Back in the year 1000 AD Þorgeir, the Law Speaker in Althingi or Icelandic Parliament, made the decision that Iceland would become a Christian nation. This was a huge decision for him to make considering that he was Pagan that believed in the Old Norse Gods.
When he returned back home to the north as a Christian, his first order of business was to get rid of the Pagan idols from his temple. It is said that he took all of the idols and tossed them into a waterfall. According to the story, the waterfall came to be known as Goðafoss or “Waterfall of the Gods“ or waterfall of the Goði (chieftain).
While it is true that Iceland became a Christian nation in the year 1,000, I have not heard of any concrete evidence that Þorgeir threw the idols into the waterfall.
Go Car Rental Iceland & Go Campers
I want to give a shout-out to our amazing sponsors, Go Car Rental Iceland and Go Campers.
I actually use their cars and campers when I travel around Iceland, and I’ve partnered with them for over 4 years now. The main reasons? Their customer service is amazing, and they have a wide range of vehicles to choose from.
They’ve also given me a link so you can save 7% on your rental, plus get a couple of really useful extras.
With Go Car Rental, you’ll save 7% and get free 4G WiFi with your rental.
With Go Campers, you’ll save 7% and get a free sleeping bag included.
You can head to gorentals.is/allthingsiceland
for the discounts.
Once you enter your travel dates, the 7% discount is automatically applied.
For Go Car:
When you get to the extras section, select 4G WiFi. You’ll see the price stays the same, even though it has been added.
For Go Campers:
Choose a sleeping bag under the “Sleeping” section, and same thing, the total price won’t increase.
And just so you know, using my link gives me a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s one of the ways you’re supporting All Things Iceland and the content I create. Thank you in advance for that.
Random Fact of the Episode
During World War II, the MS Goðafoss, an Icelandic ship named after the waterfall, was sunk by a German U-Boat. It was transporting both freight and passengers, so the result was that many people lost their lives.
Icelandic Word of the Episode
Lögsögumaður – law speaker
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Þakka þér kærlega fyrir að hlusta og sjáumst fljótlega.