Goðafoss

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Goðafoss seen from the Eastern bank in summer
Goðafoss seen from the Eastern bank in summer
Goðafoss in winter
Goðafoss in winter
Panorama of Goðafoss in November, 2007
Panorama of Goðafoss in November, 2007

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 Þorgeirr Ljósvetningagoði made Christianity the official religion of Iceland. After his conversion it is said that upon returning from the Alþingi, Þorgeirr threw his statues of the Norse gods into the waterfall. Þorgeirr's story is preserved in Ari Þorgilsson's Íslendingabók.

A window in the Cathedral of Akureyri (Akureyrarkirkja) illustrates this story.

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Coordinates: 65°40′48″N, 17°32′24″W