For god sakes you might be thinking—who wants to read another blog on a waterfall in Iceland? Even if it’s considered one of the most spectacular in the country?
Yep, here comes another one. (Plus, we have more to come in future blogs.)
It’s not just us who are attracted to waterfalls.
And there’s a reason.
Waterfalls make people happy.
There’s even scientific proof.
Waterfalls are a collision of water molecules that fill the surrounding air with negative ions. When negative ions enter our bloodstream, they increase our bodies’ production of serotonin, the chemical responsible for boosting energy and happiness. “The most beneficial ratio of ions exists near waterfalls and before and after storms, whereas the worst ratio is found in enclosed spaces,” writes Pierce Howard, Ph.D. and author of The Owner’s Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind-Brain Research.
So on we go to Goðafoss, which is pronounced GO-thuh-foss.
The beauty of Goðafoss is its horseshoe shape and double falls—a rock rising in the centre separates the tumbling waterfalls in two, one that falls about nine metres, the other almost twice that.
The river Skjálfandafljót, one of the largest in Iceland, is its source. Deep in the Icelandic highland, this river starts from a 900-metre thick glacier, nosing around rocks and boulders and picking up volume from small rivers and creeks as it flows downstream.
In the Icelandic language, Goðafoss can be read either as “waterfall of the goð (gods)” or “waterfall of the goði (chieftain).” (Foss translates to falls.) There are three stories as to how this waterfall got its name.
The first, proposed by linguist and placename expert Svavar Sigmundsson, suggests it comes from the two crags at the falls that resemble pagan idols.
The second, a nineteenth century myth, comes from Denmark. The story goes that around the year 1000 AD, Iceland was split to the point of civil war between holding on to worshipping Old Norse gods and adopting Christianity. To keep the peace and under pressure from Norway and other European countries, Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði, the country’s law speaker, made Christianity the official religion of Iceland and upon returning home from Alpingi (the parliament), threw his idols of the Old Norse religion’s gods into the waterfall.
The third version credits Thorgeir Thorkelsson, a firm believer in the Norse gods, as the arbitrator. After pondering the dilemma for three days, Thorgeir announced that Icelanders should be Christians, but it was okay to practice their belief in the old Norse gods in their own homes. When Thorgeir returned to his farm near Goðafoss and threw his idols of he Old Norse religion’s gods into the waterfall, the gods were so angry they split the waterfall in two.
However, there’s no mention of either Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði or Thorgeir Thorkelsson in the historical Islendingabok, written early in the 12th century.
Pick your favourite version.
Meanwhile, we’ll stick to the science—Goðafoss made us happy.
Navigation
Howard, Pierce, Ph.D. The Owner’s Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind-Brain Research. Tennessee: Bard Press, 2006.
Goðafoss Waterfall. Icelandic Travel.
Goðafoss Waterfall. Visit North Iceland.
The Goðafoss Waterfall. Hurtigruten Expeditions.
4 Responses
Indeed waterfalls seem to bring a smile to many faces that are viewing waterfalls. Most pleasing to the eyes and a keen refresher for the senses, fresher smells you will not encounter elsewhere.
Mother Nature is always about showing us what she can do and how to do it, a pleasure for us all.
Cheers,
Yes, I think even in Iceland, where waterfalls are common as ground, that these cascading waters bring joy to the locals.
Very interesting post. Liked the video.
I an a waterfall fan and went to Niagara Falls frequently when I kived in Toronto. Next on my list is Iguazu Falls in Aregntina
I didn’t know that the Iguazú Falls on the border of Argentine and Brazil make up the largest waterfall system in the world.
What’s in a name? The name Iguazú comes from the Guarani (indigenous Tupi people of Brazil) words “y” meaning “water”, and “ûasú” meaning “big”. Legend has it that a deity planned to marry a beautiful woman named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In a rage, the deity sliced the river, creating the waterfalls and condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.