Thorgeir Ljosvetningagodi
Icelandic lawspeaker
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Thorgeir Ljosvetningagodi Thorkelsson (Old Norse: Þorgeirr Ljósvetningagoði Þorkelsson [ˈθorˌɡɛirː ˈljoːsˌwetneŋɡɑˌɡoðe ˈθorˌkelsˌson]; Modern Icelandic: Þorgeir ... [ˈθɔrˌceir ˈljousˌvɛhtniŋkaˌkɔːðɪ ˈθɔrˌcʰɛlsˌsɔːn]; born c. 940[citation needed]) was an Icelandic jurist who served as a lawspeaker in Iceland's Althing from 985[1] to 1001[citation needed].
In the year 999 or 1000, Iceland's legislative assembly was debating which religion they should practice: Norse paganism or Christianity. At this point, the population of Icelandic Christians had grown, though paganism still held the majority.[2] Hallur of Sída, the lawspeaker on behalf of the Christians, left the decision to be made by Thorgeir.[2] Thorgeir, himself a pagan priest and chieftain (a gothi), decided in favour of Christianity after a day and a night of silent meditation under a fur blanket[2], thus averting potentially disastrous civil conflict. Under the compromise, pagans could still practice their religion in private and several of the old customs were retained.[2][3] After his decision, Thorgeir himself converted to Christianity.[citation needed] Thorgeir's story is preserved in Ari Thorgilsson's Íslendingabók.[4]
Yoav Tirosh, in his dissertation On the Receiving End, states that Thorgeir was paid three marks of silver by the Christian lawspeaker, and it is unclear whether this was a bribe.[5]
According to legend, the Goðafoss waterfall derived its name after Thorgeir threw his statues of the Norse gods into the waterfall following his decision.[6][7] However, this story is false and appears to have originated in the 1800s.[8]