Naddodd facts for kids

Route of the Vikings
Faroe Postal Service. 15 March 1982

Naddodd (also spelled Naddoðr or Naddaðr) was a brave Norse explorer, often called a Viking. He is famous for being the first European to discover Iceland. He lived a long time ago, in the 9th century.

Naddodd's Early Life and Journeys

Naddodd was born in a place called Agder. This area is now part of southern Norway. He was one of the first people to settle on the Faroe Islands. This happened after another explorer, Grímur Kamban, first settled there around the year 825.

Discovering Iceland: A Happy Accident

The story of Naddodd's discovery is told in an old book. This book is called Landnámabók. It is a medieval Icelandic manuscript. It shares many details about how the Norse people settled Iceland. This settlement happened in the 9th and 10th centuries.

According to Landnámabók, Naddodd was sailing from Norway. He was on his way to the Faroe Islands. But he got lost during his journey. His ship drifted far off course. He ended up reaching the east coast of a new land. This land was Iceland.

First Steps on a New Land

Naddodd landed his boat in a bay. This bay was near mountains. Today, this area is close to the Icelandic town of Reyðarfjörður. He climbed a tall mountain to look around. He hoped to see smoke from campfires. This would tell him if people lived there. But he saw no signs of anyone.

Naddodd decided to continue his trip to the Faroe Islands. As he was leaving, it started to snow. Because of the snow, he gave the new land a special name. He called it Snowland (Snæland). Later, another explorer named Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson settled there. After that, the island became known as Iceland (Ísland).

Naddodd's Family Connections

Naddodd was likely the father of a daughter named Ann Naddodsdóttir. She was from Shetland. Naddodd also had distant family ties. These connections were to famous explorers like Erik the Red and his son, Leif Erikson.

See also

In Spanish: Naddoddr para niños