Son of Baldr. God of justice with the hall Glitnir, where all disputes are settled.
Forseti (Old Norse Forseti) is the son of Baldr and Nanna and is counted among the Aesir. His name has been interpreted as 'the one who presides' or 'the chairman', and his function is explicitly juridical: he is the god of justice and reconciliation. In Gylfaginning 32 Snorri describes his hall Glitnir, with walls of gold and a roof of silver, and states that all who come there with disputes leave reconciled. Grímnismál 15 confirms this image: 'Glitnir heitir salr, hann er gulli studdr ok silfri þakðr it sama; en þar Forseti byggvir flestan dag ok svæfir allar sakar.'
Despite his clear function Forseti is one of the most sparsely attested deities in the preserved material. Beyond Gylfaginning and Grímnismál he appears rarely in Eddic texts. A possible parallel has been discussed with the Frisian god Fosite, who was worshipped on the island of Helgoland according to the Vita Willibrordi (Alcuin, ca. 790). If the connection is etymologically justified it would mean that Forseti's cult extended beyond the core Norse area, but the link remains uncertain.
Sources in the Eddas
- Grímnismál 15
- Glitnir is named as Forseti's hall, with gold pillars and a silver roof; there he dwells and settles all disputes.
- Gylfaginning 32
- Snorri states that Forseti is Baldr's son and the best judge among gods and men.
Interpretive traditions
A What we know
Forseti is Baldr's son and the god of justice with the hall Glitnir, where all disputes are settled. This is attested in Grímnismál 15 and Gylfaginning 32.
B What we think we know
The connection between Forseti and the Frisian god Fosite on Helgoland (Vita Willibrordi) is etymologically possible but has not been established with certainty.
C What we do not know
It is unknown whether Forseti had dedicated cult sites in Scandinavia or whether he was preserved solely as a mythological figure in Snorri's and Grímnismál's accounts.