The second surviving reference to Forseti is more informative, but many historians consider it to be more problematic as well. The Poetic Edda goes on to say that Forseti spends most days in Glitnir. Meaning “Gleaming,” the name seems fitting since the poem describes the gold and silver pillars that the hall is built upon. In a listing of the halls that the gods live in, the fifteenth stanza says that Forseti lives in a magnificent place called Glitnir. This poem is the only written reference to Forseti that may be from the Viking Age. It is thought to have first been written in the 10th century, although some historians believe that some sections were added two or three hundred years later. While the stories of the Poetic Edda were compiled from several original sources, Grímnismál is often considered to be one of the oldest.
This is only a brief appearance, however. The first mention of the god is in the Poetic Edda. Unfortunately for modern readers, Forseti is only mentioned twice in Old Norse sources. Other explanations, however, make it seem likely that Forseti was not a native Norse god at all. The interpretation of Forseti as a god of law comes largely from the linguistic roots of his name as a single line from the Poetic Edda. He has no myths of his own and does not play an active role in any stories. One of these is Forseti, whose name appears only twice in Norse-language sources.
There are gods and events that are mentioned only a few times, so little is truly known about them. Because few written sources survive from the era, much of our understanding of Norse mythology comes from only a few stories.
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