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Rígsþula

Also known as Rígsmál, The Lay of Ríg

Rígsþula (The Lay of Ríg) is an Eddic poem, preserved incomplete in the 14th-century Codex Wormianus, in which a god named Ríg fathers the social classes of mankind. Visiting three couples in turn, he fathers Þræll, ancestor of the thralls, Karl, ancestor of free farmers and craftsmen, and Jarl, ancestor of the warrior nobility; Jarl's youngest son Konr ungr, skilled in runes and magic, stands for the origin of the word konungr, king. The prose introduction identifies Ríg with Heimdall, though some scholars think the role fits Odin better. Datings of the poem range from the 10th to the 13th century, and it breaks off as a crow urges Konr to seek the halls of Dan and Danþír.

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Rígsþula. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/rigs-ula
MLA
“Rígsþula.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/rigs-ula. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Rígsþula.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/rigs-ula.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Rígsþula’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/rigs-ula (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻