Editing The Rivan Codex (section)

{{Infobox book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
| name          = The Rivan Codex
| title_orig    = 
| translator    = 
| image         = 519WHEAF2EL. SS500 .jpg
| caption = 
| author        = [[David Eddings|David and Leigh Eddings]]
| illustrator   = 
| cover_artist  = 
| country       = United States
| language      = English 
| series        = [[The Belgariad]]/[[The Malloreon]]
| genre         = [[Fantasy fiction]]
| publisher     = [[Del Rey Books]]
| release_date  = 1998
| media_type    = Print ([[Hardcover|Hardback]] & [[Paperback]])
| pages         = 480 pp (paperback)
| isbn          = 0-345-43586-9
| oclc= 42880052
| preceded_by   = 
| followed_by   = 
}}

'''''The Rivan Codex''''' is a collection of background material to the [[The Belgariad|Belgariad]] and [[The Malloreon|Malloreon]] fantasy saga by [[David Eddings|David and Leigh Eddings]]. It consists of two bodies of material used in writing the novels, one for each series, with three informal essays by David Eddings. ''[[Belgarath the Sorcerer]]'' and ''[[Polgara the Sorceress]]'' do not have dedicated sections, but are referred to in the Eddingses' discussions, and drew on the material of the first ten books. In particular, one text presented in the background to the Belgariad forms the basis for the first chapter of ''Belgarath the Sorcerer''.

The Rivan Codex also contains the holy writings of the various religions in the world and the economic diversities of the different countries. It starts off with a creation story where each god takes a people and then goes into their specific money, religion, economy method, trade relations, weights/measures, etc.

One of the essays also lists the following formula for [[epic fantasy]]:
# The Underlying [[Theology]] (Polytheistic/Monotheistic/Buddhist/Other)
# The [[Quest]] (object of the hero's existence, reason for the group)
# The Magic [[Amulet|Talisman]] ([[Holy Grail]]/One Ring/Magic Sword/Jewel)
# The [[Hero]]: [[Galahad]] the Pure, [[Gawain]] the Brave, [[Percival]] the Dumb (Naive), or [[Lancelot]] the Heavyweight Champion of the World.
# The Resident [[Wizard (fantasy)|Wizard]] ([[Gandalf]], [[Merlin]], [[Belgarath]])
# The [[Heroine]] (Ce'Nedra)
# The [[Villain]], usually with some diabolical agenda (Torak)
# The Companions (generally a multicultural crew who can protect the hero until he defeats the villain)
# The Romantic Interests for 8.(NB: both 8&9 must be well-rounded groups, with individualized personalities and flaws)
# The kings, queens, emperors, generals, courtiers, and such, who make up the governments of the world.

{{David Eddings}}

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[[Category:Novels by David Eddings]]
[[Category:1998 books]]
[[Category:Del Rey books]]


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