| The Rivan Codex | |
| Author: | David and Leigh Eddings |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Series: | The Belgariad/The Malloreon |
| Genre: | Fantasy fiction |
| Publisher: | Del Rey Books |
| Release Date: | 1998 |
| Media Type: | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages: | 480 pp (paperback) |
| Isbn: | 0-345-43586-9 |
| Oclc: | 42880052 |
The Rivan Codex is a collection of background material to the Belgariad and Malloreon fantasy saga by 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 Eddings' 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: