Free farmer or common man, the middle social class between jarl and thrall.
Karl designates the free farmer in the Old Norse tripartite social order. He owned land, had the right to bear arms, and could participate in the thing assembly, which distinguished him from the unfree thrall.
In Rígsþula, Karl is Ríg's son and progenitor of the farming class. His sons bear names such as Smiðr, Bóndi, and Breiðr, reflecting the wide spectrum of trades and occupations within this class.
Attestations
- Rígsþula, Poetisk Edda (ca. 1270, Codex Regius)
- Primary mythological source for the origin of the class structure.