riddari (OSw) riddari (ON) noun

In legal texts a riddari most often refers to a title or rank equivalent to the Latin miles or eques. It can refer both to a soldier and to someone holding a title of knight, though the feudal system, including the conferral of knighthoods, was much less pronounced in the medieval Nordic countries than elsewhere in Europe.

In Norway the term comes into use during the latter part of the twelfth century. Certain high-ranking positions such as squire (ON skutilsveinn) conferred the title of riddari. In Sweden the title of riddari may have eventually replaced the more general class of hærrar (‘lords’), though both terms appear together at least as late as SdmL.

knight OIce Jó Llb 18
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OSw KrL Kgb Gb
OSw MEL Kgb Gb
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OSw SdmL Conf, Kmb, Till Refs:

CV s.v. riddari; Fritzner s.v. riddari; Hertzberg s.v. riddari; KLNM s.v. frälse, riddare; ONP s.v. riddari