As is clear from the sections on Perrin's axe, Aiel weapons and the Two Rivers longbow, WoT measures may be fairly flexible. Jordan derives length measurements in the Wheel of Time from the foot, and it is his primary unit of measurement; it seems logical that this foot resembles ours. I've been informed by others that they are equivalent - apparently as direct from Jordan's mouth, though I haven't been able to substantiate it.

However, bow ranges for the Two Rivers bow as well as those used by the Band of the Red Hand, suggests a shorter foot. If a pace measures about 24-26 real-world inches, then a foot could be as little as 8" or so in length. Perrin's span-long axe shaft might well be 30 inches, for a foot about 10" long. And working backwards from measurements of area as given in Knife of Dreams, if a march is equal to a 1/4 U.S. mile, we derive a span of 32 inches, or an 11" foot.

The simplest explanation, then: Jordan approximates. He rounds. And his foot is equal to a real-world foot, or a little shorter.

Jordan defines an almost decimal-based system of measures, with "Two paces to the span ... A thousand spans to the mile, four miles to the league ..." <TEotW: 34, 515, The Last Village; RJWoT: 15, 145, The World After the Breaking>. There are 10 WoT inches or 3 WoT hands to a foot, and 30 WoT inches or feet to a pace.<TGH: Glossary, 696> Thus, the following:

WoT units of length real-world U.S. standard / metric equivalents

1 inch
1 hand = 3 1/3"
1 foot = 10"
1 pace = 3' = 30"
1 span = 2 paces = 6' = 60"
1 mile = 1000 spans = 6000'
1 league = 4 miles 1 3/16"
4"
12"
36"
72"
1.1 mile = 6000'
4.5 miles 3 cm
10 cm
30 cm
91 cm
1.8 m
1.8 km
7.3 km

The heights of Rand, Perrin and Mat are given by Jordan as 6' 5" to 6' 6", 6' 2", and 5' 11" respectively, and are also used to derive estimated measurements. Loial's height is a little under 10', if indeed he is "... half again as tall as Rand ..." <TGH: 26, 380, Discord>, this is corroborated by Loial's "... head almost reaching the ten-foot ceiling." <TEotW: 36, 547, Web of the Pattern>

Jordan's measurements of area are given in KoD; the following real-world equivalents are based on the assumption that Jordan's foot is equal to a real-world foot:

WoT units of area real-world U.S. standard / metric equivalents

1 ribbon = 20 x 10 paces
1 cord = 20 x 50 paces
1 hide = 100 x 100 paces
1 rope = 100 x 1000 paces
1 march = 1000 x 1000 paces 1800 sq. ft.
9000 sq. ft.
2.1 acres
21 acres
0.32 sq. miles 84 sq. m.
840 sq. m.
0.84 hectares
8.4 hectares
84 hectares

from KoD: Glossary, 764

Note that Jordan gives a march as a ¼ square mile. This may imply that a foot in the WoT is actually a little shorter than in our world (as discussed above): a foot of just under 11" produces a march of 0.25 square miles.

For weight, assuming that a WoT pound is equivalent to a real-world pound:

WoT units of weight real-world U.S. standard / metric equivalents

10 oz. = 1 pound
10 pounds = 1 stone
10 stone = 1 hundredweight
10 hundredweight = 1 ton 1 pound
10 pounds
100 pounds
1000 pounds 450 grams
4.5 kg
45 kg
450 kg

from KoD: Glossary, 782

Return to A Compendium of Weaponry and Military
Costuming of the Wheel of Time

** On Estimating Measurements **

On Estimating Measurements