Measurement

Measurements are remarkably unified across the nations and peoples of the world. For quick reference, they can be summarized below: The abbreviation WL is used throughout for clarification between the Westlands (WL) units and those of the same name used in our own world.
==Length==
* 10 inches = 3 hands = 1 foot
* 3 feet = 1 pace
* 2 paces = 1 span
* 1000 spans = 1 mile
* 4 miles = 1 league
Robert Jordan usually quotes his characters' heights in feet and inches during interviews. The height entries in The Wheel of Time Companion are also given in feet and inches, corresponding to units in real life and not those defined "in world". Evidence for this can be seen in the entries for Matrim Cauthon and Deira ni Ghaline t'Bashere, who are listed as 5'11" and 5'10" respectively, figures which do not make sense using the Westlands division of 10 inches per foot.
We can make a fair assumption that one foot is the same in the US and in the Westlands. Tuon Paendrag is listed as 4'11" in the Companion, and in the books, Mat thinks "he doubted [Tuon] could reach five feet with her heels flat however she stretched". We can therefore make the following conversions with the Westlands equivalent being on the left marked by WL. This assumption is somewhat corroborated by the fact that this results in one hand measuring the same in both worlds and a WL pace being equivalent to a yard.
* 1 WL inch = 1.2 inches
* 1 WL hand = 4 inches = 1 hand
* 1 WL foot = 1 foot
* 1 WL pace = 3 feet = 1 yard
* 1 WL span = 6 feet = 2 yards
* 1 WL mile = 6000 feet = 2000 yards = 1.1364 miles
* 1 WL league = 4.5455 miles
In real life, spans are related to hands. There exists a measurement called "double-pace" which is broadly equal to the length measured in walking to complete one cycle e.g. if the left foot is forward, it is the distance until the left foot is forward again. Leagues in real life vary greatly, but in the English-speaking world was usually 3 miles (although the definition of a mile often had no standard definition). The more commonly used metric system provides the following conversions.
* 1 WL inch = 30.5 mm
* 1 WL hand = 101.6 mm 
* 1 WL foot = 30.48 cm
* 1 WL pace = 91.44 cm
* 1 WL span = 1.83 m
* 1 WL mile = 1828.8 m = 1.83 km
* 1 WL league = 7.32 km
==Area==
While area measurements can be expressed by squaring a unit of length, some have special names:
* 1 ribbon = 20 paces x 10 paces (200 square paces)
* 1 cord = 20 paces x 50 paces (1000 square paces)
* 1 hide = 100 paces x 100 paces (10,000 square paces)
* 1 rope = 100 paces x 1000 paces (100,000 square paces)
* 1 march = 1000 paces x 1000 paces (1/4 square mile)
* 1 square mile = 400 hides
* 1 pace of cloth = 1 normal pace and 1 hand x 1 normal pace and 1 hand
Several of the names are borrowed from real life units of area used in different parts of the world or in history. The rope, cord and hide were units of area used in ancient Rome, regions Latin America and Norman England resepectively.
==Weight==
The system of weights used in the Westlands is listed in the glossary to several of the books:
* 10 ounces = 1 pound
* 10 pounds = 1 stone
* 10 stone = 1 hundredweight
* 10 hundredweight = 1 ton
Translating weights from the Westlands measurements to our own is not so easy as it's hard to guess the weight of things mentioned with any exactitude. Robert Jordan does give the heights and weights of the three ta'veren in response to a question, but these would be given in real life units to make sense to the person asking the question. Rand is 6' 5" to 6' 6" (196–198 cm) and 235 lbs (106.6 kg), Perrin is 6' 1½" (187 cm) and 235-245 lbs (106.6-111.1 kg), and Mat is 6' (183 cm) and 180 lbs (81.6 kg).Book signing, 2000 
One definite reference to weight is given to Perrin's hammer, which is referred to in multiple places as being 10 pounds in weight. The weight of his axe is also mentioned as being "five or six pounds lighter" than the hammer - so 4-5 lbs. Perrin also estimates that Aram's sword is "one third" the weight of his hammer - so 3.3 lb. If we assume pounds are the same in both worlds, then we get equivalent metric weights of 4.5 kg for the hammer, 1.8–2.7 kg for his axe and 1.5 kg for Aram's sword.
Sources for blacksmiths put the hammer as far too heavy to be practical, with the usual weight for "heavy" one-handed hammers being 3-4.5 lbs (1.36-2.04 kg). Similarly, the average weight for swords would be from 2-3.5 lbs (0.91-1.59 kg) with weights for battle axes being somewhat similar.Best Types of Blacksmith Hammers 2020How heavy should a blacksmith's hammer be?What did historical swords weigh? Either Robert Jordan is using artistic license and exaggerating the weight of these weapons, or 1 lb weighs slightly less than in the real world. Making the grand assumption that 1 oz is the same as in the real world, this would make 1 WL lb = 0.625 lb. This would still make Perrin's hammer too heavy, but less so, and the other weapons more reasonable in weight instead of being close to the upper limit of one-handed weapons. 
With this assumption, we can do the following conversion, with Westlands units on the left:
* 1 WL ounce = 1 ounce
* 1 WL lb = 0.625 lbs
* 1 WL stone = 6.25 lbs = 0.4464 stone
* 1 WL hundredweight = 62.5 lb = 4.464 stone
* 1 WL ton = 625 lb = 44.64 stone = 0.279 tons
For the metric system, the equivalent conversions are:
* 1 WL ounce = 28.3 g
* 1 WL lb = 283g
* 1 WL stone = 2.83 kg
* 1 WL hundredweight = 28.3 kg
* 1 WL ton = 283 kg
It is possible to make stone, hundredweight or ton the same as our own world and work back from there, but using hundredweight or ton as a similarity makes Perrin's hammer even heavier and using stone about 10% heavier than the above. 
One further piece of information we have is that Perrin says that his men require "four pounds a day, in flour and beans and meat". Using the above conversion this is 2.5 lb (1.13 kg) in our own world. Standard military rations in our world, including packaging, varies between 1–2 kg (2.25-5.5 lbs), although the heavier ones also include liquid components like soups and pasta sauces and luxuries beyond what Perrin's men could expect. Rations in the D&D universe have a weight assignment of 2 lbs (0.91 kg). This seems to make sense with the above assumptions, but it is still speculation.
==Coinage==
Actual monetary value is frequently determined by weight in precious metals, since the content of coins from different nations does vary. The following scale is used in Tar Valon and Andor, who are believed to have the heaviest coins in the Westlands:
* 10 copper pennies = 1 silver penny
* 100 silver pennies = 1 silver mark
* 10 silver marks = 1 silver crown
* 10 silver crowns = 1 gold mark
* 10 gold marks = 1 gold crown
Altara, by contrast, have larger coins containing less gold or silver. Their relative values are as follows:
* 10 copper pennies = 1 silver penny
* 21 silver pennies = 1 silver mark
* 20 silver marks = 1 silver crown
* 20 silver crowns = 1 gold mark
* 20 gold marks = 1 gold crown
In other countries, the conversion rate will be different.Tor Question of the Week, 2004
==Time==
The Westlands uses the same names for increments of time as the real world, but their lengths are different.
* 1 day = 24 hours
* 1 week = 10 days
* 1 month = 28 days
* 1 year = 13 months
There are names for the months, but they are almost never used; most people refer to a date as by how long before or after a particular 
Feastday it falls.
Category:Concepts
Category:Concepts
Category:Concepts
Category:Parallels