The Height Hierarchy

[Brienne the Beauty]

There are a lot of impossibly tall people in the series. I theorize that the planet's gravity is just a bit less than our own. This would also help dragons fly.

[Alex Tran]

There are a lot of impossibly tall people in the series. I theorize that the planet's gravity is just a bit less than our own. This would also help dragons fly.

yup, now we just need someone to explain the ridicoulously long summers and winters :)

[Ran]

Same gravity. George doesn't want to complicate things.

As to seasons, it's magic. THat's it. There's no scientific explanation, only a magical one, according to GRRM.

[hnv]

well it's a bigger planet and a different one it must have a different gravity to it.

[Ran]

Not necessarily. A planet can be somewhat bigger but still have a similar gravity to Earth. It all depends on its composition. I believe Vance's Big Planet has a similar gravity to Earth by virtue of being very metal-poor.

FWIW, George isn't that caught up on the reality of physics in this setting. The world is larger but with the same gravity, the same period of orbit, and so on because it's all one less headache to think about.

As he says, it's a fantasy, not science fiction.

[The Boar of Gore]

yup, now we just need someone to explain the ridicoulously long summers and winters :)

Magic.

If you want a story about a planet with ridiculously long seasons and a scientific explanation for it, then check out Brian Aldiss' Helliconia series! Although the seasons there are much much longer even than in Martin's world.

In Westeros perhaps the seasons are part of the Manichaean ebb and flow in battle between the Great Other and whatever you call the hot demon that Melisandre is so crazy about.

[MightilyOats]

Or it could just be...magic.

Like, magic is why.

Why and how are there timezones on the Discworld? Magic makes light slow. How does it make light slow? ...it's magic.

Same thing, except not to do with the Discworld.

[Night Gathers]

Stumbled upon this old thread and thought I'd ask a question, haven't seen a similar thread before.

Where would you guys put Jon Snow's height in the end of ADWD? We get hints that he's shorter than Joffrey and that Stannis towered over him, he couldn't keep up with Qhorin's long strides and he wasn't tall enough to have Longclaw by his waist. But he still noticed that both Ygritte and Varamyr Sixskins were considerably shorter than him.

Thoughts?

[Terilien]

I picture him as being about 5'7- 5'8. About Average for a 16 year old, I suppose, and I don't think he's fully grown. He's never described as outright short.

[I'll pay the iron price]

Just to be picky, in real life - King Edward I of England was 6 feet 3 inches.

He was considered a giant by the standards of his day, hence his name "Longshanks".

Gregor is a freak of nature at over 7 feet tall and its not unreasonable to assume his brother the Hound wouldnt be exceptionally tall too - i.e 6 feet 7ish

Hodor is a big bloke too (6 feet 6)

Brienne of Tarth is an Amazon woman and has been fantastically cast in season 2 IMHO

[rmanoj]

I found it weird that Robb at 15 was apparently still shorter than his mother (Catelyn has never been noted to be particularly tall) although she still describes him as a "tall young man". He must have had a late growth spurt afterwards.

[Night Gathers]

I found it weird that Robb at 15 was apparently still shorter than his mother (Catelyn has never been noted to be particularly tall) although she still describes him as a "tall young man". He must have had a late growth spurt afterwards.

As I understand it she thought of him as slightly shorter than her, but when she met him again she had to look up on him.

[Evamitchelle]

Just to be picky, in real life - King Edward I of England was 6 feet 3 inches.

He was considered a giant by the standards of his day, hence his name "Longshanks".

Also King Francis the First of France was between 6'6 and 6'7 (which we know because of his ceremonial custom-made armour).

Gregor is a freak of nature at over 7 feet tall and its not unreasonable to assume his brother the Hound wouldnt be exceptionally tall too - i.e 6 feet 7ish

I think I've read somewhere that Gregor was actually closer to 8 feet than 7, so I'd put him at 7'7 or 7'8. The Hound at 6'7 seems appropriate.

Hodor is a big bloke too (6 feet 6)

I think Hodor has been recognized as a legit 7 footer.

As for Jon I think he'll be around 5'10 or 5'11 once fully grown. The Starks aren't usually all that tall.

And Robb not being taller than Cat doesn't strike me as all that strange. The average height for 15 year old boys is around 5'7, which isn't overly tall for a woman (and I think Cat is rather tall to begin with).

[Prince of Dragonstone]

Centuries ago, men were much shorter than they are now. A 6 ft. 4 inch man would be considered a giant in those days.

[I'll pay the iron price]

Its a crying shame that they couldnt get Conan Stevens back to play Gregor Clegane for season 2.

No disrespect to Ian Whyte but Conan was much better!

[ARYa_Nym]

I think Jon has Rhaegar's body type. Rhaegar was described as taller than Viserys but idk how tall that is so I'm not sure how tall he will be once full grown.

[Grip]

Centuries ago, men were much shorter than they are now. A 6 ft. 4 inch man would be considered a giant in those days.

Edward IV of England is estimated to have been 6 ft 4 (1.93)* making him the tallest of Britains monarchs..Still I guess he would have been rather tall even in Westeros..

*According to Wiki.

Edit: I dont know why but I dont want Jon to really be that tall, nor did I ever picture this way.

Edit II: I am 6 ft 7, its not that often I see people who are taller than me but in Westeros...

[Ser Areo Mace]

Peter the Great of Russia was 6'7 I believe.

Its still argued whether Goliath was 6'9 or 9'6. If he was 6'9 and everyone in those days were 5'3 then he would have been a real life giant to those people.

[Free Northman]

First comes Wun Wun at 14 feet tall.

Then comes the Mountain who is closer to 8 feet than 7, so I'd put him at 7 foot 7 inches (which is the minimum height that would make George's statement true).

Next comes the Greatjon, the Smalljon and Hodor, all at 7 feet tall.

Next comes Left and Right, at about 6 foot 11, as I reckon the casual reference to a pair of seven footers could simply be an allusion to the uncommon occurence of finding two identical guys who are close to 7 feet tall.

Next comes Andrik the Unsmiling at probably 6 foot 10 or thereabouts.

Next comes the Hound and Victarrion at around 6 foot 8.

Next comes Robert and Brienne at 6 foot 6.

Then you have various tall guys at around 6 foot 4. This would include Jaime and Renly, I guess.

Much lower down you get Jon at around 5 foot 10.

[Buddhy]

It would be interesting to see a chart, not only of just the tall characters, but all the main ones as well. I struggle to picture The Hound with say Ned and then likewise, Gregor next to the Hound. A visual aid would be cool.