AudaciousVagabond
Dreamer
Greetings to you all
So today I wanted to discuss the usage of the metric measurement system in a medieval-esque fantasy setting. Who grew up in a metric-only environment I struggle to get an intuitive 'sense' of the Imperial system. By this I do not mean to say that I don't understand how many inches go into a foot, but rather that I can't just can't display a rough estimate of a foot or an inch with my hands on the spot like I can with a metre. Although I've made an effort to get at least some sort of a grasp on the basics, due to how prevalent the system is in many fantasy novels, it does beg the question, must all fantasy stories use the imperial system?
At first I tried just rolling with metric when writing from a character's perspective, but despite all else, I still felt a slight disconnect. Somehow, a simple smith or inn keeper in a medieval setting throwing around words like 'metre' and 'kilogram' just sounded out of place. I am aware that some writers just like to use similes to bypass the usage of any measurement system, but doing this throughout the entirety of a novel may be more than a little tasking and can often be inconvenient. Another alternative would be to introduce a fictional measurement system, but I would think that even if I made a conscious effort outline the rough values of each unit for the reader it would still remain clunky and hard to understand for both myself and the reader.
So, fellow scribes, my question to you would be: what are your thoughts and opinions on this topic?
So today I wanted to discuss the usage of the metric measurement system in a medieval-esque fantasy setting. Who grew up in a metric-only environment I struggle to get an intuitive 'sense' of the Imperial system. By this I do not mean to say that I don't understand how many inches go into a foot, but rather that I can't just can't display a rough estimate of a foot or an inch with my hands on the spot like I can with a metre. Although I've made an effort to get at least some sort of a grasp on the basics, due to how prevalent the system is in many fantasy novels, it does beg the question, must all fantasy stories use the imperial system?
At first I tried just rolling with metric when writing from a character's perspective, but despite all else, I still felt a slight disconnect. Somehow, a simple smith or inn keeper in a medieval setting throwing around words like 'metre' and 'kilogram' just sounded out of place. I am aware that some writers just like to use similes to bypass the usage of any measurement system, but doing this throughout the entirety of a novel may be more than a little tasking and can often be inconvenient. Another alternative would be to introduce a fictional measurement system, but I would think that even if I made a conscious effort outline the rough values of each unit for the reader it would still remain clunky and hard to understand for both myself and the reader.
So, fellow scribes, my question to you would be: what are your thoughts and opinions on this topic?