something tell me I would love that book.
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A question about human height and growth
- Thread starter Sheilawisz
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #22
@Maiden: I am sure that you would find that book very interesting. Some people do not like the weird, unusual writing style of Norman Cantor, but the truth is that it's full of valuable information for any person that writes Medieval Fantasy.
Well, today I was researching about human height in past centuries and I discovered this: Encased in Steel: Were people shorter in the Middle Ages?
This information speaks against the idea that people in Medieval Europe were very short: Apparently they were in average just two or three inches shorter than Europeans today, and the small doorways were perhaps built that way to retain more heat inside a structure or because of other architectural reasons.
The suits of armor that survive from that period also demonstrate that they were not midgets =)
Well, today I was researching about human height in past centuries and I discovered this: Encased in Steel: Were people shorter in the Middle Ages?
This information speaks against the idea that people in Medieval Europe were very short: Apparently they were in average just two or three inches shorter than Europeans today, and the small doorways were perhaps built that way to retain more heat inside a structure or because of other architectural reasons.
The suits of armor that survive from that period also demonstrate that they were not midgets =)
SeverinR
Vala
Just including medical info:
"A good rule of thumb is that once a child has reached the end stages of puberty, the growth plates are essentially closed."
"Most children grow an average of two years after they have completed their pubertal growth spurt."
http://www.dukehealth.org/health_library/health_articles/your-growing-bones-all-about-growth-plates
Female-menses means growth is very limited after it begins.
16 in Medievil times would be prime marriage years and I believe most girls would have started by then. It is not unheard of that it is later in some women. I believe girls in high stress sports delay starting.
Also just because parents are tall, doesn't automatically mean kids would be tall. Stunted growth happens. Could be something missing in their diet at key times.
My oldest daughter did growth hormone and only achieved 4'11". She stopped growing at 4'7" at age 7, and her sister started getting taller then her. Me and my (ex)wife are 5'4".
She makes sure everyone knows dwarf is 4'10 or less. That inch is very important to her.
"A good rule of thumb is that once a child has reached the end stages of puberty, the growth plates are essentially closed."
"Most children grow an average of two years after they have completed their pubertal growth spurt."
http://www.dukehealth.org/health_library/health_articles/your-growing-bones-all-about-growth-plates
Female-menses means growth is very limited after it begins.
16 in Medievil times would be prime marriage years and I believe most girls would have started by then. It is not unheard of that it is later in some women. I believe girls in high stress sports delay starting.
Also just because parents are tall, doesn't automatically mean kids would be tall. Stunted growth happens. Could be something missing in their diet at key times.
My oldest daughter did growth hormone and only achieved 4'11". She stopped growing at 4'7" at age 7, and her sister started getting taller then her. Me and my (ex)wife are 5'4".
She makes sure everyone knows dwarf is 4'10 or less. That inch is very important to her.
- Thread starter
- #24
Thank you Severin, those are also important factors to take into consideration.
I wanted my character to be 5'4'' especially because that is Mia Wasikowska's height, the actress from one of my favorite Fantasy movies. She looked great wearing armor and wielding a sword against a dragon, so I thought: "That would be the perfect height for my Joan!" and now it's part of the novel =)
Norman Cantor mentions that only the Royalty would marry their daughters at 15 or 14 years old, so that's right, it was a normal age for a Princess to get married in those times.
I did not know that dwarf is medically defined as 4'10'' or less, but I guess that depends on geographical factors. Some countries have an average female height of 4'10'', while the average for women in Holland and the Dinaric Alps is about 5'7''.
Another question: How common is it for a woman to reach a height of 6' in the United Kingdom?
I wanted my character to be 5'4'' especially because that is Mia Wasikowska's height, the actress from one of my favorite Fantasy movies. She looked great wearing armor and wielding a sword against a dragon, so I thought: "That would be the perfect height for my Joan!" and now it's part of the novel =)
Norman Cantor mentions that only the Royalty would marry their daughters at 15 or 14 years old, so that's right, it was a normal age for a Princess to get married in those times.
I did not know that dwarf is medically defined as 4'10'' or less, but I guess that depends on geographical factors. Some countries have an average female height of 4'10'', while the average for women in Holland and the Dinaric Alps is about 5'7''.
Another question: How common is it for a woman to reach a height of 6' in the United Kingdom?
Trick
Auror
I don't think there is any kind of rule you have to follow. My dad is shorter than all of his sons but he had a brother who was 6'2" and also one who is 5'7" and none of my mother's brothers were tall either. Out of 5 boys in my family only one didn't quite top 6 ft. My oldest brother was about 5'10" at the start of college and 6'1" by graduation. My sisters reached their respective heights of 5'6" and 5'8" by their mid teens. My wife is only 5'0" and my son is already 38" tall and he's not even 2 years old which typically indicates he'll be over six feet tall. Genes scatter and growth spurts vary so much, even within families, that you can pick whatever height you like best and stick with it.
I've been told women stop growing when their cycle starts or that their growth slows significantly but I've seen evidence to the contrary. If she's fifteen and her mom is 5'9" the daughter could easily be that tall already or even taller depending on her gene pool. Or she could still be pre growth spurt and be any reasonable height below that.
just my two cents
I've been told women stop growing when their cycle starts or that their growth slows significantly but I've seen evidence to the contrary. If she's fifteen and her mom is 5'9" the daughter could easily be that tall already or even taller depending on her gene pool. Or she could still be pre growth spurt and be any reasonable height below that.
just my two cents
Nihal
Vala
What? I have yet to see a girl that stops growing significantly when she menstruates. If that was true I wouldn't be much taller than 4', hah.
