How Tall are Rand and the Aiel?

[DubbleChrisP]

Well, I thought it would be interesting to know just how tall people think Rand and the Aiel tend to be. Would you say that Aiel tend to be around 6 feet even, or would you go further? I personally tend to think of them around my own height, which is 6'5" (about 1.97m I believe).

[RobertAlexWillis]

Jordan has described Rand as about 6'6", so you have the right idea. Mat is probably about 6' flat.

[Telcar]

So Rand is 2m tall?! :shock: how tall is 6 feet in meters?

[Guest Fire Lord]

6'6'' or 2m is the height I've always given Rand and the Aiel-no less. Given their description, it would be very improbable for them to be just 6' tall. After all, 6' is not taller than most. (But I guess it depends on where you are. In Cairhien (sp), you are a giant, in the Aiel Waste, well you are a midget.)

 

RobertAlexWillis wrote:

 

Mat is probably about 6' flat.

 

Not to contest this, since I've no tangible evidence behind me, but some description from the books are rather contradictory.

 

In the DR, when Mat encouters the Aiel on those rooftops at night, (I don't have the books, so I apologize on the absence of a quote), he notes that all the men present were a head or more taller than he, and only Aviendha was shorter, and not by much.

 

Rhuarc was among those men. In the SR, right after Rand's doubles attack him, it is said that Rhuarc towered over Moiraine as much as Lan. That to me would mean that they are the same height. We know Lan is as tall as Rand (1st chapter of the GH). That means Rand is as tall as Rhuarc. A=B; B=C; so therefore A=C. (Simplistic, I know, but it's what I can come up with right now.) That would make Rand a head taller than Mat. If that's the case, there is no way Mat is 6', as I think a head is about 8'' or 9''.

 

I do think Rand is a head taller than Mat, but Mat himself sees it differently, if not by much. If you can, find the chapter where he calls Rand by his name (I can't even recall the book here :roll: ), and Rand doesn't reply; however when he calls him by Lews Therin, Rand stops to look at him. In that scene Mat notes that Rand is nearly a head taller than him.

 

And in KoD I believe, Karede thinks that Mat is long-limbed without being tall. Surely a 6' person would be considered tall almost anywhere?

 

That's why I've always seen him as being at most 5'11'', but most likely 5'10''.

 

If a foot is equal to 30.48 cm, then 6' would be 182.88 cm or 1m82.

[Beckon]

RJ has stated Rand is 6'-5" to 6-6" so we know that for certain.

[RobertAlexWillis]

When I made that assessment, I was thinking of the episode in Salidar when Nynaeve kicked his butt (literally) and then got scared because channeling didn't work on him. She thinks to herself that he is "tall for a Two Rivers Man".

 

Could that be 5'10"? Maybe. This isn't a point thats so solid I'll fight over it.

 

This is a link to supposed book signing answers given by Jordan. There is some variation, as you'll no doubt notice. I'll just include the chart. Its not long.

 

Info from a post-LOC book signing [reported by Erica Sadun]

 

Rand: 6'5" to 6'6"

Perrin: 6'2"

Mat: 5'11"

Aviendha: 5'8" to 5'9"

Elayne 5'6"

Nynaeve: 5'4"

Egwene: 5'2"

Moiraine: 5'0" to 5'2"

 

Info from another post-LOC book signing [reported by Greg Gruber]

 

Rand: 6'6"

Moiraine: 5'3"

Egwene: 5'5"

Nynaeve: 5'5"

Aviendha: 5'10"

 

Info from yet another book signing [December 2000, reported by Bruce Garner]

 

Rand: 6'5 or 6'6" and 235 lbs

Perrin: 6'1.5" and around 235 to 240 lbs

Mat: 6' and 180 lbs

 

http://linuxmafia.com/jordan/2_nondark/2.7_generalities/2.7.2_height.html

[Jarred Darque]

people do still grow at that age...had an uncle who grew about 6 inches between 20 and 22nd birthdays...so maybe mat put on a few inches befor ethat 2000 book signing? :P

[balefireruinssteaks]

yaaaaay, Mat and I are the same height/weight.

 

we'll probably be best friends.

[BrainFireBob]

The Aiel range in height from about 6-7 foot on average. Tall Aiel probably break seven foot- RJ is from the generation of Dr. J and Kareem Abdul-Jabar, remember. Han is short for an Aiel- he's Mat's height. If Mat is just shy of six foot, that makes him "normally" on the tall side, but among Aiel and their breeding only within their own genepool, he's short. As is touchy Han.

[Guest Fire Lord]

I agree, but the one thing that puzzles me is that, among all the Aiel we've seen, only Bael and that Shaido--not Rolan, the other one that Rolan saves Faile from--, and one or two other Aiel appear to reach the seven feet mark, if at all.

 

I'm from a country where a good number of men--but by no means all--reach 6'7'', as opposed to Aiel, who seem to reach that height regularily, and yet I've seen my share of 7-foot giants, sometimes over.

 

I'm 5'10''--and a midget when I'm over there :lol: ; my neck develops cramps from staring up at men a head taller than I am.

 

You think you would see such giants among the Aiel more often than not, but nah, there must be something with their genetics.

[Guest Cadsuane]

There may be more Aiel "giants" that we simply don't see because they are not important characters. There are lots and lots of Aiel, and we certainly don't get to meet a comparatively large number of them. Out of the number we do meet, I don't think two is such a scant number of 7-footers.

[Saml alSeen]

I'm pretty sure that Rand and the Aiels are 6.6 feets, but i'm courius about how small the Cairhiens are?

[Safia al-Maaz]

I'm thinking around the 5' range.

[G the brave]

In The Great hunt RJ wrote that none of the Cairhiens were higher than his shoulder so that gives us some idea.

 

:-S man it would be scary seeing an Aiel army of 2m tall Aies Giants running towards you. I guess thats why they don't use or need horses

[Fiera Taishar]

haha, it really would be, especially since I'm only 4'9 (almost 10)! That's kind of sad, though. I'd only reach Rand's waist :(

 

:lol: Why do they all have to be so tall? At least Moraine is more my height =] I always thought Nynaeve was more 5'2 too. since they always called her short. To me, over 5'2 isn't short, but that's probably because I'm a mouse.

[Safia al-Maaz]

Well, the Average woman is something like 5'3", anything lower is short, anything higher is tall. I'm 5'6 1/2" so I guess I'm considered tall....

[streetpizza]

If those guys are 235-240 then they're huge. I'm 6'1 and 210 and have trouble finding jeans that fit.

[Hagazussa]

So Rand is 2m tall?! Shocked how tall is 6 feet in meters?

 

It is not that shocking, I know several people that are 2 meters tall. In our world to it depend on where in the world you are from, and it is not so rare for men to reach 2 meters in Scandinavia.

 

I don't think the Aiel are usually 230 cm or so, but it seam from description that some of them go over 2 meters. What is interesting is there really was a desert people in Africa, I think, that was rumored to be very fierce, they died out but skeletons are found and their average hight was 220 meters or so. :O Perhaps Jordan have gotten the idea for the hight of the Aiel from them. I only wish I could remember their name.