7-footers?

[Guest Fire Lord]

Those of you who understand the human body better than I do, how is that there are practically no 7-footers among the Aiels in the books? Granted we've seen only a small portion of their whole population, but I would say that soldiers (read spears) would stand a better chance at having more developed bodies than the rest. Only Baiel is without a doubt above seven feet, and a certain Shaido whom Faile meets (not Rolan, the other one Rolan saved Faile from) is described as being perhaps seven feet.

Now, I am not just pulling stuff out of my head. I come from Rwanda, where men measuring 6ft7 are a common sight, I can attest to that. What's more, if you walk around for a week or so, you have five out of ten chances of seeing quite a few men standing at seven feet or more. If any of you has been there, they will know that.

From the calculations I have seen on certain websites -I can't recall the names-, Rand is about 6ft6 or 6ft7/or 2m. Min remarks -and I believe it's true- that most Aiel men tower like him, and some even more, and she is not the only one. Indeed, we've seen very few Aiel men shorter than that.

Considering what I have seen in my country, I would think that Aiel stand even more chances of producing more such giants. Why is it not the case, do you think? Something to do with their race?

[SinisterDeath]

Hieght is determined by few factors...

1. Diet, a healthy diet, amongst the entire population = taller people.

2. Genetics.

 

Aiel are genetically taller then the people on the mainland, where as mainland randland, have generally better diets then the aiel.

 

Now if you look at the Aiel and there genetics, as well as a genetic culling called the Breaking..

Only the strong survived. The Aiel were orginally, very much like the gai'shan, people born into servatude it seems.. Life long serving of aes sedia.

Now its possible, they are genetically altered people originally, being, strong, tall, fair skinned, red hair. Ect, after all, the make up of the Aiel are rather similar. Very few non redheads, or non tall people. Sugjesting that they may have started orginally as genetically enchanced humans....

 

So, Given that, as well as the breaking, there average hieght would be logically between 6 feet and 6 feet 6 inches. Look at architecture. Most doors are 6feet 8 inches tall. Sorta hard for a 7 foot guy to walk under right.. Yet, after a thousand years, combined with good and bad diets, and genetic varyations.. Some people got on average shorter, where as a few percentile reached above 6-6, and got to the 7+ range.

In america, a 7foot guy is a rarity, 6-6 is uncommonly common. 6 foot is somewhat common, but men below 6 feet is fairly common. One european country won the prize for tallest average hieght, at around 6 foot, or 6 foot 4 inches. Which is substantially high. Hieght is as much genetic?, as it is of diet. The better your diet is, and yoru kids diets, and your kids, kids diets, can really determine there hieght...

Which really strikes as odd is in countries with fairly poor diets, with really tall people... Might be a faulty gland or something.. *you know, causes giganticm, which can stop early but often goes until its shut down...

[Xeonicus]

Well, Rand is 6'6" and Bael is supposedly a hand taller than Rand. Perhaps Bael is almost 7'? Bael is probably one of the tallest Aiel.

[Guest Fire Lord]

What does a hand actually equal to? I get confused about it sometimes.