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Human scaled measurements
There are quite a few measurements that are (or at least stat out) based on the human body.
Best known is probably the foot. Do I have to explain that one? :-)
Lets start working up from smallest to largest
finger - the width of a finger, now mostly seen in measuring whisky
hand - the width of a hand from top to bottom with all fingers together. Now defined as 4 inches and used to measure horses.
span - The distance between the tip of the little finger and the tip of the thumb with fingers spread. Roughly 6 inches
cubit - distance from fingertips to elbow - now "defined" as 18 inches
yard - distance from fingertips to nose (think measuring cloth that way) Now defined as 3 feet.
ell - distance from fingertips to opposite shoulder (again used for measuring cloth)
fathom - distance between hands with arms outstretched (think of measuring rope that way). Now defined as 6 feet
stride - one step (ie distance between where left is when right foot lands)
pace - two steps (ie distance between to left or two right footprints)
mile - one thousand paces (from the Latin mille pacem). Now defined as 5280 feet.
league - 3 miles
I've probably missed a few.
These can be useful when reading old stuff, or when you need to rough measure something.
Also useful for alternate history of fantasy.
Best known is probably the foot. Do I have to explain that one? :-)
Lets start working up from smallest to largest
finger - the width of a finger, now mostly seen in measuring whisky
hand - the width of a hand from top to bottom with all fingers together. Now defined as 4 inches and used to measure horses.
span - The distance between the tip of the little finger and the tip of the thumb with fingers spread. Roughly 6 inches
cubit - distance from fingertips to elbow - now "defined" as 18 inches
yard - distance from fingertips to nose (think measuring cloth that way) Now defined as 3 feet.
ell - distance from fingertips to opposite shoulder (again used for measuring cloth)
fathom - distance between hands with arms outstretched (think of measuring rope that way). Now defined as 6 feet
stride - one step (ie distance between where left is when right foot lands)
pace - two steps (ie distance between to left or two right footprints)
mile - one thousand paces (from the Latin mille pacem). Now defined as 5280 feet.
league - 3 miles
I've probably missed a few.
These can be useful when reading old stuff, or when you need to rough measure something.
Also useful for alternate history of fantasy.
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One of my favorite books is _Secrets of the Great Pyramid_ by Peter Tompkins. He's a metrologist, an expert on measurement. He approaches Egyptology from that viewpoint. There were many cubits used in the long history of ancient Egypt, so the artwork on most structures would have at least one image showing which cubit (and the derived units of measure) was used. Primarily you had the "sacred" cubit (used on temples, tombs and such) and the "profane" cubit (used on mundane structures).
I actually came up with my own system of measurements for that fantasy novel I occasionally post excerpts from. The _toise_ is a pre-metric measure of length, as is the mile. Unfortunately, in different times and places they had different lengths. (Napoleon isn't as short as most people think; his height was given in French feet and inches, which are larger than the English versions we use.) In the novel they have the Solar Mile and the Solar Toise.
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