The Passage of Time in Westeros

[Merula]

Hey guys, just downloaded the mod, just great work!

So I've been reading the books for a while now (about half way through storm of swords) and I have been wondering about how time is viewed in Westeros. Do they have years like we do? or is it something different.

If their years are longer than ours, then that would mean that, for instance, when the book says Robb is 15, in our 'real' terms he is about 18? This is probably not the case, but i thought is was interesting all the same.

It also helps (imo) to think about it this way when you read about 13 year old Dany being carried off by a old barbarian thrice her age, makes you less disgusted (although i know this was quite common during our history)

Also, sorry if this has been brought up and discussed to death before, I havent the patience to read through all the threads

Any thoughts on this?

[TouchyAndalou]

The years are the same as ours; it's the seasons that differ. They last considerably longer and can vary in length from one to the other. Winters can last a lifetime, and all that.

As for children matching with far older men, as you pointed out, this is a reflection of our own history, where you were considered either a child (pre-puberty) or an adult (post-puberty).

[Merula]

Yeah i thought as much, I knew about the long winters thing, but i was just checking thanks

[Noobio]

also, keep in mind that they did celebrate birthdays (as in "namedays") so they do count age properly ...i think it would fit better if age was a bit stretched (as you thought it would be) cause some things seem higly unrealistic, but who cares...once you get into the world you stop actually minding some far off exagerations..(maybe having dragons ,undead and what other stuff helps too )

[Lordinquisitor]

It is true that some characters are a bit too young- GRRM even stated that if he could make them older in hindsight he would do so. (As it is done in the series.)

But one has to consider that children in the medieval ages grew up faster, so their 15 might equal our 18.

[Karnil Vark Khaitan]

But one has to consider that children in the medieval ages grew up faster, so their 15 might equal our 18.

Mentally in their mind, and they may suffer for it later on, in theory.
dont know if G.R.R.M. will use it or not.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Just like stormborn

[flopsies]

Plus, each book is like a year, because game of thrones covers like a year and a half, and i really don't get this: do the seasons last really long just in westeros, or are they normal over in essos, free cities, dothraki sea, and slavers bay + Quarth?

[Lordinquisitor]

I think the exact nature of the seasons of essos isn`t explained; Though they ought to be at least a bit influenced by the seasons of westeros.

[Merula]

But how long is a year then? Because Martin has not actually specified this, he could always use it later on.

[flopsies]

But how long is a year then? Because Martin has not actually specified this, he could always use it later on.

I think that a year is around 365, plus or minus 50 days, but i think puberty starts around 10, instead of 12-14. Plus, look at Bran in the show! When I was eight, I was like 3ft 5in, while Bran looks 12, and is 4ft 5in

[Merula]

I think that a year is around 365, plus or minus 50 days, but i think puberty starts around 10, instead of 12-14. Plus, look at Bran in the show! When I was eight, I was like 3ft 5in, while Bran looks 12, and is 4ft 5in

They had to make the characters in the show older, you cant have a sex scene with a 13 yo girl on screen (Dany) Thats the only reason they are older, well maybe as well that its hard to find good kid actors....

[Werthead]

The out-of-whack seasons are a worldwide phenomenon. Essos is less noticeably-affected because it is oriented further south than Westeros (it may cross the equator, or come close to it), and even in Westeros the far south of the continent (Dorne) is much less affected by the variable seasons (even in the worst 'normal' winters snow does not fall in Dorne). There are some hints in the last two books that Essos is also being affected, however, with references to the canals in Braavos (the northern-most point on the Essos continent) starting to freeze over.

A year in Westeros is measured by the orbits of the moon. Twelve turns of the moon are counted as one year. Why exactly twelve? A popular fan theory is that the seasons used to be normal but were thrown out of whack by the War for the Dawn against the Others, but this is now forgotten, and the twelve moons = one year thing is simply now a tradition.

Ages in Westeros are the same as in the real world. GRRM has pointed out that some real medieval kings and knights kicked some serious ass as teenagers, though this is rather rarer than I think he initially thought. For the TV series, the characters are older: Jon and Robb are 17 rather than 14, Bran is 10 rather than 7, Daenerys is 15 or 16 rather than 13 and so on.