Convert Famn (famn) to Rod (rd) instantly.
About these units
Famn (famn)
The famn, related to the English fathom, was a Scandinavian unit roughly equal to 1.78 meters. Like other fathoms, it originated as the distance between a person's outstretched arms, making it a natural measure for tasks performed at arm's length. Historically, the famn was used in maritime contexts, forestry, and measuring firewood. Sailors relied on it when describing water depth, rope lengths, and the dimensions of boats. On land, stacked firewood was often quantified in famnar, making the unit central to resource management in cold northern regions. Today, the famn has largely disappeared from practical use, but it continues to appear in maritime literature, folklore, and historical accounts. Its surviving references help illuminate the working methods and daily experiences of Nordic sailors, fishermen, and rural communities prior to metrication.
Rod (rd)
A rod, equal to 16½ feet (or 5.0292 meters), is a historic English unit that dates back to agricultural practices and land surveying in medieval Europe. Originally based on the length of a stiff pole used by farmers to control oxen, the rod became standardized and deeply embedded in systems of land division. Surveyors valued rods because they integrate neatly with other land-measurement units: 4 rods make a chain, and 160 square rods make an acre. These relationships simplified calculations when establishing property boundaries or mapping rural land parcels. Although no longer widely used for modern surveying—supplanted by meters or feet—the rod lives on in historical land deeds, mining claims, and older legal documents. Understanding rods can be essential for interpreting pre-modern land descriptions that still influence property law today.