Time and watches

[philippas.livejournal.com]

Does anyone understand how the marking of time works in the Thief series? I was working on a fan fic, and I had some vague idea that there were different watches (not the pocket kind) named after animals, but I couldn't remember where to find it in the books. I ended up sort of fudging it in the story, but if anyone has it figured out, please share!

Comments

[rosalui.livejournal.com]

I dunno - I just know that Gen mentions how one of his brothers is a watchmakers in The Thief, and he can make "flat-backed" watches. Turner adds a tiny note in the back of the book about it. ^_^

[openedlocket.livejournal.com]

I read about them saying 'the 7th hour' once so I did a little research and...

I found out that it's something like Biblical time-telling. Apparently the first our equals to the 7:00 am and it continues like that. So the 7th hour= to 1:00pm. I just searched 'way of telling time 7th hour' in Google and got a link. It's a bit too long to put here, though. Hope that helped ;).

[philippas.livejournal.com]

That's good to know. So if I'm writing a fic a character should say, "It's the first hour" instead of "It's seven."

Although this almost leaves me with more questions than answers. Do they ever use the o'clock, I wonder? (Four o'clock.) And how would watches work in relation to this? And is there a sixteenth hour, like military time? Or how do they get through all twenty-four hours? Sigh ...

[philippas.livejournal.com]

Ah, did the google search and found the article! It still didn't explain how what they called the night hours though.

[vaireweaver.livejournal.com]

You're probably thinking of the reference to the "dog watch" of the night, which I think Gen talks about with Relius in KoA, and maybe is mentioned in other places as well. Baahh, I'll just go get my copy. Yeah, p. 286 of the paperback version.

"It's the dog watch of the night," the king said softly. ... His statement seemed at first irrelevant, but it wasn't. The dog watch of the night was a bad time for those haunted by nightmares. The king had to know that for himself.

I'd kind of got an idea of what this meant from the context, but officially looked it up just now. Turns out it's a military term for a night shift. Roughly around 6-8 p.m. Which is interesting because I had thought that Relius woke in the middle of the night, but the scene afterwards makes sense with the late evening timing.

[openedlocket.livejournal.com]

Ok that explanation was so much better. Why hasn't this topic been discussed before? Or has it already been discussed? I'm learning quite a lot already.

[philippas.livejournal.com]

Aha! Yes, I'm pretty sure that's the passage I was thinking of. (Although I also have the weird conviction there was a bat watch, but I'm thinking was either a) from another book or b) a product of my ongoing Batman Begins obsession.

Anyway, I'm pretty convinced you've got the right answer. And, since MWTs shifted a lot of things, I think it is possible that in Attolia, the dog watch is later in the night. (Rereading the scene, 6-8 just seems too early, and also not a particularly nightmare prone time. But I agree it's probably not super, super late either. It's also p. 286 in the hardcover.)

[katewaits.livejournal.com]

Wow! That's interesting to know. I had thought when Costis wakes up Gen to save Aris and the others and Gen says it's "early, not late" regarding it being the dog watch that he was saying it was about 4:00 a.m. But it makes sense that it's early in the night shift.

I could see it being a bad time for people with nightmares because (pre-electricity), that might be about the time many people would be getting ready to go to sleep, and if you're someone who's plagued by nightmares, bedtime would be a very anxious time.

My whole perception has shifted. :D

[tiegirl.livejournal.com]

Yes, per RRelf, that might be a reference to that time, 6-8, because people would be getting ready to sleep, it's twilight, ghosts are seen then, that sort of thing, especially at sea. (enough commas for everyone?)


And can I just say? YAY for more fanfic!!!