Ummm, the maths is definately not correct! By definition 1 square mile contains 640 acres.
I rather like the concept of the size of a hide varying depending on where you are. For what it is worth, my webster's dictionary lists the hide as (roughly) "any of various english units of area, especially 120 acres"
It seems to me that, practical and individualistic as the Heortlings are, they would care about equivalent growing capacity, not equivalent areas. So they'd know that one hide of rich land down near the river would grow as much in a year as one hide of shallow soil way up in the hills, so should support as many people and pay equivalent to the clan. One may grow two crops of wheat and barley, and the other one crop of rye and oats, but their different sizes mean that they will support the same number of people.
How do they know how big the different hides should be? Experience! Most of the clans have been on their land for quite some time, they'd have figured these things out. Also, with access to magic they can probably assess a land's potential fairly well.
Of course, the best stewards may improve the quality of the lands over time, so when the lunar loving goat licker becomes clan chief and re-arranges the blood lines, giving his lacklustre upcountry relatives the prime land down near the river, and giving your kin as many hides up in the hills, it doesn't mean that it is really an equal deal. (also the richer land may grow better quality as well as more densely, and may take less net work to plant and harvest).
Now, I know that this concept makes it that much harder for those trying to figure out how big a tula is, but I still like it!
--Bryan
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