Medieval rope-making in Visby market

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More videos here: • Archaeology
I attended a few days of 'medieval week' in Visby, Gotland, Sweden. One thing I did there was, with help, make a short rope. The fibre used was jute, which is not the most authentic medieval material for Sweden - jute is native to India - but at least it's vegetable fibre and not plastic. With the right equipment, making ropes is quite easy. Thanks to Stefan Blomgren for allowing me to make this video with him.
Picture credit: "Mendel I 016 r" by Anonymous - Hausbuch der Mendelschen Zwölfbrüderstiftung, Band 1. Nürnberg 1426-1549. Stadtbibliothek Nürnberg, Amb. 317.2°, via www.nuernberger-hausbuecher.de/. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons -
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Medieval rope-making in Visby market
/ user "Lindybeige"

[@secutorprimus]

"I am the best ropemaker here." Well, that's rather arrogant/confident of you. "I am the only one." Oh.

[@SonnyKnutson]

+TheBeastWithin Maybe you didn't hear the next sentence he said? "I am also the only rope maker here, hehe" Implying he was making a joke.

[@secutorprimus]

Sonny Knutson I know, I was trying to make a joke, as well. 😉

[@SonnyKnutson]

+TheBeastWithin Sorry I did not see the lines below. All I saw was: "I am the best ropemaker here. Well, that's rather arrogant/confident of you." :p

[@samarvora7185]

"Not to sound arrogant or anything, but I am the _greatest_ botanist on this planet."

[@joejoejoejoejoejoe4391]

I've worked with a rope maker, they all think that they're the best.

[@drakgustav]

Hi this is Gustav, we met at Visby. Thanks for the lovely conversation and i hope to see you next year.

[@dorkmax7073]

Hello Gustav! Welcome to Lindybeige's channel. We, his fans, love his history videos and were glad to see what you could teach us.

[@ihsanisk2320]

Some of us also love your name. ;)

[@sintraficusgeneralof5thbat922]

You have the same name of my old comrade his name was Gustav dragovich he was good man I think your would get along well he was like you he liked more traditional ways of making stuff he was a blacksmith

[@dominique.gonzalez622]

No I’m Gustav

[@sintraficusgeneralof5thbat922]

@@dominique.gonzalez622 lies and deseat ye online goblin

[@StuSaville]

What a twist!

[@ReyndommVideos]

+Stu Saville A very well-rounded video, I must say.

[@impersonal6959]

+Stu Saville It really tied my attention.

[@StuSaville]

It certainly roped me in. I'm a frayed knot to miss what Lindy comes up with next! I hope he gets some rest first though as he was looking Visby tired. Sorry that last pun was stretching it...

[@impersonal6959]

Stu Saville I guess that's all right. 'Tis always good to tie up loose ends.

[@Wetcorps]

Hey guys, what's going on in this thread?

[@hin_hale]

"A few links of chain Might cause you some pain And help you refrain From stealing again"

[@DaaaahWhoosh]

Before this, I would have thought that rope was made solely by hand, by some dirty guy in a pile of mud. I am definitely glad that people of the past are constantly surprising me by their ingenuity.

[@SonsOfLorgar]

+DaaaahWhoosh Oh, you need to visit Visby then, a lot of the medieval buildings are intact and some are open to visitors during the summer. Visby was probably the cleanest medieval city in northern Europe to beeot thanks to it's cobbled streets, stone buildings and underground sewage system. The city is built in a steep incline over lime stone cliffs from the sea up towards marshier ground some way outside the city walls inland (now long since drained and urbanised) Those wetlands provided a never ending stream of water coursing through the layered lime stone of the city and was early on channelled into an underground sewer system beneath the streets and houses and out into the Baltic sea by way of the harbour and many other outlets.

[@tyree9055]

Those uneducated, superstitious, ignoramus' were smarter than we give them credit for aren't they? While I wouldn't want to live in the Medieval era, I do believe that a lot of their technology is superior to what we use today. The sustainability of their products, tools and other stuff might be over-engineered by academic standards today, but the labor costs of a structure that lasts for several hundred years I believe is far superior to our modern ones.

[@IvanSN]

@@tyree9055 What a stupid thing to say

[@tyree9055]

@@IvanSN Do tell? Our houses today won't stand for 30 years (if that) before they start falling down. How many buildings today do you think will still be standing 2000 years from now (like the Romans)? Modern products contain weak plastics that are deliberately designed to break rendering the product useless in less than a decade. You practically have to manufacture it yourself if you want something to last... While there are many things that are superior about our lives today, our wasteful economic practices are not one of them. So, do tell... 😉

[@Rolepgeek]

@@tyree9055 To steelman what would probably be a very poor argument - building standards and construction practices are advancing much more rapidly today than they were 500 years prior. If you're going to tear down a house in 40 years hence because it'll be declared unfit for habitation due to previously unknown health hazards or the like anyway, then there's no point in constructing something built to last for a hundred years. You're also suffering from survivorship bias here - we only see the buildings that lasted, not the ones that did collapse, no matter how many times they were rebuilt.

[@chairwood]

wow, why didn't people in the old days just not do the extra twist for every 4 cranks of the handle and enjoy the boiled spaghetti it made? i bet less people would have gone hungry then.

[@ZioStalin]

+MMQuck Don't tell anyone, it's a long and well kept secret, but that's how we Italians make spaghetti, indeed! We don't do the backwards twist and instead of a rope we have boiled spaghetti. Then we process them through the un-boiling machine (also known as the unboiler) and they're ready for packaging!

[@MouseGoat]

+Federico Spadone explains alot about the taste ^^

[@tabularasa0606]

They're afraid of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

[@casbrin9373]

Mmmm jute spaghetti yummy yummy

[@daspedal2730]

really? this is funny for you.

[@astridvallati4762]

In 1956, this farmyard rope-walk method was still being used in Northern Italy, making rope from Locally grown Hemp ( Canapa) also used for textile making. I was 7 at the time, and saw it on a cousin's farm whilst visiting from Australia.

[@TikoVerhelst]

Wow 1956! In the Netherlands, this technique was still used in the 19th century. 20th century I'm not certain. Wouldn't be suprised if locally people still (in the 20th century) did stuff (in the Netherlands or Italy) this way.

[@jnzupka]

The beginning with the little kids riding in the baskets! 😄 SO CUTE!!!!!!

[@myage819]

That was genuinely cool.

[@milesbeler3974]

His confidence in his rope is a sure sign of a good rope maker!

[@Stormgebieder]

Nic to see such old craftmenship. 3:48 it was a Flemish boy :D "Blijven draaien gij". "You keep turning"

[@EpseLepse]

Yupp!!! Now on to guessing which part of Belgium :p

[@axiezimmah]

I'm Dutch, didn't even notice until I rewatched. But its pretty quiet.

[@eeyuup]

I love this channel. I stumbled upon it a couple days ago with the video about berserkers, and I have been absolutely hooked on it for the last couple days.

[@dannyeisenga]

+eeyuup BERSERKERS!

[@ptonpc]

+Danny Eisenga Bezerk errs ?

[@eeyuup]

+Danny Eisenga of the VIKINGS!

[@Cri354]

+eeyuup Yeah, that's how it starts out for everyone. I came here because of the Romans and other weaponry goodies.

[@lavrentivs9891]

+Cri354 And I for the Vikings^^

[@tanvirreza4780]

I have been working in Jute Spinning and Jute Goods Exporting sector since last 24 years !! I was very fortunate to get trained by best jute technical persons of The Netherlands, Belgium, Japan , Northern Ireland Still feels amazed by these videos.

[@BoarhideGaming]

Lloyd's mad-scientist-hair on point, bravo

[@sniperwidch9975]

I genuinely thought the spinning child thing had something to do with the rope making

[@khalilal-bukhari7042]

This can't be authentic! Where are all the random burning things?

[@brucetucker4847]

And the filth? There must be lots of filth!

[@blueberry1c2]

There isn't a single scrap of leather wristbands anywhere!

[@papwithanhatchet902]

And I don’t see anyone dying of plague. This is fake af.

[@jatpack3]

And plague, don't forget about plague.

[@kons37flyingreaperoldchann21]

They burnt down

[@grnd_ctrl8387]

Great video as always. Simpler things like this remind me of the ingenuity, and creativity people have. Thanks, Lindybeige.

[@HinFoo]

what the..! he cut the rope with a knife in the end !

[@dextermatthew3592]

Yea? Why

[@WG55]

It's a joking reference to the video Lindybeige posted the next day, "Rope and Hollywood." Don't cut the rope!

[@oliverwilson11]

He cut the yarn not the rope

[@LordOfNothingreally]

What a twonk!

[@WizardKagdan]

Which IS actually strange, since there are also methods where you don't have to cut that much material off

[@willynthepoorboys2]

Great video,rope making is one of the most important skills man invented...in my opinion any way...ranks up there with the wheel,the gear and the pulley.

[@Arthurzeiro]

M. Night Shyamalan sure liked this video.

[@coreybirth2368]

ArthurAlcantara what a twist

[@PaKePo]

Wow, I just learned how to make rope from one of the best rope makers in the world. Thank you for sharing this with us. I really mean it.

[@SimoExMachina2]

"What do we need a rope for?" "Charles Bronson always carries a rope, and they always end up needing it" --- Boondock Saints.

[@Max_Griswald]

I believe Connor says "Charlie" not Charles, but still, one of the best movie scenes ever.

[@Imhornydadcomeinside]

Visby's inner city is a genuinly cool Place to walk around, it amazed me how many churches they had in that city, used to be a big city in the medieval period. Not the case now.

[@AwoudeX]

+Imhornydadcomeinside It used to be a trading spot for many periods before modern time. With better methods of travelling, some spots in the world are kinda abandoned...

[@EattinThurs61]

Gotland has the highest number of churches per square mile/kilometers.Also Sigtuna has many church ruins.

[@thallan]

Can someone remind me who were "the bad guys" during the battle of visby? Was it the danish under kristian tyrann?

[@30CalCoreLokt]

it makes me so happy that he whip-finished the end instead of using electrical tape like so many do.

[@truckerpat3064]

This video was interesting to me because a few years ago i did some online research into my family history and got as far back as the late 1700s. I couldn't go farther back without actually taveling to Europe. One of my Welsh ancestors on my fathers side worked in a rope factory in Cardigan, Wales. So I can see what sort of thing he would have been doing. Thanks for the upload.

[@timoloef]

lovely... the sound of dutch, danish and english coming together :)

[@robinburt5735]

I love the enthusiasm that all the people at medieval fairs and stuff have. Properly passionate about it and love to show others.

[@billbutler2452]

I've been taking kids to the annual Civil War Reenactment in Fresno, Calif. for the last 25+ years, learning a bit of history firsthand is more fun and goes deeper. Usually 1200-1600+ reenactors, Northern, Southern, civilian and Sutler encampments, many vendors, displays of weaving, broommaking,, boatbuilding, cooking, medical, telegraph, whole lot more. Not every year, but sometimes there would be a wandering Rope Maker. He would get a curious group, pick out 3 young kids for an impromptu Ropewalk, and teach / explain the process and history - always a great hit, and the kids would split up a 10 to 15 ft. 1/2 " sisal rope as souveniers. This was excellent seeing another example, and very well done!

[@robertcoleman349]

Love it when I get recommended an old but still interesting video. Evergreen content FTW!

[@livedandletdie]

I loved that rhyme at the end. A good bit of rope, can help a man cope, and offer him hope on a slippery slope. But a length of a string is no sort of thing for a climber to cling, nor for Tarzan to swing.

[@Rovering0Spirit]

Was that a fan at the end?

[@lindybeige]

+Simply Rover He was one of about fifteen people a day who recognised me.

[@Rovering0Spirit]

Impressive

[@puppyenemy]

+Lindybeige Why the hell did I decide to not visit the Visby medieval market this year?! I would have made for an awesome cameo in the end

[@92tpeter]

+Simply Rover A fan? No, he was a human.

[@Rovering0Spirit]

Hilarious.

[@mattlilly2303]

I can't explain why but I had to pause when you did the power boost. I laughed so much I had tears in my eyes. So unexpected and randomly brilliant.

[@danielthompson6207]

Amazing! I'm a huge advocate for all things rope/cord related and this has made my morning, thank you so much for sharing!

[@fizikshizik]

Come on! We all saw in the movies that people in the past were so stupid that they could make only solid wheels and here you see wooden gears.

[@Woxlayks]

+fizikshizik They used weels? I always thought they just shoved some round logs under whatever they wanted to transport and push it.

[@2adamast]

+fizikshizik The older versions are without gears, just handles locked together by a frame or otherwise belt driven (over solid pulleys).

[@rickparry255]

+Adamast You must be short, cause that joke was very low, but still went over your head.

[@2adamast]

MoonUnit IV The joke starts with Lindy's title then, as this rope-making setup is not more medieval than the _cheap_ film props used to represent medieval wheels. We are short people discussing pots and kettles.

[@rickparry255]

Adamast At least my kettle hasn't been filled with salt. (Was that a clever joke? Or am I just prolonging this 'discussion?')

[@kwlostboy9731]

This is why I love this channel, as well as getting stuff about historical warfare we also get the "mundane" everyday things that contributed to society back then, i.e. some average joe's job and how they did it. These videos always capture my attention more to be honest, but then again, all of Lindy's content is good.

[@AlmightyRager95]

That was pretty cool to watch.

[@truckerspike]

I was just pining to myself this morning: "I think I can make the rope I use myself". And then I watched this video. Now, I don't want to. (Thank you for the video, it was very educational).

[@edandadria]

LB, you're the best. Thanks for enriching my life.

[@Abelhawk]

Subscribed! I love looking at medieval stuff like this, and the editing, presentation, and pace are really well done.

[@Justin-Outdoors]

Finally something interestring on youtube

[@therunningidiot]

Always interesting to see how things where done in the ancient world. Even more interesting when the process hasn't changed much in the modern one!

[@raltor40]

Congrats Lindybeige. Because of you I now know how they made both twine and rope.

[@WolfySnackrib666]

2:46 - Thumbs up for authenticity and realism in this drawn medieval picture. "This is my life. Making rope. That's my singular purpose. Every day. I do nothing all day but make rope. Fuck, I hate this stupid rope stuff!"

[@natersthegamer1953]

My day started with watching primitive tool making, then I got roped into this video!

[@oz_jones]

Eyoo!

[@XWingRepair4cheap]

I must say - - - this is one of the best Non-Chainmaille videos I have ever seen from you!!! Well done!! I am so glad I found the Lindybeige Channel. Please keep posting.

[@davidf2375]

That was extremely educational I watched one video of these guys in Australia and they couldn't make a rope to save their soul they kept getting it all bunched up and twisted nodded but this guy obviously knows what he's doing thank you for the video I enjoyed it extremely....👍👍

[@chironturner4040]

thanks for this video with it i was able to make rope with my scouts, just replaced all moving parts with scouts and it makes great rope!

[@Krypto137]

Who would've thought rope-making could be this interesting.

[@dennisgustafsson9826]

in Karlskrona (Sweden) they have one of the longest wooden houses in the world (300 meter) and it was used for making ropes to the navy. started in the 1700, and I think they still making ropes there some times but that more like for showing the turist.

[@leoscheibelhut940]

Great video, love the poem at the end.

[@dolgy3762]

He knows his craft, good teacher as well.

[@manfallsoffchair]

This is my favourite video on youtube.

[@donna30044]

It was a relief that there were no knickers in a twist there.

[@wrennjb]

He was certainly the best rope maker I've ever seen

[@Draculapin]

Just amazing. Thanks for sharing

[@HurFordMeat]

Wow, another thing I had never given thought about. Amazing! Thanks for the video.

[@MadelnOahu]

I did not search for this neither have watched anything related to this but here i am

[@ericsbuds]

simply amazing what humans have achieved. thanks for the great video!

[@Stierlitz]

Wow, I hope you made more videos while at that market. This is great.

[@FredAlert]

Nice to see you in Sweden once more!

[@robertbrunston5406]

Very interesting! I never seen anything like this before! Thank you.

[@guyjperson]

That was terrifically interesting. Thanks so much.

[@BinaryBunyip]

I'll never take rope for granted again. Pretty amazing really.

[@thejedi1869]

Wow, I was literally there a couple days ago for the midsummer's day festival on my vacation, that is so trippy!

[@d0ugal83]

At the ropery at Chatham historic dockyards, after making some rope, they demonstrate than the length can stand straight up in your hand to demonstrate its awesomeness. Also interestingly major suppliers of rope to the royal navy inserted a coloured strand into the rope to identify the manufacturer. If your rope was later found to be defective, your ropery would be fined. Very interesting, I'm glad they showed me the ropes. :)

[@yvesdewaele4387]

OMG, it's so funny to hear the little kid's dad speak Belgian Dutch (Flemish) :D what a small world.

[@ZheadMonkey]

Wonderful. Really enjoyed that, cheers fella.

[@DJ_Cthulhu]

Great stuff, I live about sixteen miles from Castleton, where rope making in this manner was done in the Peak Cavern from the mid 17th century onwards :-)

[@LeonASinner]

Didn't even notice this was Lindy until he made the VERY Lindy joke about being good at the job

[@alwaysbearded1]

The weight in the Egyptian drawing with the weight could be used with the handle to heave the rope up and down and get it oscillating thereby winding the rope much easier. I've seen riggers today still using a similar technique to serve rigging on historic ships. Just a thought. While working on historic vessels we've used a very similar rig to the one at the market to demonstrate rope making. Instead of the stick in the middle for keeping the yarns separated we used a round wedge with three grooves for the yarns and a dowel as a handle.

[@alwaysbearded1]

Ah, I see they added the top. Same thing. Cool.

[@jeremyrm7]

Fascinating, thank you for the incredible video. 😁

[@tonijintabunyat8362]

fantastic video sir.

[@kr00k3d100]

Beautiful rope.

[@Themostamazinguy]

my family is from Visby! I miss gotland so much

[@lothean2099]

I never heard anyone say anti clockwise till now. Strange, but a new way to say counter clockwise.

[@bennijohnson942]

The power boost made me laugh out loud!

[@ronnibuck1504]

Thanks for sharing. Good stuff!

[@logan7161]

Excellent rope!

[@chickville9469]

I haven't seen rope since we moved our grandpa and his stuff, out of his flat in the town, to our city house, by lorry and trailer, using the ropes to tie down everything for a five hour road journey.

[@GoldenPrime]

i went from science vids, to reaction vids, to action vids to this. im so fascinated xD

[@ME-hm7zm]

This is pretty neat. Archeosoup also has a thing on rope making.

[@QronoZ713]

Bought my bow att this market. Greetings from Sweden! :D

[@helenkholmogorova-landroot8717]

Who would've thought that that thing I use to choke myself has such an old and cool looking creation process!

[@jgeldart7393]

great story and love the craft. the claim of who is longest must consider the roperia of lisboa (1775) at 1159' (353.3 m)

[@alessioyautja612]

Wow, small world. I have made rope in Chatham :D Obviously not a thousand feet long... more like fifteen but it was a fun project to use up an hour between events ^^ EDIT: This was a very clear documentation and presentation of the process, thanks for bringing this to us Lloyd ^^

[@johnstanton8499]

Great video

[@joshuastarkloff9602]

When I heard medieval Market my stomach growled a little. Love me some 13th century food. :)

[@NikovK]

My scout troop made rope this way once using plastic twine. It was so labor intensive that to this day I describe my aversion to cutting a rope as "religious". Just stow the ends off and spare the line.

[@podjawsomness4642]

I needed to make some ropehandles for my viking boatchest i made but i made it by hand with the technique from the vid. thanks!

[@blackjackrabbit1970]

thanks for the videos.. we can be a creative species when we put our minds to it

[@florianseiler7211]

Totally awesome

[@shanelonergan1792]

I really enjoyed that thank you 😊

[@DaBezzzz]

3:51 That was Dutch. It made my day

[@NathanHaaren]

more specifically Flemish, from Belgium

[@EnhoKuo]

Good job!

[@OriruBastard]

Interesting and very educating. I've done rope by hand and my lord it's a pain in the arse work. You can make nice and tidy rope but it also requires that the person you're making it with ain't an idiot like I had to work with... -.-;;; 1 rope out of 4 were quality stuff.

[@jameshibbeard2984]

Awesome video, i never saw this when i lived in Kalmar or visited Gotland :D

[@Jesses001]

I really should make one of those. I have all the materials I need to make that, and I have plenty of wild grasses that would work as a rope material. Making your own rope is useful, even if you can get it cheap at any store right now.

[@jhonviel7381]

Brilliant!

[@DannoCrutch]

Very cool.

[@ZemplinTemplar]

This style of rope-making was still in use in many parts of Europe as late as the beginning of the 20th century. IIRC, there were plenty of these classic, hand-cranked mechanical rope walks in use in the UK at the time.