The purpose of MORTAR in CASTLES

Medieval mortar was not like glue, holding the stones together, or hard as rock, so why was it important?
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[@vicithetenoroon]

Tbf dry stone walling is still very common in England - although not so often for buildings - but it takes more skill from the builder Mortar is primarily for stability (good job shad) and waterproofing as dry stone walls tend to have gaps which water can get into and when the water freezes and melts it can create bigger gaps in the wall - this is also why British buildings (and castles) are often rendered (medieval render would've been similar to medieval Mortar) to keep out the rain

[@mrclaw4715]

Pretty surprising how many of those countryside walls are still standing around here considering there is virtually nothing holding them together

[@vicithetenoroon]

@@mrclaw4715 yeah I was in Somerset and this one farmer had a wall built in the 12th century - it was pretty incredible Also the best thing with dry stone walls is if they get knocked down by a car or something you can just put the stones back together like a jigsaw and it'll stand for another 200 years

[@vicithetenoroon]

@Large Man there's hundreds of surviving drystone buildings throughout the UK and Ireland - I was just talking about them being built now It's not so common for buildings these days but is still used for walls

[@Errtuabyss]

There are two additional functions I wound add to the list: Isolation and simplification to the building process. Isolation is linked to being waterproof, simply by the merit that most temperature exchange in the atmosphere is via water vapor. If you can isolate something enough to keep the moisture inside you won't lose as much heat as if you don't do it. Of course there is the problem that stone itself is terrible for temperature isolation in the long term because it absorbes and emits temperature in a way that the stone itself keeps the same temperature on every surface. So you will always lose heat this way. In addition the process is linked to the temperature difference and takes a long time, so cool nights and long winters cause the stone to be mostly colder then the inside of the room, making this effect only relevant short term. The simplification aspect Shad already mentioned in the middle of the video: smooth surfaces have a much bigger stability because the points of contact is maximize no matter how you place the stones on that surface. But you have to cut/grind ever single stone down to a significant degree and you don't have modern machines to do it. You have to use a harder, finer grained stone then the one you want to work on. Which increases the time, cost and work overall by a very significant margin. This is the reason (at least in most european medival castles) only the parts of the construction that absolutely needed this additional stability (archways for example) where done this way. Which where mostly made out of sandstone, because they are much easiert to work with. And like you see in most of the examples Shad is showing they often still have some kind of mortar between the stones. A special kind of mortar: cement. If you didn't already knew it: cement is also basically sand, lime and water, just prepared differently. In fact cement was used even before the Romans. And they mostly added vulcanic ash/tuff for the chemical reaction. Which again adds time, costs and effort. You could also add that in contrast to most castles cathedrals are build with smooth surface stones with very little mortar. The main difference being that it didn't matter that the building will cost a fortune and will take 200 years to finish, while a castle had to be paid by the owner and build within a relatively short period of time to be functional. In a feudal society sometimes you couldn't even be sure whether your offsprings will keep the land and therefor had any use of the castle anymore. And if you didn't fulfill your duty of protecting the land given to you by the king your family might lose the rights to it very quickly. So you really didn't had the luxury of taking time building it.

[@vicithetenoroon]

@@Errtuabyss both are reasonable points tbh However, you don't grind down stones in a dry stone wall you slot them together like a puzzle which is more complex than using Mortar but way simpler than grinding down stones Therefore, practiced dry stone wall builders can build much faster than people building with Mortar as you don't have to point dry stone walls or wait for the Mortar to dry The only changing of stones might be necessary to make the odd specifically shaped stone and would be done with a hammer and a steel or iron chisel - as is still used in the building trade today Actually dry stone wall can be more robust than modern brick because each stone actually slots together (more like lego bricks) and doesn't line up in rows which make the joins more fragile - also dry stone walls are often much thicker which adds to the rigidity Mortar can also present some problems as if it is too wet the Mortar will wash out of the walls, if it is too dry it will dry out before you're finished building and if you pile on too much weight it will be extruded from the joints Isolation is a good point but you have missed the cavity wall design feature - even medieval builders knew if you built two walls with a gap between you could retain heat far better which is inadvertently pro-mortar as Mortar allows for thinner walls (which you certainly want if you're building two!) However thinner walls might not be best for a castle as they are potentially easier to break through with something like a trebuchet Also if you can afford a stone castle you can probably afford the coal to keep yourself and other important people warm so isolation isn't necessarily the most important factor

[@spamhonx56]

Alternative title: Australian man with a sword gets excited about two rocks and some mud. As someone with architecture qualifications and an interest in history, i'd probably have clicked just as fast, honestly.

[@Jfk2Mr]

As someone that has sometimes to place a manhole or keep it at the same level as rest of pavement I can tell you that mortar is crucial in keeping inside (relatively) dry and keeping all those segments in one place - especially old ones (made of bricks) that can be really huge

[@Doons]

Eventually we are just going to have a "how to build a castle" series on Shad's channel during his castles' constructions

[@bl4cksp1d3r]

Ohh I wish

[@Doons]

@@bl4cksp1d3r me too man, my dreams are to hopefully build a castle-esk structure some day! Gonna need Shad's brilliance to guide me

[@JackOBlades0801]

There are a bunch of guys (such as Primitive Technology) who show you how to build old things without modern technology (such as build a tiled roof hut). Would be an interesting area of YT for Shad to move into.

[@mari-pd7yy]

well... are there any objections? xD

[@RexusprimeIX]

*2009 youtube music* *opens notepad* "hi, I'm shad, today im going to show you how to build your own castle"

[@voodoodummie]

"Castle are, in their most basic form, are stones stacked upon one another" _Sad wooden castle sounds_

[@sarahfisher5719]

rip sand castles

[@thekrakenskrak4253]

Sarah Fisher Sand is Stone, just very small stones.

[@paweandonisgawralidisdobrz2522]

Press F for brick castles

[@Vlad_Tepes_III]

@@paweandonisgawralidisdobrz2522 Brick is also stone. Just artificially prepared stone.

[@livedandletdie]

@@thekrakenskrak4253 wrong... sand is mineralized materials, not necessarily ground down or worn stone, because the most expensive sand in the world is parrotfish poop. To claim that sand is stone is wrong, and here's an other fun fact, sand is the sole thing on earth that we actually have an apparent shortage of.

[@evo_is_confused]

So mortar stops the stones from... _Rock_-ing? I'll leave

[@matthiuskoenig3378]

we can't slate you for this pun... if you don't understand mine, then i didn't slate it well.

[@evo_is_confused]

Your puns are ore-some

[@TheAzCorner]

No, stay what's said is set in stone now

[@Kalleosini]

personally I like puns, I find that they are usually taken for granite.

[@mari-pd7yy]

@@Kalleosini take my upvote xD

[@shadfacts6465]

Shad Fact: When playing mini golf Shad gently tapped the golf ball and scored a hole in one! On the wrong golf course, on the wrong continent, on the wrong hemisphere.

[@MrLinconnu06]

Of the wrong planet

[@lamia197]

Of the wrong star system.

[@EnsignRedshirtRicky]

In a made-up country.

[@arthurdsjrjbr]

Of the wrong Universe

[@theprophetofshad1960]

I saw our lord playing golf once. The swings, the pose, it was glorious.

[@ShineyFX]

Shad is answering the questions we didn’t know we wanted answers to

[@syntaxusdogmata3333]

Is there no one who ever wakes up in the morning and wonders what mortar was used for in medieval castles? Is Shad the only one?

[@WhimsyCourier]

yeees

[@theprophetofshad1960]

When Shad was building his castles the people laughed at him but when the Emus came they didn’t laugh anymore.

[@theprophetofshad1960]

Thank you my lord. your words are filled with wisdom and I shall spread them in your name.

[@stevenpetrillo9527]

Editing the original post removes the special marks!

[@theprophetofshad1960]

Steven Petrillo well damn

[@TheAzCorner]

When they came back, ya mean The scores already 1- 0 and we ain't winning

[@8-bitsarda747]

@@TheAzCorner yeah, that's kind of true

[@awl61]

Clearly the mortar is to hit the besieging enemies

[@ulrichkalber9039]

no, it is to grind herbs for making medical teas

[@dune_strider3055]

No, it’s to mix in with your stew

[@RED_Theory038]

I agree with the interpretation that its meant for long range artillery

[@itchykami]

No, it's for flying your baba yaga in.

[@lordofshades9852]

@@RED_Theory038 I mean,how effective would throwing mortar be?

[@bloodangel19]

He is telling us bout how he's gonna make his own

[@spyrofrost9158]

By himself with his own two hands

[@bloodangel19]

@@spyrofrost9158 dude's really making one

[@bloodangel19]

Thanks 4 the heart shad

[@a-sheepof-christ9027]

I thought the exact same thing, but I actually think he's diving deep into the whole castle thing. He's serious.

[@bloodangel19]

@@a-sheepof-christ9027Can't wait till the project begins

[@titusjuventiuscelsus9758]

Obviously mortar is for sending indirect fire towards the enemy levies

[@destinytroll1374]

No no no, "Mortar" is slamming the butt of your rifle into the ground and pulling back on the charging handle in order to clear a jam

[@bcn1gh7h4wk]

also, "mortar" is the order shouted to replenish the pitch cauldrons.

[@liamhogan4369]

No, certainly not. A mortar is for grinding the herbs in your pestle for remedies.

[@dahpughie]

Come one everyone knows that Mortar is where Frodo took the ring to defeat Sauron

[@EliotChildress]

This is the stuff I like. In depth research on stuff no one thinks about.

[@baltulielkungsgunarsmiezis9714]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnypknZrh76Ve68

[@KodakYarr]

Agreed

[@Ermanariks_til_Aujm]

The purpose of every PhDs.

[@Poth94]

yeah, nor could you ever use that knowledge in the real world 😄

[@nicollascarramaschi5645]

Same

[@Tennouseijin]

The Inca Empire used mortar in an ingenious way - they used acidic mortar, that reacted with the stones they used for construction. This resulted in extremely tight-fitting construction, which survives until today. As for Japanese castles, they were designed to stand earthquakes, which was one of the primary concerns in their construction. EDIT: I found some better explanation of the Inca mortar: www.siftdesk.org/article-details/On-the-reddish-glittery-mud-the-Inca-used-for-perfecting-their-stone-masonry/264

[@vin6870]

I thought that the Incas didn't use mortar

[@Tennouseijin]

@@vin6870 as I understand it, the theory about the acidic mortar is fairly new, and indeed the walls look as if no mortar was used. However, if indeed this theory is correct, it would explain the apparent lack of mortar in that the acid would dissolve the stones, mixing with the silica etc. and then it would solidify over time, reforming into the same rock material that the stones are made of, making the mortar indistinguishable.

[@Tennouseijin]

Apparently, there are written sources that mention 'golden mortar' (now recognized as referring to fool's gold - iron sulfide), however they were dismissed as folktale because no mortar was visible, and the whole idea of walls made of gold was considered part of the El Dorado myths.

[@vin6870]

@@Tennouseijin Thank you very helpful

[@SepticFuddy]

And here the tour guides in Cusco all told me nobody could figure out how they did it. Nice find

[@adambriton5394]

Shad the only man that can talk about stone and maintain interest

[@Sebastian_Gecko]

You've never spent time with geoscientists outside, did you?

[@lazulenoc6863]

But what about dragons hidden under the castle, using stolen mortar to add camouflage so they can sneak into the treasury?

[@8-bitsarda747]

asking the truly important questions I see

[@lucasriley874]

Nobody cares about the treasury, the real problem is mortar dragons steal all the jam and like to lick the butter.

[@TheNorthlander]

Oh is this gonna be about the Medieval predecessor of the grenade launch- **Oh.**

[@lukeskywalker8543]

Same bro

[@robertharris6092]

Not the rennisance era mortar?

[@grukk4051]

There's 'mortar' this subject than meets the eye

[@andrewolson5471]

That is a bad pun and I should hate you for it, but I LOLed instead.

[@masonwheeler6536]

Every castle needs a mortar and a fater...

[@HeleentheArcane]

Go krump something, you Ork.

[@khrishsidharth834]

Puns Puns hurt the soul

[@shinzel360pros8]

With this absolute chad of a man and the amount of conflict hes been facing due to his War bow videos he might as well call his channel ChadAdversity.

[@SuperShadowKin]

Shad has officially started the construction of his authentic castle with those two rocks. Two down. 30,000 more to go.

[@evilwelshman]

Yes, Shad.... the topic was SO interesting, you had us all so GLUED to our seats, that we STUCK around right to the end and it has CEMENTED my view of your channel as a ROCK SOLID source of information. 😁😁

[@TacticalHotdog132]

Stone cutter: this project will take many months for we must craft many perfectly cut and smooth stones to make the most stable foundation. Some nerd: couldn't we just fill the holes?

[@lucasriley874]

Most castles are full of rubble. They might use worked ashlar for the outer surface of walls, especially door/window frames and corners of buildings, but when you have a 5 to 10 metre thick wall the whole inside is usually rubble/pitchstone/quarry waste dumped into a crap ton of mortar in most cases.

[@elproson1]

Everytime I see a video that shad uploads that day just becomes a better day.

[@jairoperezgutierrez5538]

6:20 I love the detail that even himself is surprised of how well it worked

[@osu45d]

Quickest time I've ever clicked on a video about mortar...

[@kethos017]

Only time I've ever clicked on a video about mortar

[@itatane]

Oddly enough, there is evidence that, for whatever reason, the builders of early Sumerian and Akkadian structures like ziggurats favored slightly ovoid stones or brick (later they did employ dressed stone or flat brick). Instead of lime mortar, they frequently utilized bitumen, as the Ancient Middle East had a relatively good supply of it. It provided much the same cushioning and leveling that a medieval mortar did. Crivens, that info has been kicking around my noggin ever since Dr. Donald Fowler's OTB 373 course in 17 years ago... Useless trivia for the win!

[@corryjamieson3909]

Don't mind me, I'm taking notes for an anime I'm working on.

[@spiritvdc5109]

I'm taking notes for a fantasy roleplay world I'm making lol

[@FabiosTheName]

Shad needs more subscribers, he is such a legend, he tells us the truths of medieval history and medieval technology. Without shad I wouldn’t know about MACHICOLATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@lottavernix]

This seems like a good way to start a DIY castle series.

[@MichaelSwinny]

My 4th time trying to get shad to look at the pros and cons of the castle of camelot from the TV series 'The Adventures of Merlin'

[@Ally5141]

Yes

[@MichaelSwinny]

It's such a massive and incredible castle and my favourite TV series of all time.

[@thatrandomeliteultra1158]

Yes

[@b1laxson]

Arthur growing up raised by his biological father was soooooooooo contrary. It really starts with the other-man's-wife conception and then being raised by Merlin not growing up alongside Merlin as the expecting-power-rich-kid. The castle though sure. Cause castles are cool.

[@thatrandomeliteultra1158]

@@b1laxson look it was a hell of a a good series but sure it didn't stay in lane with the original

[@omnitroph1501]

"Castles are made by just stacking stones on top of each other" [Jericho flashbacks intensify]

[@Nightblade404]

10/10

[@mooliciousmaul6514]

I get that reference

[@alvatoredimarco]

"As *DRY* a topic as you might assume that is..." Damn it, Shad.

[@gakuyax]

okay.. now lets talk about medieval doors. how peasants build their doors and how castles build their drop gates and main gates and shit.

[@zubbworks]

Yes please.

[@trollunderbridge2292]

I've sent this to my dad, who's job was literally stone/block.

[@lamia197]

The video is about castles. I have to to it. MMMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCCCOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNSSSSSSSSSSSSSS~~~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@lamia197]

@Rayane Toy ReviewsNgaming Clearly, you have the superior maticulations.

[@xluig_0049]

@@lamia197 well, he'd probably get matriculated, or get a dictionary, so he'd be able to spell machiculations.

[@josiahtm866]

You really used your diaphragm there didn't you? I felt the floor shake xD

[@ElfMaidWithInternet]

You just said the word it!

[@lamia197]

@@ElfMaidWithInternet OhNo I said it! I said it again! I just said it again! AAAAAHHHH

[@snowbii6230]

I like how Shad dresses up in full armor and armed with a sword to a record video.

[@dks6515]

never thought i would enjoy a video about medieval mortar this much, great video shad!

[@GoatOfTheWoods]

i bet in 5 years from now, Shad will have his own fiefdom complete with wizard tower and jousting tournament

[@Dracounguis]

Not to mention filling all those holes makes it less drafty.

[@Justin-pe9cl]

Solid point

[@rayceeya8659]

Reminds me of a stone retaining wall I built back in high school. I was working for a general contractor and the client wanted a retaining wall made of scoria. A fairly common stone where I'm from. So we free massoned up a retaining wall and it stood for over 20 years. Scoria is very rough and sticky for a stone. Almost like stone velcro. too porous to have any real strength though.

[@afinoxi]

Its interesting how such a simple thing one might consider is very important to a big structure.

[@cherbies3258]

I could listen to shad go on about the process of medieval paint drying

[@phoenixkingtheo]

Never did I think I would click is fast about a video discussing mortar, but if it's talking about castles (especially with Shad doing the talking) I'll watch! Keep up the great work!

[@ethanbenner6995]

Twelve seconds. I have a new record

[@zobblewobble1770]

Dang it I thought 22 seconds would be fast enough to upload an annoying “First” comment

[@approximateCognition]

2 minutes. Good enough

[@Battlemage4]

5 miNUTes

[@flupsdarups3897]

8 minutes

[@ghostleemann955]

@@flupsdarups3897 e

[@Jaster_Mereel]

"Could cause an entire wall to collapse. You don't want that!" Shad- Master of Understatement

[@tomaszarmatowski540]

this brigandine is so cool

[@haxxormcbunny7456]

NGL....I was thinking later black powder mortars and was thinking “counter barrage/siege equipment destruction?” But it drew my attention to such a subject as this so bloody brilliant either way

[@jamesdaniels8297]

I always get excited when I see a new shadiversity video out!

[@Grandwigg]

Great video, Shad. Thanks for taking the time to go over something overlooked, but fascinating. Keep up the good work!

[@DjmRdr]

Congrats on 1 million!

[@rickykeim2005]

Hey Shad thanks for the video. I consider it a fine way to start my day. Shad you made Candles interesting so Im here to see what you can do with Mortar.

[@Demoliri]

The mortar also helps with keeping heat in and cold out. By preventing air from moving through the gaps in the stones the insulation properties of the wall are significantly increased.

[@jaredfry]

Absolutely love the return to castle-themed content here and I think you did a very entertaining job describing something a lot of people might think is mundane. Good on you! I also wanted to let you know that you’re doing a great job in the editing process - keep it up!

[@varvarith3090]

Like thermal paste, but for transitioning stress instead of temperature.

[@hughbrackett343]

It's easier to get off than thermal paste, though.

[@Tadicuslegion78]

Medieval architects: can make a building that still standing hundreds even a thousand years later. Current architects: make buildings as cheaply as possible that rot away within 5 years.

[@bl4cksp1d3r]

Question: are you American?

[@Santisima_Trinidad]

Yeah. Where I live, there are dry stone walls which have been there since before the famine, which were built by farmer's. Go into the nearby town, and recently they built a stone wall, which has massive lump's of mortar holding all the stone's together. No thought out into stacking them effectively, just cobble them together and slap on a ton of mortar to hold them in place.

[@hazelcalderbank1556]

This is an example of survivorship bias. The only medieval buildings we see are the ones that have lasted hundreds/thousands of years, whereas we can see plenty of examples of modern buildings that rot away within a few years. That does not mean that there were no short-lived medieval buildings, it only means that we do not see them. Additionally, we do not yet know which of our modern buildings will last hundreds of years, because they have not had the chance to last hundreds of years yet

[@michaelball4072]

my granddad worked in a bank in london thats building's main purpose was being a bomb shelter built in 60s during the cold war era. It was lead lined, everything was tip top in the plans he said; obviously paraphrasing i was told this story years ago. but in the first month the bank was moved to the building there was a week long down pour, the bank had millions of pounds of computer stuff in it and on the third day or something the whole building had flood in rain water, this building being right next to the themes that was supposed to survive a nuclear bomb and the aftermath had just flooded! this is the best story i have as an example to what you said.

[@GurniHallek]

Are you living in Africa, or something? I've heard that some people there still live in huts made of clay/elephant dung and straw, and THOSE have to be replaced each five years or so.

[@timetravelingnecromancer1051]

You know what I love about you Shad, First, that your not afraid to admit when you got something wrong. But also that you put in that extra effort. You could have very easily explained it without the visuals. But you went out and gathered stones and dirt just to give us a quick visual demonstration. Bravo good sir.

[@CrayGriffin]

Me: a video about mortar wouldn't be that inter.. Shad: uploades a video about mortar, which I find interesting Me looking at bucket of mortar: you got lucky

[@Jono_Maxwell]

Always enjoy your videos

[@UncleRJ]

So _that's_ how you built that castle in your backyard.

[@magpiestories7763]

The sheer joy you have in the subject is infectious

[@ernestpreston4594]

Back to castles yay! I really enjoy the joy you have talking about castles.

[@kingrichardiii6280]

Hey Shad by any chance think you can do a review of Dragonheart with Sean Connery and Dennis Quaid? It has most of the content you already cover. One scene the bad guy tried to charge the good guy in battle but the henchman stops him saying "hey why don't we just stay in the castle?"

[@darkbringer1440]

0:17 Shad: "As dry a topic as that is" Me: Was that a mortar pun? Are you making dad jokes right out of the gate ?

[@DominusTheFirst]

awesome video man, love your content. Keep it coming.

[@TheWhiteDragon3]

I'm loving all the pictures taken from the Guedelon castle construction site. Such an incredible piece of living history!

[@tam-tam7098]

I think Chadiversity would be a good nickname for this channel lol

[@rickh.kammins3455]

Feels a bit like some of those tv-shows where they want you to buy some crappie stuff. But this is so much better.

[@brandylshey9367]

I really liked this episode. Thanks for sharing your information with us!

[@jeffmiller4168]

I work for a company that restores old timber frame barns in the US and we see traditional sandstone foundations using this type of mortar all the time. It’s really cool to see one of my favorite KZbinrs referencing my work every now and again. Thanks Shad!

[@inventiveowl395]

Hello Shad. So I've got myslef into watching boatbuilding channel Sampson Boat Co. He did something like this: whoever wants to help rebuild the Tally Ho, they can get an agreement and help with their own hands on the project. For free, for fun and support od the project. The core of this comment is: Will you consider inviting fans to help build the Kingdom of Three Castles and to live in The Village? I personally would be very interested in some off grid living and medieval building :D (I'm an engineer, who got into carpentery and joinery last year)

[@blacktemplar9499]

Me and the boys learning how to build a castle from youtube

[@revlouder5865]

Bruh I just finished watching the large swords vid and then this one youre looking great man!! Nice job getting it together

[@ct7567CaptRex]

The Mayas and atztecs actually flattend the stones so they sat perfectly on top of one another.

[@CptHer]

Yo Shad! You're really rocking that beard. Just sayin'.

[@TheBanishedWind]

Growing it for a movie based on his book.

[@lukeskywalker8543]

Was the play on words deliberate?

[@nicholasdalli6303]

Oh my what a glorious - what about the castle's machicolations - beard you've grown.

[@ellermaaannn]

Unlike castles, cathedrals (and archways of castles) were build with perfectly square block. However even there the mortar didn't serve the purpose of gluing the stones together but to generate friction between the them. That means that a cathedral of hundred meters hight only rely on friction and the mass of the stone keeping the whole structure together. Just fenomenal!

[@b1laxson]

Mortar for a castle is an a historic method for defensive fire hurling say 81mm high explosive rounds instead of a trebuchet's solid stone shot. Suitable for fantasy and time travel settings.

[@livrasyt166]

NEW VID NEW VID NEW VID. TO THE WEAPONS MY FELLOW SHADANIANS

[@evo_is_confused]

Wooo now this is cool

[@bulldozer1011]

Loving the studded leather Shad, looks epic!!

[@matthewsmart4290]

Never really thought about how mortar works for castles but I’m glad you did Shad, great job!

[@oskaripeurala2612]

Obviously so they could provide bombardment! Wrong kind of mortar? Okay.

[@LiftedStarfish]

Ik this is a little obscure, but could you tear apart She-Ra's sword from the 2018 Netflix reboot?

[@hallowstar4857]

You made mortar interesting, your presenting style is really reaching new levels!

[@thunderdumpling3528]

What I love about the Medieval era. Is that on a surface level, it appears to be very simple. But diving deeper shows that it was very complex. Like Mortar, it appears to be like concrete, but has a lot of other functions.

[@thanos7073]

i am inevitable

[@Whisper71]

and i'm iron man -a guy who has iron deficiency

[@VUfElectrolyticCapacitor]

"I'm Mary Poppins y'all!" - A blue whistling alien.

[@lamia197]

I am groot -some plant thingy

[@VUfElectrolyticCapacitor]

Oh. We’re using our made-up names. Then I am Spider-Man. -Iron Man.Jr/Iron boy/Spider boy/Spiderling(?)

[@Cloud7050]

Looks like I'm early

[@juulmans5876]

straight up love the new fit man, pretty awesome

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

I am amazed how architects in the past were able to think about using mortar to stabilize the castle or buildings that they built.

[@madgeologist495]

Just one thing to add: while the base formula for mortar is quicklime, sand and water, there were often a lot of other ingredients that were mixed into the mortar too. For example quark (more or less something between milk and cheese) was sometimes added to mixture, which lead to the mortar being liquid for a longer time. This was actually recreated when restoring the Albrechtsburg Cathedral in Meißen. At least my father who worked there told me so.

[@amirhosseinmaghsoodi388]

Wow that sounds interesting

[@crimsonraen]

Hey Shad, thanks for the video! I definitely thought it was just used as glue, but this makes SO much more sense! (and the weatherproofing of course)

[@wourag3885]

Family: ‘Hey, what you watching?’ Me: ‘Uhhh...!’ I love how eclectic yet educational Shad’s videos are!

[@jaremymallister9004]

I recently watched your video on Casterly Rock and I totally agree with you. I subscribed immediately!

[@Argornash]

Man, I literally watch your videos now because of that beautiful brigandine. So cool. The content is just icing on the cake. XD

[@Mrskwdahlgren]

Loving the grey Shad. Looks dignified.

[@Solon1581]

I just finished reading Shadow of the Conqueror and I have to say, it's fantastic, especially the scene where Daylen and Lyrah meet for the first time. Well done Shad!

[@joulesshed1143]

Cool video, and thanks for the recipe for medieval mortar

[@MrDaewen]

Fascinating. Thank you Shad. I would have guessed it was like a glue.

[@cameronblackburn7598]

Well this makes gloves of shaping in pathfinder even better. Love your videos.

[@PaulJones-dz5jr]

Congratulations Shad! You have taken a subject that most would consider boring, and made it interesting!

[@IanCCal]

As a mason and block setter this makes absolute sense. The same thing goes for modern hollow tile walls, where the mortar is used to just set the blocks in place, not really providing any structural strength. You could push them over by hand up until a few days after they're grouted with concrete.