Seax

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Some Merovingian seaxes
Some Merovingian seaxes
The remains of a seax together with a reconstructed replica
The remains of a seax together with a reconstructed replica

A Seax (also Hadseax, Sax, Seaxe, Scramaseax and Scramsax), was a type of Germanic single-edged knife.[1] Seax seem to have been used primarily as a tool but may also have been a weapon in extreme situations.[2] They occur in a size range from 7.5cm to 75cm. The larger ones (langseax) were probably weapons, the smaller ones (hadseax) tools, intermediate sized ones serving a dual purpose.[2] Wearing a seax may have been indicative of freemanship, much like the possession of a spear since only free men had the right to bear arms.[2] The seax was worn in a horizontal sheath at the front of the belt.[3] Scram or scran is a word for food in some English dialects and seax to a blade (so a possible translation is "food knife"). However, as the word 'scramseax' is only used once in early medieval literature (In Geoffrey of Tours 'History of the Franks'), the general use of the term when referring to all short knives of this type is erroneous).[4][2] The Saxons may have derived their name from seax (the implement for which they were known).[4] The seax has a lasting symbolic impact in the English counties of Essex and Middlesex, which both feature three seaxes in their ceremonial emblem.

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[edit] References

  1. ^ Docherty, Frank. The Anglo Saxon Broken Back Seax. Retrieved 27 November 2005.
  2. ^ a b c d Levick, Ben (1991) & Williamson, Roland (1999). Regia Anglorum scramseax page. Retrieved 27 September 2005.
  3. ^ Bagley, Michael S. (2004). Re-enactment events Seax page. Retrieved 16 September 2006.
  4. ^ a b Burton, Mark (2002). Milites deBec Equipment.Retrieved 27 September 2005.

[edit] See also

[edit] Reference in Culture

[edit] External links