Seax

Seax (also Hadseax, Sax, Seaxe, Scramaseax,Scramsax and Sachsum-lat.-^[1] ) in Old English means knife or cutting tool.^[2] In modern archeology (and further in this article), the term seax is used specifically for the typically large knives that were worn by men in the 5th to 11th century, in the region roughly enclosed by Ireland, Scandinavia and Northern Italy. In heraldry, the seax is a charge consisting of a curved sword with a notched blade.[1]

Description

Amongst the shape and construction of seaxes there is a lot of variation. The most frequent characteristics are:

A tang in the centerline of the blade, inserted into an organic hilt (wood, horn)
A large single edged blade
The blade is worn horizontally inside a scabbard attached to the belt, with the edge of the blade upwards.

In Germany, the following types are defined for seaxes between roughly 450 and 800 AD, in chronological order ^[3]:

Schmaler Langsax (narrow long seax)
Kurzsax (short seax)
Schmalsax (narrow seax) - Often have braided bands or snakes engraved in the blade, and frequently include metal bolsters and pommels. Both the edge and the back are curved towards the tip, which is generally located above the centerline of the blade.
Leichter Breitsax (light broad seax) - Similar to narrow seax, but frequently lack metal hilt parts, and have simpler decorations on the blade, such as parallel lines. Both the edge and the back curve towards the tip, which is generally located at the centerline of the blade.
Schwerer Breitsax (heavy broad seax) - Have simple decorations on the blade if any, and long single-part organic hilts (>20cm). Both the edge and the back curve towards the tip, which is generally located at the centerline of the blade.
Atypischer Breitsax (atypical broad seax) - Same as heavy broad seax
Langsax (long seax) - Blades are 50cm or longer, often with multiple fullers and grooves, patternwelded blades, and long hilts similar to broad seaxes. The edge is generally straight, or curved slightly towards the tip. The back either curves gently, or with a sharp angle towards the tip, which is located below the centerline of the blade.

The general trend, as one moves from the short to the broad seax, is that the blade becomes heavier, longer, broader and thicker. Long seaxes, which arrived at the end of the 7th century, were the longest of the seax. These were narrower and lighter than their predecessors. Initially, these weapons were found in combination with double-edged swords and were probably intended as side arm. From the 7th century onwards, seaxes became the main edged weapon (next to a francisca), sometimes in combination with small side-knives.^[3]

The rest of Europe (except for parts of Scandinavia) followed a similar development, although some types may not be very common depending on location.

Another typical form of the seax is the so-called broken-back style seax. These seaxes have a sharp angled transition between the back section of the blade and the point, the latter generally forming 1/3rd to 3/5th of the blade length. These seaxes exist both in long seax variety (edge and back parallel) and in smaller blades of various lengths (blade expanding first, then narrowing towards the tip after the kink). They occurred mostly in the UK and Ireland, with some examples in Germany around 8-11th century AD. Some examples have patternwelded blades, while others have inlays of silver, copper, brass, etc.

Additional information

A seax in modern times is often called scramasax or scramaseax, from scrama "wound" (cf. German Schramme "flesh wound", Dutch schram "scratch") and sax (cf. German Sahs "dagger"). However, as the word 'scramasaxi' is only used once in early medieval literature (In Gregory of Tours 'History of the Franks'),^[4] the general use of the term when referring to all short knives of this type is erroneous.^[5] The Saxons may have derived their name from seax (the implement for which they were known).^[5] The seax has a lasting symbolic impact in the English counties of Essex and Middlesex, which both feature three seaxes in their ceremonial emblem.

Reference in Culture

In the epic poem Beowulf, the title character used a seax to nearly hack a dragon apart while it was dying.
The scramasax is one of many knives in the GBA game Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.
The game "Breath of Fire III" features the scramasax near the start of the game.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem character Anthony is given a scramasax for personal defense early in his chapter.
In John Flanagans's Ranger's Apprentice series, the saxe knife is the primary duty knife of the Rangers. It is also employed by the Skandians for both battle and everyday use.

References

^ Hans Strigl, Sprachliche Plaudereien: kleine volkstümliche Aufsätze über das Werden und Wesen der Sprachen und die Naturgeschichte einzelner Wörter..., University of Michigan, 1903., p. 65.
^ Bosworth, Joseph, D.D., F.R.S. An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary. Retrieved 16 July 2008
^ ^a ^b Schmit, George Die Alamannen im Zollernalbkreis. Retrieved 16 July 2008
^ Medieval Sourcebook History of the Franks
^ ^a ^b Burton, Mark (2002). Milites deBec Equipment.Retrieved 27 September 2005.

External links

The Anglo Saxon Broken Back Seax (myArmoury.com article)
Regia Seax
British Museum:Seax of Beagnoth

[1] Hans Strigl, Sprachliche Plaudereien: kleine volkstümliche Aufsätze über das Werden und Wesen der Sprachen und die Naturgeschichte einzelner Wörter..., University of Michigan, 1903., p. 65.

[2] Bosworth, Joseph, D.D., F.R.S. An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary. Retrieved 16 July 2008

[Die_Alamannen_im_Zollernalbkreis-3] Schmit, George Die Alamannen im Zollernalbkreis. Retrieved 16 July 2008

[4] Medieval Sourcebook History of the Franks

[food-5] Burton, Mark (2002). Milites deBec Equipment.Retrieved 27 September 2005.

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Daggers	Anelace Applegate–Fairbairn fighting knife Arkansas toothpick BC-41 Bagh nakh Balarao Baselard Bichuwa Bollock dagger Cinquedea Dha Dirk Ear dagger Emeici Facón French Nail Gunong Hunting dagger Jambiya Jile Kabutowari Kaiken Kalis Katar Khanjali Khanjar Kris Kunai Liaoning dagger Mark I trench knife Microtech Jagdkommando Parrying dagger Poignard Pugio Push dagger Rondel dagger Seme Shobo Sica Stiletto Tantō U.S. Marine Raider stiletto V-42 Yoroi-dōshi
Manufacturers	Aitor Knife Company Al Mar Knives American Tomahawk Company Aritsugu Benchmade Böker Buck Knives Camillus Cutlery Company Cattaraugus Cutlery Company Chris Reeve Knives Chroma Cnife Clauss Cutlery Company Cobray Company Cold Steel Columbia River Knife & Tool Cuisinart Cutco Dalian Hanwei Metal Dexter-Russell Ek Commando Knife Co. EKA Emerson Knives F. Dick Fällkniven FAMAE Fiskars Gerber Legendary Blades Füritechnics Glock Ges.m.b.H. Imperial Schrade Ivan's Ka-Bar Kershaw Knives KitchenAid Korin Japanese Trading Company Kyocera Leatherman Mad Dog Knives Marble Arms Medford Knife and Tool Microtech Knives Morseth Muela Murphy Knives OLFA Ontario Knife Company Opinel Randall Made Knives Ranz Cuchillos Rösle Sabatier Shun Cutlery Slice, Inc. SOG Specialty Knives Spyderco STI Knives Strider Knives Thiers Issard TOPS Knives Tramontina Victorinox W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. Carl Walther GmbH Wenger Western Knife Company Wilkinson Sword Wüsthof Yoshida Metal Industry Global Zero Tolerance Knives Zwilling J. A. Henckels
Knifemakers	Rex Applegate James Black Tom Brown Jr. Blackie Collins John Nelson Cooper Jack W. Crain Ernest Emerson Jerry Fisk Bill Harsey Jr. Phill Hartsfield Gil Hibben Jimmy Lile Bob Loveless William F. Moran Ken Onion Ralph Osterhout Bo Randall Chris Reeve A. G. Russell Jody Samson William Scagel Mike Snody Robert Terzuola Michael Walker Buster Warenski Daniel Winkler
Associations	American Bladesmith Society Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association Knifemakers' Guild
Category:Knives / Daggers

Description

Additional information

Reference in Culture

References

See also

External links