What is a SEAX knife?

'Seax' is the generic Old English word for knife, but is used by archaeologists to describe the larger iron single-edged knives which first appear in Anglo-Saxon graves of the seventh century.

What is the difference between a Viking sword and a seax?

Compared to swords, saxes were typically more crudely fabricated. Rather than being crafted by skilled, specialized smiths, saxes were probably made by local smiths. Blades tended to be heavier and thicker than sword blades.

Did Vikings use seax knives?

Deeply Rooted In Scandinavian History, The Seax, AKA “Scramasax” Or “Sax,” Was The Blade Shape Of Choice For The Much-Feared And Revered Vikings. Typically the Norsemen were associated with their famous axes, but, truth be known, they also carried a knife that saw more general use: the seax.

What does seax stand for?

Seax (Old English pronunciation: [ˈsæɑks]; also sax, sæx, sex; invariant in plural, latinized sachsum) is an Old English word for "knife".

What is the difference between a seax and a dagger?

A seax is actually a type of dagger. They are simple, long-bladed daggers with just one sharp edge. All seaxes are daggers, but not all daggers are seaxes. A dagger is any knife meant for stabbing, a bladed weapon shorter than a sword.

Where is the SEAX in DARK AGE Military Life? WEAPON or NOT?

What are seax knives good for?

They were used… both as hunting and as fighting weapons. The later seaxes can be divided into two main types: one group, to which this seax (Battersea) belongs, has a long narrow blade with the cutting edge almost parallel to the back; the other, represented by a seax found in Sittingbourne, Kent (reg. no.

What was the benefit of a seax?

Unlike Viking cutting swords, the knives were suitable for stabbing, even at short distances. That is why a small weapon often served its owner much better than other types of weapons. Because they were cheaper to produce, but still quite effective, the seaxes were mainly common for the poorer warrior classes.

What is the famous seax?

The Seax of Beagnoth (also known as the Thames scramasax) is a 10th-century Anglo-Saxon seax (single-edged knife). It was found in the inland estuary of the Thames in 1857, and is now at the British Museum in London. It is a prestige weapon, decorated with elaborate patterns of inlaid copper, brass and silver wire.

How did Vikings use the seax?

The type associated with Vikings is the so-called broken-back style seax. It was usually a bit heavier than the regular knife and would serve as a machete- or falchion-like arm. A wealthier man might own a larger seax, some being effectively swords.

What is Uhtred seax called?

Wasp-Sting is Uhtred's seax or short-sword.

What is a broken back seax?

Broken back seax blades have a very distinctive and stylised geometry, where the blade is thicker at the broken back and tapers towards the tip and back towards the handle. The Anglo Saxon broken back seax is the iconic tool and weapon of the Saxon. And found almost exclusively in the UK.

What is a Viking Age seax?

The Viking seax is a very large fighting knife which most warriors would have carried. Seax is a short sword that was used primarily during the early part of the Viking era. It's a one handed single edged weapon. Hilts were made of wood, bone, or horn.

What was the strongest Viking weapon?

Mjolnir is the hammer of the god Thor that can shoot lightning and returns to his hand when thrown. It is possibly the most powerful object in Norse mythology. According to the Norse people, the sound of thunder was created from Thor smashing Mjolnir into his enemies while defending Asgard, something he did very well.

How long should a seax be?

Its length varied according to its role, and examples found range from 7.5 - 75cm (3" - 30") blade length. However the average size for most of the hundreds of examples found is around 15 - 25cm (6"-10") .

What is the plural of seax?

Noun. seax (plural seaxes) (historical) A short Saxon sword. quotations ▼

What is the Norse word for stab?

From Old Norse drepa (“to stab, hit”), cognate with German treffen, Dutch treffen, and English drub.

What thickness is a seax?

This individual seax on display at the Museum of London can actually be categorized as a scramaseax, a subclassification of this medieval fighting and hunting instrument. Wrought of iron, it stands at 772 mm in length, with 610 mm reserved for the blade, and 44 mm thick at the center.

What is the sharpest blade in Norse mythology?

Skofnung was the sword of legendary Danish king Hrólf Kraki. "The best of all swords that have been carried in northern lands", it was renowned for supernatural sharpness and hardness, as well as for being imbued with the spirits of the king's 12 faithful berserker bodyguards.

How thick is a seax blade?

The blade is 5 inches long, just over 1 inch wide and 2.5mm thick. The blade weighs 54g.

What was the vikings favorite weapon?

The spear was the most common weapon of the Viking warrior. They consisted of metal heads with a blade and a hollow shaft, mounted on wooden shafts of two to three metres in length, and was typically made from ash wood.

What were seax handles made of?

Most grips on Seax are made from organic materials and almost all were probably wood. In our reproductions we have had customers request other materials like bone and antler which may have been used in period but have left little evidence of definitive use in the archeological record.

What are the 3 knives that everyone should have?

There are only three knives that are crucial in a kitchen: a chef's knife, a paring knife and a serrated knife. Any other knives are a luxury--they can make cooking easier and more enjoyable, but are unnecessary. A chef's knife (sometimes called a cook's knife) is the most important knife to have in your kitchen.