Difference between revisions of "Regia:Seax"

Revision as of 07:05, 6 May 2017

For blades over 14" in length see Langseax
For blades under 7" in length see Knives

Seaxes

Copy of a seax

The short seax is also known as a Scramasax, a Hadseax or just a Sax. The term Scramasax comes from Gregory of Tours writing in 575AD, who speaks of "boys with strong knives (cultris validis), which they commonly call scramasaxes (scramasaxos)." in his History of the Franks (IV, 52). It is not known if this name continued in use into the Viking Age.
It is not uncommon for burials in the Viking age to contain more than one knife. It is likely that small heavy seaxes were in use up until the end of the C10th but that as a weapon it possibly really belongs to the pre-Viking period.
Although primarily an everyday tool, in battle it could be used to finish off a felled opponent, and in the case of some ceorls, a mid to large sized scramaseaxe could have taken the place of a sword. Although it contained much the same amount of iron to make as a sword, the scramaseaxe was an easier weapon to make with only one sharp edge and a thick reverse edge. Examples found have both just plain iron blades or pattern welded ones as well as inlaid blades.
Seaxes were also almost certainly just everyday tools: butchery knives, woodworking tools, eating knife, etc.. Most blades were broad, heavy and with an angled back sloping in a straight line towards the point and this is the typical Saxon style.
The Scandinavian style had a more curving back and the Frankish style a more curving blade. Blades were often inlaid with gold, silver, copper or bronze wire beaten into fine channels carved into the iron blade. The grip was of wood, bone or antler and was sometimes carved or decorated. The hilt was usually without a pommel or crossguard, whilst the tang went all the way through the smaller seax handles and was clenched over at the end of the grip.
Scramseaxes were always carried in a sheath of folded leather sewn down the blunt side of the blade, which was often decorated. It is unlikely that a small scramaseax could kill a heavily padded or mailed man, probably just serving to irritate him. It's main employment was probably as an eating and all-purpose 'pocket' knife. The blunt reverse edge of the seax could be used as a hammer to break bones to extract the marrow, or even hammered through materials via it's blunt back as a sharp wedge. It also gives a lot of strength to the whole knife.

Officer Rulings

Please note that there is a change to the rulings for this item from the 1st January 2016.

New Seax rulings from 1st Jan 2015

Authenticity Officer
New Ruling from 1st Jan 2016
For events after 900AD blunt combat hadseax (Scramasax) blade lengths must now be between 18cm and 25cm (7-10”). This replaces the original ruling as stated in the Master-at-Arms Regulations version 3.0 (2005) stating 7-14”.
The evidence from Regia’s core period is that sharp blade lengths vary from between 7-11”. Blunting the point for combat reduces the length by 1”. Longer blades of up to 14” (sharp) or 13” (blunt) of the appropriate blade form are allowed for events before 900AD.
Seaxs from the Viking Age never have metal fittings unlike those from the earlier pagan Anglo-Saxon period.
Seax handles must not be riveted on.

Master-at-Arms
Blade length 178mm - 355mm (7” - 14”)
NOTES
i) The blade and tang must be made from steel. They must be rust and burr free and must be of good overall construction and condition.
ii) The blade edge must be no less than 2mm and no more than 5mm (1/5”) in thickness. In cross section, the edge may be rounded or round shouldered but must not be square edged. The edges of a weapon must include its cutting surface and any back edges also.
iii) Seaxes with a blade exceeding 200mm (8”) in length must be made entirely of spring steel.
iv) The seax tip should be rounded to no less than an 18mm (11/16”) diameter. (i.e. the diameter of a 1999 5 pence piece). Any angle on the back of the seax that is must be rounded over.
v)The blade should not be parallel-edged (back edge to cutting edge).
vi) The blade should not be parallel-sided.
vii) The blade may have a narrow fuller in one or both sides.
viii) Seaxes may have small ferrules on the hand-grip but must not have a properly developed crossguard or a pommel.

New Ruling from 1st Jan 2016
Before 900AD - Blade length 178mm - 355mm (7” - 14”)
After 900AD - Blade length 178mm - 250mm (7” - 10”)

Military Training Officer
Training Stamps - All new members are classed as trainees and must use shield and a two-handed spear and use a hadseax separately.
Using in 'Armoured Man Melees' - Hadseaxs can only be used as a last resort/finishing off weapon.

Living History Co-ordinator
This is the LHE ruling

Research

Images of Seaxes (C8th to C11th)

• 775-800AD St. Andrew Sarcophagus
• C8th England, Derbyshire, Repton. Stone carving, [CAMERON 2000:p.200] [HINTON 2005: p.105]
• 850-900AD Brussels, Bibliotheque Royale, Lat. 9987. Psychomachia
• C9th Paris, BNF, Lat. 8085 fol.57r. Virtue, armed with a sword and seax, combating a Vice. [BNF]
• C10th Brussels, Bibliotheque Royale, ms. 10066-77 Psychomachia f.112r-139r
• England, Dorset, Cranborne. Silver strap-end [HINTON 2005: p.113]
• Middleton Warrior [BAILEY 1980:pl.14]
• 975-1000AD Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS23, f.23r.[PARKER]
• 1025-1050AD Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, MS lat 8824 - seax.jpg [OHLGREN 1992]
• 1076AD Bayeux Tapestry [WILSON 1985:pl.6, 7]

• 

  St. Andrew Sarcophagus

• 

  Repton Stone

• 

  Paris, BNF, Lat. 8085

• 

  Middleton Warrior

• 

  Brussels Bib. ms. 10066-77

• 

  Cranbourne Strap End

• 

  Paris, BNF, Lat. 8824

• 

  Bayeux Tapestry

Literature (C9th to C11th)

• Beowulf c.1000AD
  • "Grendel's mother; the hard man of conflict then heaved, now that he was enraged, the deadly foe, so that she fell to the floor; she again him quickly gave hand-reward with wrathful grips and clutched him against herself; hen, weary in spirit, he stumbled, the strongest man, warrior on foot, so that he was in a fall; then she bestrode the guest in her hall, and drew her seax, broad and bright-edged; she wished to avenge her son, only offspring;" lines 1538-1547 heorot.dk
    
  • "Then again the king himself gathered his wits, drew a slaughter-seax bitter and battle-sharp, that he wore on his byrnie;" lines 2702-2704 heorot.dk
    
  • "beside him lies his life-contender sick with seax-wounds" line 2903-2904 heorot.dk
    

English Seax Blades (C9th to C11th)

Seax Blades

Out of 128 knives found from Coppergate York, only 1 can be classed as a seax. [CAMERON 2000: p.64-65]

File:Seax Dimmock Cote.jpg 130x150px	England, Cambridge, River Cam at Dimmock's Cote Current Location- University of Archaeology and Ethnology, Cambridge Type- ? 800AD Find Date- ? Size- Blade Length: ?; Blade Width: ?; Blade Thickness: ?; Total Length: ? Comments- 'large scramasax with a groove along the back of the blade' [BJORN 1940:p.69]. Bibliography- [BJORN 1940:p.69]
File:Seax Cumwhitton 634.jpg 130x150px	England, Cumwhitton, Plough Soil Current Location- Tullie House Museum Type- ? Find Date- ? Size- Blade Length: ?; Blade Width: 30mm; Blade Thickness: ?; Total Length: 220mm Comments- 'Patern-welded blade with remains of possible leather sheath still attached' [PATERSON 2014:cat.634]. Bibliography- [PATERSON 2014:p.50,51 & Cat.634]
File:Seax Cumwhitton 885.jpg 130x150px	England, Cumwhitton, Grave 5 Current Location- Tullie House Museum Type- ? Find Date- ? Size- Blade Length: 182mm; Blade Width: ?; Blade Thickness: ?; Total Length: 270mm Comments- 'Part pattern welded. Has a horn handle with inlaid silver wire.' [PATERSON 2014:cat.885]. Bibliography- [PATERSON 2014:p.110 & Cat.885]
File:Seax Sittingbourne.jpg 130x150px	England, Kent, Sittingbourne Current Location- British Museum 1881,0623.1 Type- Wheeler IV 900-925AD Find Date- 1881 Size- Blade Length: ?; Blade Width: ?; Blade Thickness: ?; Total Length: ? Comments- 'inlaid with copper, bronze, silver and niello.' [WILSON 1964:cat.80]. Bibliography- [WILSON 1964:cat.80] [British Museum]
	England, London Current Location- London Museum ALG84[588]381 Type- Wheeler III/II 1000-1100AD Find Date- ? Size- Blade Length: ?; Blade Width: ?; Blade Thickness: ?; Total Length: 247mm Comments- Bibliography- [Museum of London]
File:Seax London 1856 Honey Lane.jpg 130x150px	England, London, Honey Lane Current Location- British Museum 1856,7-1,1413 Type- Wheeler IV 978-1016AD Find Date- 1856 Size- Blade Length: ?; Blade Width: ?; Blade Thickness: ?; Total Length: 327mm Comments- Bibliography- [WILSON 1965:Cat.43]
File:Seax London 1879 Park Street.jpg 130x150px	England, London, Park Street Current Location- British Museum 1879,12-22.1 Type- 800-1000AD Find Date- Size- Blade Length: ?; Blade Width: ?; Blade Thickness: ?; Total Length: 266mm Comments- Bibliography- [WILSON 1965:Cat.81]
File:Seax London Princes Street.jpg 130x150px	England, London, Princes Street Current Location- London Museum 29.94,17 (Wheeler no.21) Type- 900-1000AD Find Date- Size- Blade Length: ?; Blade Width: ?; Blade Thickness: ?; Total Length: ? Comments- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1935:p.]
File:Seax London 1859 Thames.jpg 130x150px	England, London,Thames Current Location- British Museum 1859,1-22.12 Type- 800-1000AD Find Date- Size- Blade Length: ?; Blade Width: ?; Blade Thickness: ?; Total Length: 232mm Comments- Bibliography- [WILSON 1965:Cat.50]
	England, London, Thames Current Location- London Museum A1781 (Wheeler no.25) Type- 900-1100AD Find Date- Size- Blade Length: 247mm; Blade Width: ?; Blade Thickness: ?; Total Length: 334mm Comments- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1935:p.]
File:Seax London A9313.jpg 130x150px	England, London, Thames at Blackfriars Current Location- London Museum A9313 (Wheeler no.8) Type- 800-1000AD Find Date- Size- Blade Length: ?; Blade Width: ?; Blade Thickness: ?; Total Length: ? Comments- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1935:p.]
File:Seax London A10721.jpg 130x150px	England, London, Thames at Brentford Current Location- London Museum A10721 (Wheeler no.11) Type- 700-900AD Find Date- Size- Blade Length: ?; Blade Width: ?; Blade Thickness: ?; Total Length: ? Comments- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1935:p.]
File:Seax London A13935.jpg 130x150px	England, London, Thames at Brentford Current Location- London Museum A13935 (Wheeler no.22) Type- 900-1100AD Find Date- Size- Blade Length: ?; Blade Width: ?; Blade Thickness: ?; Total Length: ? Comments- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1935:p.]
File:Seax London O2136.jpg 130x150px	England, London, Thames at Brentford Current Location- London Museum O2136 Type- 500-700AD Find Date- Size- Blade Length: 181mm; Blade Width: ?; Blade Thickness: ?; Total Length: ? Comments- Bibliography- [MUSEUM OF LONDON]
File:Seax London A24399.jpg 130x150px	England, London, Thames at Fulham Current Location- London Museum A24399 (Wheeler no.18) Type- Wheeler IV 900-1000AD Find Date- Size- Blade Length: ?; Blade Width: ?; Blade Thickness: ?; Total Length: ? Comments- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1935:p.]
File:Seax London A24909.jpg 130x150px	England, London, Thames at Fulham Current Location- London Museum A24909 (Wheeler no.17) Type- Wheeler III/II 900-1100AD Find Date- Size- Blade Length: ?; Blade Width: ?; Blade Thickness: ?; Total Length: ? Comments- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1935:p.] England, London. One find from cheapside could have had a blade of 25cm. [CAMERON 2000: p.64-65]

English style Seax Sheathes (C9th to C11th)

Seax Sheaths

Seax sheaths are made from substantial leather up to 3mm thick and closed by rivets about 4 to 5cm apart. In England there are 12 finds of Seax sheaths out of a total of 61 [CAMERON 2000: p.64-65]

A few Seax Sheathes from the C8th

• Dover, Buckland, grave 145, leather sheath dated to 700-750AD
• London, River Thames nr. Westminster Bridge, metal fittings, late C8th