Seaxes
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.
Seaxs from the Viking Age never have metal fittings unlike those from the earlier pagan Anglo-Saxon period.
Officer Rulings
Please note that there is a change to the rulings for this item from the 1st January 2016.
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.
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 - The Trainee can combine the Long Weapon Test with the hadseax test as long as his six stamps show spear, shield and hadseax. This is the only occasion in which tests can be combined. If the trainee does not take this opportunity then they must collect another six stamps specifically with the hadseax. The spear, shield and hadseax are the first weapons that most people will learn.
Using in the backhand - A Hadseax is the only weapon that can be used in a 'backhand' with a two handed spear – the hadeax does not count as a weapon in its own right – merely as a secondary weapon.
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.jpg
St. Andrew Sarcophagus
- Middleton Warrior.jpg
Middleton Warrior
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
- "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
English Seax Blades (C9th to C11th)
Out of 128 knives found from Coppergate York, only 1 can be classed as a seax. [CAMERON 2000: p.64-65]
England, Cambridge, River Cam at Dimmock's Cote
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England, Cumwhitton, Plough Soil
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England, Cumwhitton, Grave 5
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England, Kent, Sittingbourne
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England, London
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England, London, Honey Lane
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England, London, Park Street
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England, London, Princes Street
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England, London,Thames
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England, London, Thames
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England, London, Thames at Blackfriars
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England, London, Thames at Brentford
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England, London, Thames at Brentford
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England, London, Thames at Brentford
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England, London, Thames at Fulham
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England, London, Thames at Fulham
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English style Seax Sheathes (C9th to C11th)
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]
Germany, Aachen
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Norway, Trondheim, Sor-Trondelag
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Norway, Trondheim, Sor-Trondelag
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Ireland, Dublin, Christchurch Place
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Ireland, Dublin, Christchurch Place
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Ireland, Dublin, Fishamble Street
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England, Gloucester, 11-17 Southgate Street
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England, Gloucester, Berkeley Street
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England, Hexham
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England, York, Parliament Street
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England, York, Coppergate
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England, York, Parliament Street
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England, York
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England, London, Trump Street
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England, London, Cheapside
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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