Sax British Museum, semi-sharp

Product description

This seax is a replica of an example discovered in 1857 in the River Thames near London. It's now part of the British Museum's collection.

The Seax of Beagnoth (also known as the Thames scramasax) is a 10th-century Anglo-Saxon seax. Several seaxes of a similar type are known from southern England — three from London, one from Suffolk, one from the River Thames near Keen Edge Ferry in Berkshire — and one from Hurbuck in County Durham in northern England. The Berkshire seax is so similar in construction and design to the Seax of Beagnoth that both may have come from the same workshop.

The blade is fully engraved with runes on one side. The other side bears the name Beagnoth — likely the smith or owner.

Runes were letters that also carried magical power. Craftsmen engraved them on objects to give the wearer strength and protection. People also used runes for divination and making predictions.