Seax of Beagnoth

The Old English word seax means 'knife', but is used today to describe large Anglo-Saxon single-edged knives made of iron. This seax was found in the River Thames at Battersea and is a particularly fine example. The blade is inlaid with decoration and inscriptions in colour-contrasting wire.

A narrow panel of decoration runs along the top of the blade on each side, filled with a design of linked diamond-shapes inlaid with silver and copper wire. The panels are outlined with strips of twisted copper and brass wire and separated from the rest of the blade by a deep groove.

On one side of the blade two inscriptions are contained within this panel. One is a copy of the twenty-eight letters of the Anglo-Saxon runic alphabet, known as the futhorc. The smith made mistakes in laying out the alphabet and had to squeeze in a missing 's'. The other inscription, also in runes, gives the name ‘Beagnoth’ – probably the person who owned or made this seax. The two inscriptions are separated by the same design of linked diamond shapes found on the other side of the blade.

Seaxes were weapons that were probably used in both combat and hunting. They are mainly found in the south of England.