Seax of Beagnoth

Beagnoth’s name is written on the blade, but we do not know whether it names the maker or the owner. The letters have survived more clearly than that person’s role. Look along the metal inlay to find the runes among the decoration. This is a seax, a single-edged iron knife, made in the tenth century AD. Its inscription includes a runic alphabet as well as the name. The maker inlaid metal wires into the iron to form the signs. Writing became part of the work on a tool that someone could carry. The Museum purchased it from Henry J. Briggs. The blade preserves a choice to give the alphabet a long stretch of its surface. Follow the sequence of signs and notice where the name fits. You can recognise the deliberate act of naming without having to supply a biography for Beagnoth.