Seaxnēat
In Germanic mythology, Seaxnēat or Saxnōt is the national god of the Saxons.
The Old English form Seaxnēat is recorded in the genealogies of the kings of Essex. The Old Saxon form Saxnōt is attested in the Old Saxon Baptismal Vow along with the gods Uuoden and Thunaer.
The genealogy of the kings of Essex originally placed Seaxnēat at its apex. It was subsequently modified to make Seaxnēat son of Woden, with the first king of Essex seven generations later:
The name is usually derived from "seax", the eponymous knife which was characteristic of the tribe, and -not, -nēat as "companion", resulting in a translation of "sword-companion". This interpretation of the name is due to Jacob Grimm, who identified Saxnot with the god Tiw. Grimm's view is more recently endorsed by Chaney, but Simek prefers an identification with Fro, following Gabriel Turville-Petre.
