I have read in several places that the name of the weapon, Seax, was the source of the name for the Germanic tribe, Saxons. Can we be sure that it didn't happen the other way around: that the weapon came to be called a Sax because it was so commonly used by Saxons? When was the name applied to the weapon, and what does it mean in the native language? When did the name "Saxon" come to be applied to the group, and to the region of Saxony? I have not been able to find definitive references in my admittedly limited reading.

Thanks,
Dean