Octa of Kent

Ohta (also Octa, Okhta or Ocga ), is considered an early king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the dynasty of Kent Oiscingas.

Life and Legend

Given the lack of contemporary sources little more than his name is known about Ohta. Ohta to have reigned around the years 512 to 522 or to 539. The later sources Ohta are contradictory: the Venerable Bede wrote around 730, he was a son of the Oeric and the father of Eormenric. Around 800 Nennius, however, described him as the son of Hengest and father of Ossa ( = OISC / Oeric ).

Ohta and his cousin Ebusa to be driven at the behest Hengests and Vortigerns with 40 ships to the north and have large areas of Scotland and the Orkney Islands pillaged and conquered. Geoffrey of Monmouth adorned this legend in the 12th century on. In Geoffrey's representation Ohta fell in a battle against Uther Pendragon and became associated with the Arthurian legend. At least in terms of his actions, Ohta, however classed as mythical. The historical time Kents begins with Eormenric.

Swell

  • Geoffrey of Monmouth: History of the Kings of Britain, Book 8
  • Venerable Bede Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, online in Medieval Source Book (English)
  • Nennius: Historia Brittonum Online in the Medieval Source Book (English)
Oisc of Kent Hengist and Horsa Internet History Sourcebooks Project Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England
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