Okki is the name of the Great Spirit worshipped by the Huron Indians of North America. Oklah. See Oclah.
Okszi, Stanislas (Lat. Orichovius), a Polish po- lemical writer, noted especially as a pulpit orator, was born in the diocese of Premislau in the early part of the l()th century. He studied theology at Wittenberg, under Luther and Melancthon ; then at Venice, under Egnatius. On his return to his own land he entered the ecclesiastic life, and became canon of Premislau. His attachment to the opinions of Luther having drawn upon him the reprimands of the chajjter, he renounced his benefice and married. " Anathematized by his prel- ate," says Bayle, " he not only used his pen against the ecclesiastics, but he troubled them also in the possession of their wealth, and placed himself at the head of their antagonists ; by the volubility of his wit and his tongue he caused great commotion." He entered again the pale of the Church at the synod held in 15G1 at War- saw, and from that time displayed great zeal against the Protestants. The force of his eloquence has given to Orichovius the surname of the Polish Demosthenes. He left a large number of works; those written to obtain for the priests the liberty of marrying are the most sought after. We quote of his works, Oratio fimehris in fimere Sigismondi Jagellonis, Polonim regis (Cracow, 1548, 8vo) ; reproduced by different historical bodies of Poland : — De calibatus lege (Basle, 1551, 8vo) : — Oratio pro dignitate sacerdotall (Cracow, 1501, 8vo) : — De Stancari secta (Cologne, 1563, 8vo) : — Be hello ad- versus Turcassuscipiendo (Cracow, 1583, 8vo) : — A nnales Polonice ah excessu Sigismundi, cum vita Petri Knitlm (Dabromii, ItJll ; Dantzic, 1843, 12mo). See Stauvol- scius, Elogia centum Polonorum, p. 78, 79 ; Bayle, TJict. Hist. s. V. — Iloefer, Nour. Biog. Generate, xxxviii, 578.
Olaf EscjELBRECiiTSON, a noted Norwegian prelate of the Poman Catholic branch of the Church, fiourished as archbishop of Trondhjem from 1523 to 1537. He was a zealous adherent to king Christian the First's party. He clung to the Roman Catholic faith to the last, but his endeavors to re-establish it in Norway proved unsuccessful. After having suffered imprisonment, and having been forced to pay a large sum of money as a ransom for his life, he was set free in 1532 ; but iii 1537
he was compelled to leave the country. He died in exile in Brabant. See Petersen, Norges Sveriges og Danmarks Ilistorie ; Noi'disk Conversaiionslexikon, s. v. (R. B. A.)
Olaf Haraldson, the Saint, one of the most revered of the early Norwegian kings, ruled from 1015 to 1030. He was born in 995. When a child he was baptized by Olaf Tryggveson (q. v.), who visited his mother in Ringsric. But how little the Norsemen cared about an involuntary baptism is illustrated by the youthful career of this Olaf. When he was only twelve years old his step-father, Sigurd Syr, had to furnish him with ships for viking expeditions, and for many years he gathered plunder in the Baltic and in England and France. In the Christian countries he and his follow- ers were called heathens; and it is related that Olaf finally was rebaptized in Rouen. Certain it is that he became converted, and henceforth he followed the pre- cepts of the Christian religion according to the views of his time, and worked for the spreading of the Gospel with marvellous zeal and unimpeachable integrity. He was destined to complete the work that had been begun twenty years before him by Olaf Tryggveson. Glow- ing with enthusiasm for the cause of Christ, and crown- ed Avith success as a warrior, Olaf came to Norway in 1015, and soon made himself the undisputed master of the kingdom. Olaf Haraldson employed the same means in converting the heathens that had been em- ployed by his namesake, Olaf Tryggveson ; but the pe- riod of his reign was longer, and the \va.y had been paved for him partlj- by the cruelty of his predecessor and partly by the work of patient missionaries, so that he accomplished his great undertaking, although he be- came its martyr. He not only overthrew heathenism in every one of his provinces, but by the appointment of teachers and the building of churches he also suc- ceeded in establishing the Christian religion as the national faith. His name occurs in many folk-songs, and he is still regarded by the ]ieasantry of Norway as their great benefactor. In addition to his apostolic mission, he completed the work begun in 872 by Harald Fairfax of firmly uniting the several provinces of Nor- wa}^ into one kingdom. By various stratagems king Canute the Great succeeded in alienating the people of Norway from Olaf, and in 1028 Canute was actually elect- ed king of Norway, Olaf having fled to Russia. The latter returned with about 3000 Norse and Swedish war- riors, whom he had carefully gathered. All of them were Christians. He put on their helmets and shields the sign of the cross, and gave them as his watchword, " Onward, soldiers of Christ, for the cross and the king." A battle was finally fought near Stikle Stad, where he fell, on Aug. 31, 1030. The date is fixed by an eclipse of the sun occurring during tlie battle. The body of Olaf was disinterred after it had been buried about a year, and it was found that the face was unchanged, and that his hair and nails had grown ; it was also said to possess healing qualities. Olaf was canonized as the guardian saint of Norway, and miraculous powers are attributed to him. Although the elevation of Olaf to saintship at first led to purely political results, it was the means of stamping the country forever with the seal of Christianity. The cathedral of Trondhjem, where his ashes were for a l<Mig time preserved, was regarded down to the time of the Reformation as the most sacred sanctuary of Norway, and was the chief resort of pilgrims in the North. See Munch, iJei norske Folks Historic, ii, 488-813; Keyser, Korges Historic, i, 347-415; Dahlmann, Geschichte von Ddnemark; Car- lyle. Early Kings of Norway ; Nordisk Conversations- lexikon, s. v.: Neander, Chuirh Hist, iii, 297 sq. ; Piper, Evangel. Jahrhuch, 1852, p. 113 sq.; Maurer, Z'/e Bekxh- rung des Norveg. Stammes zum Christenthum (Munich, 1855-56, 2 vols.) ; Munter, Kirchengesch. von Ddnemark u. Noricegen, vol. i ; Maclear, ]list. of Christian Mis- sions in the Mid. Ages (see Index) ; Keyser, Den norske Kirkes Hist, under Katholicismen (see Index). (R. B. A.)