Obdormitio.-See Dormitio. It is mostly used for the Virgin's Assumption. See Festum Obdormitionis B. MARIE.

Obit. The death of a person, recorded in Kalendars and Annuaria, or annuals of religious houses. "The monks of Pontefract covenanted to celebrate the obit and anniversary of Peter de Falkeberge, and likewise the obit and anniversary of Beatrice his wife, as solemnly as for any monk of their own convent."-Dugdale, Baronag, v. II, p. 3.

Oblatio S. MARIE in Templo Domini, cum esset trium Annorum.-Nov. 21: V. 432; T. 445. The Offering of our Lady in the Temple of our Lord, when she was three Years old. This festival is now called the Presentation; but there is an ancient festival of the Presentation V. M., which is now called the Purification (sce Festum Presentationis; Hypapante). There is a sermon of George, archbishop of Nicomedia, with the Latin title-" Oratio de Oblatione B. Virginis triennis in templo, in sancta sanctorum."Bodl. MSS., Cromwel., 283, 104, 3.

OCCILLE.-See EULALIA.

Occursus. See Festum Occursus.

Octaba. An octave, or eighth day of a festival, very generally so written instead of octava. Both are indifferently used in the citation of Richard, king of the Romans, in 1263.-Rymer, Fœder., t. I, p. 431. Octava, Octave.-The ancient Christians celebrated their festivals for eight days, but made the last their chief solemnity, from Levit., xxiii, 36, On this account, observes Baronius, it ought to be the holiest of the festivals (Not. ad Martyrol., iv non. Jan.) The antiquity of octaves is attested by St. Leo, who sat from 440 to 461, in his "Serm. VII, de Jejunio Septimi Mensis." They consist of four kinds :-1, of suppletion or renewal; 2, of veneration; 3, of devotion; and, 4, of figure or form. The first is the octave of the Nativity, in which, whatever was omitted in the Nativity is supplied; the second consists of the octaves of Easter, Pentecost, and the Nativities of Christ and St. John the Baptist; the third may be made out of devotion to any saint; and the fourth is an actave in token of the resurrection of saints (Petr. de Natal., l. II, c. 27). Hildebrand entirely omits the last-nor are these distinctions of the least importance to any but Papists. All festivals are not octaves, but those which are honored with them, are observed by a repetition of part of the same ceremonies on each of the days called the octaves (Spelm., Gloss., p. 433). It would appear that even some of the principal feasts were without octaves, for, among the customs of the abbey of Evesham, in the Chartulary of that house, the monks "debent eciam habere caritatem de cellario ad prandium singulis diebus octabarum principalium festivitatum quæ octabas habent, exceptis diebus quibus sunt in capis" (Harl. MS., 3763, fo. 152). The octave is the eighth day after a festival inclusively; thus the Epiphany, Jan. 6, has its octave on the 13th, on which day was celebrated the festival of St. Hillary, whose octave (in English law only, for that festival had no octave) was Jan. 20.

Apparently because the octave of the Epiphany fell on the 13th, the day of St. Hillary was removed to the 14th, and hence the octave now is Jan. 21, and not Jan. 22, as stated by Mr. Nicholas. "In octabam S. Johannis," is as much as to say, On St. John's day week, or "A week after

St. John's day. "Infra Octabas," or "octavas," within the octaves, is any day between the festival and the octave.

Octava Infantium.-A name given by St. Augustine to Sunday, in the octaves of Easter.

Octave of St. AGNES.-Jan. 28: V. 422; T. 435. This is mostly called Festum S. Agnetis secundo, as being the second celebration of the festival.Suprà, p. 150.

Octave of St. ANDREW.-Dec. 7: V. 433.

Octave of the Apostles -July 6: E. 455.
Octave of the Assumption.-Aug. 22.

Octave of St. BIRIN.-Dec. 10: V. 433.

Octave of St. CUTHBERT.-Sept. 11.

Octave of St. DIONYSIUS & Companions.-Oct. 16.

Octave of the Epiphany.-Jan. 13.

Octave of the Innocents.-Jan. 4.

Octave of St. JOHN.-Jan. 3.

Octave of St. JOHN the Baptist.-July 1.

Octave of St. LAURENCE.-Aug. 17.

Octave of St. MARY.-Sept. 15.

Octave of St. MARTIN.-Nov. 18.

Octave of the Name of JESUS.-Aug. 14: D. 456.

Octave of the Nativity.-Jan 1.-This is said to have been appointed by Felix II, in 487; it is mentioned by Isidore in 630—and it appears in some very ancient kalendars; in the Benedictional of St. Ethelwold, and Benedict's Liber Pollicitus. See Festum Dominicæ Circumcisionis.

Octave of St. OSWALD.-Aug. 12.

Octave of St. PETER & St. PAUL the Apostles.-July 6.

Octave of St. STEPHEN.-Jan. 2.

Octave of St. SWITHUN.-July 22.

Octave of St. THOMAS, Archbp.-Jan. 5.

Octember-October, G. 415.-Flodoard., l. III, c. 3; Menol. Sax., Jul., A. X, fo. 160.

Octimber-October.- Wandalbert., Horol., v. 6.

Octo Dies Neophytorum.-See Albæ.

Octubrium.-October. "Mediante Octubrio.-Lib. Pollicit., n. 75.

Oculi mei.-Introit from Ps. 24, and name of the third Sunday in Lent. "In nomine Domini, Amen. Anno ejusdem millesimo trecentesimo decimo tertio die Lunæ post oculi mei, 11 mensis Martii, Indictione 12," &c. (D'Achery, Spicil., t. I, p. 201; Ed. Fol.) The year 1313, which is expressly named, does not correspond with the smaller dates, which, as well as the Indiction, belong to 1314. In a German charter of 1498-" Ame Dinsdage na Oculi in der hilghen Vasten."-Baring., Clav. Dipl., c. XII, p. 591.

Oeptaves.-Octaves, in our Fr. records. Oeptaves de seint Michel."-Acts Priv. Counc., I, 12 a.

Oetaves.-Octaves, in our Fr. records: "Oetaves de la Tiphanie" (octaves of the Theophany, i. e. Epiphany).—36 Edw. III, st. 1, c. 12.

Offering Days. All offerings made at the altar by the king and queen, are distributed among the poor by the dean of the chapel. There are 12 days

called Offering Days, with respect to this practice-Christmas, Epiphany, Candlemas, Easter, Whitsunday, All Saints, New Year's Day, Annunciation, Ascension, Trinity Sunday, St. John Baptist, and Michaelmas Day, all which are high festivals (Lex Constit., 184; see Jacob in voc.) George II and the prince made their offerings of gold, frankincense and myrrh, at the chapel royal at St. James's, on Twelfth Day, 1731.

Officiari Dies.-Festival Days.

Officiata Dies.-A Festival Day.

Oictouvre.-October, in French diplomas of the 13th and 14th centuries. Oitieves.-Octaves, in Fr. records: "Et el dyemanche de la Resurrection."— Miracles de S. Louis, ch. 39.

OLACIE, OLAILLE, OLAZIE.-See EULALIA.

Oleries.-Name of the OO of Advent, used in the date of a letter in the year 1478: "Le dernier dimanche des Oleries de devant Noel" (Du Cange, Suppl.) It is the "Festum B. Mariæ de O," in the Offic. Mozarab. See Expectatio B. MARIÆ.

OLYMPIA. Apr. 15. A martyr in Persia, in 253.-Hospin: de Fest. Christ., fo. 78.

Olympiads.-The Greeks registered the events of their history by Olympiads, or the quadrennial celebration of the Olympic games. This practice began 776 years before the birth of Christ, 23 before the building of Rome, and on the year of the Julian period 3938. As the games were exhibited at the time of the full moon, immediately after the summer solstice, the Olympiads were of unequal length, because the time of the full moon differs 11 days every year. Hence, the Olympiad sometines began the day after the solstice, and at other times 4 weeks after. The establishment of the indiction is said to have excluded Olympiads from public acts, but they were not abolished until the 16th and last year of Theodosius the Great. However that may be, some authors employed them in dates after Theodosius. The following, which is perhaps unique, was employed by Philip I of France, in one of his charters in favour of the church of St. Ambrose, of Bourges: "Institutio autem istius regiæ liberalitatis domini regis Philippi fuit facta in solemnitate sancti Ambrosii, quæ celebratur mediante octobris, anno ab Incarn. Dom. millesimo centesimo secundo, indictione quinta, olympiade trecentesima secunda, epacta xx," &c. We must not always take this term Olympiad literally from the writers of the middle ages. They frequently employ it to mark absolutely a duration of four years, without any reference to the series of revolutions which it denotes. This seems to be the meaning of a date of Ethelred. It is in this sense that Sidonius Apollinaris, in reply to Orosius, who had asked him for some verses, said that it was now three olympiads (i. e. 12 years) since he had taken leave of the Muses. Before him, Ausonius had said, speaking of his father's age-" undecies binas vixit olympiades," that is, he had lived 88 years. The Romans, also, sometimes used their lustra in the same manner (see Lustrum). St. Colomela, in a piece of poetry addressed to Fedolus, to signify that he is in his 72nd year, says that he has attained the eighteenth olympiad :

"Nunc ad olympiadis ter senæ venimus annos."

Some deeds of the 8th and 9th centuries employ the term in the sam VOL II.

QQ

sense, with respect to the regnal years of the princes under whom they passed. Ethelred, king of England, subscribes a charter: "Consentiens signo suæ crucis subscripsi in olympiade iiii regni mei" (Spelm., Gloss., p. 435). This 4th Olympiad is the 16th year of his reign. A charter of Cluny is dated, "Anno Dom. Incarn. DCCCCLXVI, anno autem secundo imperii Lotarii regis, extante indictione xv, prima holimpiadis imminente jam nobilissima ebdomada octobris mensis." The olympiad with which the first regnal year is marked is the 434th, begun in the month of July, 956. -Verif. des Dates, t. I, p. 5, 6.

Omnes Gentes.-Introit and name of the second Sunday after the Epiphany. Omnia quæ fecisti.-Introit and name of the twentieth Sunday after Pentecost.

Omnis Terra.-Introit and name of the second Sunday after the Epiphany. Omnium Dierum Supremus.-Easter Day.-Filesac. de Quadragesima, e. 16. Omnium Sanctorum.-All Saints, "Festum" being understood, or the words taken without regard to the sense, and exactly as they are written in kalendars: Byɲnrzan bircop poɲðfende on Pintan ceartɲe to Omnium Sanctorum.-Bishop Byrnstan died in Winchester at "Omnium Sanctorum."-Chron. Sax. ann. 934.

Opentide. Among the Saxons Openry was the entire interval between the Epiphany and Ash Wednesday, but in rural affairs, Opentide is explained to be the season of carrying corn out of the common field.

ORBINUS. Perhaps for Urban: "In die beati Orbini 1280.”—Rymer, Fœder. t. II, p. 581.

Ordination of St. AMBROSE.-Dec. 7: V. 433.

Ordination of St. GREGORY.-Sept. 3: E. 457. The date of the confirmation of the charter of Henry I to the monastery of Bath is, "apud Windesoras, in die ordinationis Sancti Gregorii, iii non. Septemb. luna vi" (Monast. Anglic. t. II, p. 267). Gregory died March 12, 604, and about 150 years afterwards his body was placed under the altar of his name, and his anniversary was ordained; but formerly in the time of Lent the days of saints were little observed; and therefore the day of his death was changed to that of his ordination. Rodulph. de Observat. Can. c. 6. Hospin. de Fest. Christ. fo. 50 b.

Ordination of St. MARTIN.-July 4: V. 428; T. 441; E. 455.
Ordination of St. SWITHUN.-Oct. 30: V. 431.

Ore.-Hour, in Fr. records, "A lore de Meisdy," Noon.
Oschophoria.-Palm Sunday, Oct. 10 (Dresser, de Fest. Dieb. p. 55.) This is
properly the name of an Athenian festival, so called because they carried
boughs hung up with grapes-añо TOν pepεiv ooxaç.—Plut. in Vit. Thesei.
OSITHE, Virg.-Oct. 7: L. 470. Lived about 870.-Brit. Sancta, p. ii, p. 163.
OSMUND, Bishop.-Dec. 4 (Brit. Sanct. p. ii, p. 308), but July 16, in Nicolas,
Notit. Historica. The former seems to be correct, at least it agrees better
with the time of his death in Advent, 1099-Ormond birceop of Seaɲbynig
innon Aduent fordrende.-Chron. Sax. Ann. 1099.

Oster Monath.-The Easter Month, April. See Month.

OSWALD, King and Martyr.-Aug. 5: G. 411; V. 429; T. 442; E. 456; L. 468. His death is dated thus in King Alfred's translation of Bede's Ecclesiastical History: Ond Orpald hæfde licumliene yldo .XXXVII.

pintra. da hine mon orrlogh dy fiftan dæge Augustes monper-And Oswald had a bodily age of thirty-seven winters when he was slain on the fifth day of the month of August (7. III, c. 9). This is an early instance of a date by the ordinal number of the day; the chronicle dates it in the Roman manner, on the nones of August (An. 642). The Natalitium of St. Oswald as written, or rather translated, by Ælfric is extant in Cott. MS. Julius, E. VII, fo. 151-155 b. The Coucher Book of the Abbey of Cockersand contains the grant of the town Medlar from the Knights Hospitallers in the reign of K. John to Gilbert Fitz Reinfred, Baron of Kendal, upon a rent of 12d. per annum payable "ad Festum Sancti Oswaldi."-Whitaker, Richmondsh., v. II, p. 481. The common date of the battle of Chevy Chace, or Otterborn, is July 31, but Bellenden, in his translation of Hector Boetius, makes it Aug. 5. "This battell of Otterburne was strickin in Sann Oswaldis day the v day of August, the geir of God ano. m. iij. e. lxxx, viij." in Gloss. to Robert of Brunne, p. 526.

OsWYN, King.-Aug. 20: D. 456; March 11; E. 451. "Die Sancti Oswini in Autumno" (Rotuli Parliam. t. I, p. 165). His translation to Teignmouth, 414 years after his death, took place March 11, 1065-"Inventio corporis Sancti Oswini martiris anno ab ejus passione 414, anno Domini 1065, 5o id. Martii."-Monast. Anglic. t. III, p. 311.

Oure.-Hour; time indefinitely, in the following: "Quele chose ele nous doit monstrer entre ci e ke Paskes, ou quele oure qe ele vodra avaunt."-Rymer, Fœder. t. I, p. 475.

Outaves.-Octaves, in our Fr. records, "Outaves de la Trinity."-Stat. 18 Edw. III, c. 2.

Paas Day.-Easter Day, in an old English sermon: In die Pasche post Resurreccionem-Goode men and women as ze knowe welle pis day is called in sume places Astur Day in sume places Paas Day, &c."-Lansd. MS. 392, fo. 55 b. See Pascha.

Pace Day.-Easter Day, in a MS. homily of the 5th century, called "Exortatio in die Pasche," which is prefaced with the following explanation: "Worshipfulle frendis ye shall vnderstande p' pis day in sum place is called Estern Day, in sum place Pace Day, and in sum place Goddis Day. Ye knowe wele p' in many places where worship is vsed þe manere & custome is for to voide oute pe fire of þe hall þat day & þe stokes of be chymney p hath be brent & blak wt smoke. It is bis day w' grene risshes & fayre flouris strewid shewing example to all men & women þat þei shuld in like wise clense pe house of pere soules" Harl. MS. 2247, fo. 94, 94b). Compare this with the quotation in Astur Day. See Pascha. Pache.-Easter in old Engl. and Fr. records.

In a record and process, an.

1343: "Ount done iour outre tanque a la xv. de Pache procheyn avenir."Will. Thorn. Chron., s. VII, col. 2077.

Pache Weke. The week of Easter: "Atte Bokenh'm castell on tenysday in pache weke in hast."-Paston Letters, (1456,) v. III, p. 292.

Pachon.-April 26: V. 425. The beginning of the 9th Egyptian month. Palmæ.-Palms, i, Palm Sunday: "In nocte Palmarum multi sunt occisi."Sim. Dunelm. an. 1082, p. 212.