Despite his shadowy recorded history Octa made an impact on the Britons, who describe his deeds in several sources.
However, Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People, completed around 731, names Octa as the son of "Orric, surnamed Oisc" and the grandson of Hengist.
According to the narrative, Hengist, who had settled in Britain with the consent of the British king Vortigern as defence against the Scots, sends for his sons Octa and Ebusa to supplement his forces.
[7] After the death of Aurelius, however, Octa and Eosa regard the treaty as no longer binding and resume their belligerence.
The new king, Aurelius' brother Uther Pendragon, leads his armies against the Saxons and routs them in a surprise night attack.
[8] Octa may appear in Welsh Arthurian literature as Osla Bigknife, though this character may be better identified with Offa of Mercia.