Okeus

Okeus (also known as Okee or Oki or “the Oki”) the personification of fundamental and spiritual life force in the religion of the Powhatan tribe of Virginia.

Oki was written early on as if the name referred to a single deity alone (i.e. Zeus, Jupiter, Baal, etc). However, adherents did not see this in the same way. Oki are more akin to orenda to the Iroquois, kami in Shinto or manitou among other Algonquian speaking peoples. The life force within an individual is called nececak.

“They do not look upon it [their idol], as one single Being, but reckon there are many of them of the same nature; they likewise believe, that there are tutelar Deities in every Town.”

Since Oki are/is not the creator deity Ahone and the representations of him were always made of black wood it became a quick conclusion that Oki must be the Christian devil and the Natives therefore devil worshipers. Oki is in no way associated with malevolence or evil by adherents of this religion.

Temples to Oki were known as kiokasan (quioccasan) and were, like many temples around the world, a microcosm. They had an east-west orientation to represent the Powhatan association of life from the east and death to the west. You enter in the east, like being born in the light and move to the west in the darkness like when you die. Kiokasan kept perpetual fires. They also kept mummified remains of werowans.

See also

• List of Native American deities