Oda (d. 958). Archbishop of Canterbury, known as ‘the Good’. A remarkable, saintly Dane, whom Athelstan made bishop of Ramsbury (c.927), he proved useful to kings in their dealings with people of his race and speech; Athelstan sent him to Paris to treat with Hugh Capet (c.936) and later, with Archbishop Wulfstan of York, he arranged a treaty with Olaf Guthfrithsson after his invasion of northern England. As archbishop from 942, he ordered bishops to repair ruined churches and issued canons to improve clerical and lay standards. His contribution to 10th-cent. monastic reform has been underestimated. Deeply influenced by the recently reformed abbey of Fleury-sur-Loire, he took Benedictine vows and wore Fleury's habit on becoming archbishop. He sent for training there his nephew Oswald, future reforming bishop of Worcester.

Revd Dr William M. Marshall

ODA Abbrev. for open document architecture. Originally called office document architecture, it was renamed when it was taken up by ISO (ISO 8613) as part of the set of standards aimed at enabling easy interchange of information between computer systems. See also SPDL.

ODA Chem. 4, 4'-oxydianiline
• Computing open (formerly office) document architecture
• Med. Operating Department Assistant
• Overseas Development Administration (former government department; replaced by the Department of International Development)