ANGEL LORE AND INFORMATION
COMPILED BY JAIME WEIDA
The word "angel" ("malakh" in Hebrew) is derived from the Sanskrit word
"anginras", meaning "divine spirit" and the Persian word "angoras", meaning
"messenger". The most traditional sources of information about angels
include "The Vision of Ezekiel" in Ezekiel I, The Books of Revelations in
the New Testament, The Book of Tobit in the Apocrypha, "Hermenica" by the
11th century Greek monk Panselinas, and "The Celestial Hierarchy" of the 6th
century Syrian monk St. Dionysius the Areopagite. Of the above, St.
Dionysius' "Celestial Hierarchy" is the most popular source of angel lore as
he lays out a very definite classification scheme for the angels and
enumerates the properties of specific angels as well as angels in general.
Michael and Gabriel are the only angels named in the Old Testament of the
Christian Bible, and Raphael is mentioned in the Apocryphal Book of Tobit.
In St. Dionysius' "Celestial Hierarchy", he names and describes nine
different hierarchical choirs of angels, described below.
The highest order of angels is the Seraphim. They are the angels of love,
light, and fire, which surround the throne of Glory and unceasingly intone
the trisagim ("holy, holy, holy"). In appearance they are fiery six-winged
spirits with two wings covering their face, two covering their feet, and two
remaining for flight. They carry a hexapteryx (fan) in their right hand.
The ruling princes of the Seraphim are given as Michael, Seraphiel, Jehoel,
Uriel, Kemuel (Shemuel), Metatron, Nathanael, and Satan (before the fall).
The second order of angels is the Cherubim, which are Assyrian or Akkadian
in origin. The word in Akkadian is "karibu" and means "one who prays" or
"one who intercedes". They are guardians of the fixed stars and guard with
flaming swords the Tree of Life in Eden. In appearance they are heads only,
having two wings. Often the heads are described as taking four forms: that
of a bull, a lion, an eagle, and a man. The ruling princes of the Cherubim
are given as Gabriel, Cherubiel, Ophaniel, Raphael, Uriel, Zophiel, and
Satan (before the fall).
The third order of angels is the Thrones, which reside in the Fourth Heaven
(in the classification scheme of seven Heavens in all). In Ezekiel I: 16-18
they are described thusly: "The appearance of the wheels and their work was
like unto the color of a beryl: and the four had one likeness: and their
appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when
they went. As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful:
and their rings were full of eyes round about those four." The Thrones
constitute God's throne in Heaven. The ruling princes of the Thrones are
given as Orifel, Zaphkiel, Zabkiel, Jophiel (or Zophiel), and Raziel.
The first triad of angels is sometimes referred to as "full of eyes" for
each is described as having several pairs of eyes.
The fourth order of angels is the Dominions (or Dominations) which were
described by St. Dionysius as "regulating angels' duties and perpetually
aspiring to true lordship: through them the majesty of God is manifested."
The ruling princes of the Dominions are Zadkiel, Hashmal, Zacharael
(Yahriel), and Muriel.
The fifth order of angels is the Authorities (or Virtues). The ruling
princes of the Authorities are given as Uzziel, Gabriel, Michael, Peliel,
Barbiel, Sabriel, Haniel, Hamaliel, and Tarshish.
The sixth order of angels is the Powers. The Powers are midway between
angels concerned with the contemplation of God and those concerned with
ministration to the material world. According to St. Dionysius, the Powers
stop the efforts of demons who would overthrow the world. They are
described as being clothed in green hunicles or dalmatics (ecclesiastical
vestments proper to Deacons while serving at the altar) beneath which they
wear the white alb or chalmys down to the feet, gathered at the waist with a
gold cincture. In their right hand they hold golden staves, in their left a
seal inscribed with the Signaculum Dei or "Seal of God". The ruling princes
of the Powers are Camael, Gabriel, Verchiel, and Satan (before the fall).
The seventh order of angels is the Principalities. The Principalities
govern natural laws and the great areas of the universe. St. Dionysius
described them as being the "protectors of religion who watch over the
leaders of people and presumably inspire them to make right decisions". The
ruling princes of the Principalities are given as Nisroc, Haniel, Requel,
Cerviel, and Amael.
The eighth order of angels is the Archangels. This order is of especial
interest because people of non-Christian faiths (such as Wicca) who choose
to work with angels usually consider the Archangels. According to St.
Dionysius they are "messengers bearing divine decrees". They minister and
make propitiation to the Lord for the sins of ignorance and of the
righteous. The earliest source for the names of the Archangels is
Al-Bareceloni, a writer of mystic works in the post-Talmudic period who
related them to the planets. The Koran recognizes four but names only two:
Michael the warrior angel who fights battles of the faithful and Gabriel
(Jibril) the angel of revelation. Revelation 8:2 refers to "seven angels
who stand before God", i.e., the Archangels. They are named in the Book of
Enoch, Enoch I as Uriel, Raguel, Michael, Seraqael, Gabriel, Haniel, and
Raphael. In Persian mythology, the "holy immortal ones", all of whom had
the nature of angels, were seven: justice or truth, right order, obedience,
prosperity, piety or wisdom, health, and immortality. The Babylonians
regarded the seven planets known to them as deities, and according to W. O.
E. Oesterly, these were the prototype of the Judaeo-Christian Archangels.
Finally, the ninth and last order is that of the Angels. These are the
guardian angels who are specially charged with the protection of individual
humans. The ruling princes of the order are given as Phaleg, Adnachiel
(Advachiel), Gabriel, and Chayyliel. The Angels and Archangels are often
pictured, especially in classic artworks, as taking the form of beautiful
human beings with feathered wings. It is worth noting that the ever present
-El suffix on angel names has the meaning "of God".
The most widely known Archangels and those often referred to in Wiccan
practice are four: Gabriel, Michael, Uriel, and Raphael. Revelations 7
refers to "four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding
fast the four winds of the earth". In Heywood's "Hierarchy of the Blessed
Angels" he names the Angels of the Four Winds as well as assigning a
direction to each: Gabriel to the North, Michael to the West, Uriel to the
South, and Raphael to the East. Wiccan also sometimes assign the
corresponding directional elements to each of the four: Gabriel to Earth,
Michael to Air, Uriel to Fire, and Raphael to Water.
The name of the first of the four Archangels, Gabriel, means "God is my
strength". The name Gabriel is of Chaldean origin and was unknown to the
Jewish people prior to the Captivity. In Sumerian the word is "Gabr" or
"Gavr", and Gabriel has also been associated with the Sumerian goddess
"Nin-Ti" who was the Lady of Life. Gabriel is mentioned by name in the Old
Testament and is the angel of annunciation, resurrection, mercy, vengeance,
death, and revelation. According to a Babylonian legend, Gabriel once fell
into disgrace for not obeying one of God's commands exactly as given, and
for a time had to remain outside the heavenly Curtain. During this time the
guardian angel of Persia, Dobiel, acted as Gabriel's proxy. Despite the
female goddess associations in Sumerian mythology, in the Christian Bible
Gabriel is definitely a male: in Luke 1:26 it states that Gabriel begat Mary
with the Christ child, that he "came in unto her" and informed her that she
had "found favor with the Lord" and "would conceive in her womb". Gabriel
is the angel of the North wind and often associated with the corresponding
element Earth.
The name of the second of the four Archangels, Michael, means "who is as
God". Originally Michael was worshipped as a God among the Chaldeans. In
Sumerian the word is "Micha", "Mish", or "Mash" and he is associated with
legendary heroes or princes. Michael is the other angel, along with
Gabriel, named in the Old Testament. He is one of the princes of the order
of Virtues and Archangels (note that many of the Archangels belong to more
than one order), prince of the presence, angel of repentance, righteousness,
mercy, and sanctification, ruler of the Fourth Heaven, tutelary sar (angelic
prince) of Israel, guardian of Joseph, and the conqueror of Satan. He
informs Mary of her approaching death. In the "Encyclopedia of Religion and
Ethics". IV, 616, the article "Demons and Spirits" speaks of the earliest
tradition in Muslim lore as locating Michael in the Seventh and highest
Heaven, "on the borders of the Full Sea, crowded with an innumerable array
of angels" and after describing Michael's wings as "of the color of green
emerald" goes on to say that he "is covered with saffron hairs, each of them
containing a million faces and mouths and as many tongues which, in a
million dialects, implore the pardon of Allah". Michael is the angel of the
East wind and often associated with the corresponding element Air.
The name of the third of the four Archangels, Uriel, means "fire of God".
The word in Sumerian is "Ur" or "Ar" and he is also associated with
"En-Lil", the chief God of earth and represented by the atmosphere and air.
However, in Christian mythology, he is associated with fire and the angel in
Enoch I who "watches over thunder and terror". He is the regent of the sun
(along with Raphael), flame of God, angel of the presence, presider of
Tartarus, and the archangel of salvation. As Saint Uriel his symbol is an
open hand holding a flame. Uriel is the angel of the South wind and is
often associated with the corresponding element Fire.
The name of the last of the four Archangels, Raphael, means "God has
healed". Of Chaldean origin, he was originally called Labbiel. In Sumerian
the word is "Raph", "Rab", or "Rav". Raphael was also associated with the
Sumerian healing shaman, called the "Tal-Tal". In the Christian Bible, he
appears in the Apocryphal Book of Tobit. According to Enoch I, 40, he is
"one of forty presences, set over all the diseases and all the wounds of the
children of men." He is the regent of the sun, the ruling prince of the
Second Heaven, overseer of the evening winds, guardian of the Tree of Life
in the Garden of Eden, one of the six angels of repentance, the angel of
prayer, love, joy, light, science, and knowledge. Above all, he is known as
the angel of healing. He belongs to at least four of St. Dionysius'
celestial orders (Seraphim, Cherubim, Dominions or Dominations, and Powers).
According to Trithemius of Spanheim, he is one of the seven Angels of the
Apocalypse. In the Testament of Solomon, it is said that when Solomon
prayed to God for help in the building of his Temple, God answered with the
gift of a magic ring brought to the Hebrew king personally by Raphael. The
ring was engraved with the pentalpha or pentagram (five-pointed star) and
had the power to subdue all demons. It was with the labor of the demons
that Solomon was able to complete the building of the temple. Raphael is
the angel of the West wind and is often associated with the corresponding
element Water.
It is obvious that the Angels have origins predating the Christian Bible.
Winged creatures have been found in ancient Mesopotamia and the previously
mentioned Sumerian lore. In Sanskrit "angiras" meant "divine spirit" and in
Persian "angaros" meant "messenger". The Assyrian "kabiru" were winged
beasts possessing both human and animal characteristics. The Aryans who
came to India and Persia around 2500 BC believed in "devas" or "shining
ones". The Devas later were mentioned in the sacred Hindu writing, the
Veda. They have often been associated with angels. Through Zoroastrianism
the devas became considered specifically as guardians. Zoraster was one of
the major influences upon the development of Christianity. In Greece, the
winged messenger Hermes has also been considered as one of the original
sources of the Archangel Michael. All of these influences as well as
numerous others were important in developing the Judaeo-Christian idea of
Angels, categorized and described most famously by St. Dionysius in the 6th
century. However, the common names are taken from purely Christian sources,
albeit adapted from earlier cultures, and the popular "Angels of the Four
Winds" has as its source The Book of Revelations and Heywood's
Christian-based "Hierarchy of the Blessed Angels". Despite this, the
concept (if not the specifics) of angels is very ancient and very universal.
In the words of Sir Thomas Aquinas, "Angels transcend every religion,
every philosophy, every creed. In fact angels have no religion as we know
it...their existence predates every religious system that has ever existed
on earth."
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1.) A Dictionary of Angels, Including the Fallen Angels. Gustav Davidson.
The Free Press, New York/Collier-Macmillan Limited, London, England. 1967
2.) The Bible. King James Version
3.) A Critical Introduction to the Apocrypha. L. H. Brockington, M.A., B.D.
Gerald Duckworth and Co., Ltd., London, England. 1961.
4.) The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity.
Jeffrey Burton Russell. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. 1977
5.) Myth and Ritual in Christianity. Alan W. Watts. Beacon Press, Boston,
Massachusetts. 1968
INTERNET RESOURCES
1.) Angelic Information: Sarah's Archangels.
http://www.sarahsarchangels.com/archangels/info.html
2.) Eden and the Archangels, a Sumerian explanation. The Legends of the
Garden of Eden and the Angels. Alfred Hamori. 1995
http://www2.4dcomm.com/millenia/eden.html
APPENDIX
Conjuration of the Good Spirits
From Clavicula Salomonis (Key of Solomon). Hermann Gollancz, Ed. J.
Kauffmann, Frankfurt, Germany. 1903
O you glorious and benevolent angels, Urzla, Zlar, Larzod, Arzal, who are
the four angels of the East, I invocate you, adjure and call to forth to
visible apparition in and through the great prevalent and divine name of the
Most Holy God Erzla, and by the ineffable and efficacious virtues and power
thereof, whereby you are governed and called forth, it being therefore
absolutely necessary, pre-ordained, appointed, and decreed. Now therefore
do I most earnestly intreat and powerfully adjure you, O you benign angels
Urzla, Zlar, Larzod, Arzal, in this potent name of you God Erzla to move and
appear visibly, and show yourself to me in this crystal stone (or mirror)
here before me.
And in and through the same, to transmit you ray to my sight and your voice
to my ears so that I may audibly hear you and plainly see you and include me
in your mysteries wherefore I do most earnestly adjure you. O benevolent and
amicable angels, Azla, in the most excellent name of your God, Erzla, and I
as a servant of the highest do efficaciously invoke you to appear now
perfectly visible to me, O you servants of mercy, come and show yourselves
firmly unto me and let me partake of the secret wisdom of your creator.
Amen.
Invocation of the Mystery of the Third Seal
From The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses
I, NN, servant of God, desire, and call upon thee, and conjure thee, Tehor,
by all the holy Angels and Arch Angels, by the holy Michael, the holy
Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Thronus, Dominations, Principalities, Virtues,
Cherubim, and Seraphim, and with unceasing voice I cry, Holy, Holy, Holy is
the Lord God of Saboath, and by the most terrible words: Soab, Sother,
Emmanuel, Hdon, Amathon, Mathay, Adonai, Eel, Eli, Eloy, Zoag, Dios, Anath,
Tafa, Uabo, Tetragrammaton, Aglay, Josua, Jonas, Calpie, Calphas. Appear
before me, NN., in a mild and human form, and do what I desire.
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