One story tells of how he became the angel of death: When God decided to create man He sent Gabriel to fetch clay. But Earth objected and resisted having some of her clay taken (it is also said, that it was Iblis (Lucifer) who advised her to do this). So Gabriel took pity and returned to God without clay. The other archangels, Michael and Raphael were sent instead, to return with equally empty hands.
Azrael, however, was unmoved by Earth’s reluctance and came back with clay. Because he had shown such pitilessness, God made him the angel of death (cave: he is not death itself, but the master of death – could it be that we are going to learn that all the reapers that are roaming the earth, and the horseman death himself, might owe allegiance to this particular archangel? Just imagine the creative possibilities the Supernatural writers could have here…)
Judaism refers to archangels as angelic messengers, the terms Angels of God (malakh Elohim), Angels of the Lord (malakh Adonai) and Sons of God (b’nai elohim) or The Holy Ones (ha-qodeshim) are to be found in the Hebrew Bible.
Michael, by the way, is the only archangel recognized by Jewish, Muslim and Christian belief. Explicit references to archangels, however, are not to be found in the Old Testament. Occasionally, angels are mentioned, for instance in the story of Lot who was warned by angels of the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
In the Kabbalah three higher archangels are commonly referenced: Michael, Raphael and Gabriel. Even though angels do not hold an important tradition in Judaism, the ode to the angels, sung in traditional Jewish homes before beginning the Shabbat dinner, is entitled Shalom Aleichem, meaning peace onto you – a reference to the angels as messengers of godly light, love and peace.
‘The only reason you’re still alive, Sam Winchester, is because you’ve been useful. The moment that ceases to be true, the second you become more trouble than you’re worth… One word, one, and I will turn you to dust.’
Uriel, It’sTheGreatPumpkin,SamWinchester
Within Christianity, and in particular according to Roman Catholic lore, there are three archangels already mentioned in Supernatural: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.
Some Christian teachings speak of a fourth archangel – Uriel. Since he tackled the Winchesters more than once so far, it seems fitting to take a look at him, too.
Raphael
In the show, Raphael made an appearance in FreeToBeYouAndMe, stating that ‘God is dead’. Furthermore, he illustrated what happens to the host, formerly ridden by an archangel – he does not leave much, only an empty shell of a human body.
A striking contrast to the image he carries according to myth: his name means God Has Healed, his colour is green, and often he is depicted with a pilgrim’s staff. He is charged to heal the earth – and supposed to have founded the knowledge of medicine when he taught Noah about the medicinal plants after the flood. He also taught Noah the building of the Ark.
Another story connects him with Solomon – Raphael was sent to Solomon by God in reply to his prayers, with a magic ring which allowed him to subdue all demons (feel free to imagine the wise king Solomon being the first hunter – since we have already been led to the ancient bloodline of Cain and Abel in this show, this particular stretch does not even seem far).
It is said that with the help of this ring (which allegedly held the engravings of an early pentagram), Solomon was able to complete the building of the temple (probably using demons as slaves, well, never look a horse in the mouth, especially when it’s divine…).
The Litany of Saint Raphael mentions him as ‘Saint Raphael, terror of demons… exterminator of vices… health of the sick… scourge of demons… ‘ etc.
Gabriel
Apart from being the Trickster, who else is he?
His name is often translated as Man Of God or God Has Shown Himself Mightily, even as God Is My Strength, depicted with a lily and sometimes a trumpet, the one who announced to Mary that she would conceive of the Holy Spirit, and it was he who spoke the words that became the prayer Hail Mary: ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed are thou among women’ (Luke 1:28)
Furthermore, he foretold Alexander the Great’s conquest of Persia and the exodus of the Israelites. And he is expected to blow the horn announcing the End of Days (hence the trumpet). Muslims believe that it was Gabriel who dictated the Koran to Mohammed. Though his name is not expressly mentioned, Christian tradition states that it might have been Gabriel who announced to the Sheperds on the hills of Bethlehem the birth of the messiah, years later comforting Jesus in the Garden before His ordeal. He commands water, and his colour is blue.
Uriel
He is one of the most important figures in angel lore, and in rabbinical teachings listed alongside the other three. The Roman Catholic Church, however, regards him as a saint.
Uriel’s name means God Is My Light or God Is Light, sometimes interpreted as Fire of God. In Milton’s Paradise Lost, Uriel is described as the ‘Regent Of The Sun’ and ‘the sharpest-sighted spirit of all in heaven’. He is also noted occasionally as the angel of destruction (which might be a reason why he is called so often when some smiting needs to be done, and – in our show – he rather enjoys it), allegedly responsible for the surgical destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha (in which Gabriel assisted).
Apparently, he is the angel his CO can rely on to do his job well, in clean sweep and without pity where pity is not called for.
As one of the most dedicated and loyal angels of the heavenly host, he is identified as one of the angels that helped bury Adam and Abel in Paradise (yes, this could just be another reference to the Cain-and-Abel story this show has already often referred to, most recently is the heart wrenching TheSongRemainsTheSame).
Some believe it was he who wrestled with Jacob at Peniel (Gen 32:29-31), and he was sent by God to warn Noah of the impending deluge (the scholars differ here – these deeds have been attributed to other angels as well). A Dead Sea Scroll describes Uriel as ‘one of the holy angels who is over the world and over Tartarus’.
Furthermore, the path of pure love and devotion is also attributed to Uriel – he is sometimes depicted with the symbol of an open hand holding a flame which is supposed to be the flame of love to ignite the heart in service to God.
You might just wonder what happened to Uriel in Bible Camp? From what we know, in Supernatural’s universe, Uriel became a traitor, his declared goal the tyranny of Lucifer which is a 180 turn from the mythological figure – but then again, non-hunters like us have already been fooled by the ‘tourist version’ of the Bible. The real thing seems to be horrific and even bloodier than the one available to us.
Wow Jas. This is a really interesting article! Got all kinds of crazy possibilities (regarding our Show) running through my mind… You’re right, there are SO many ways that this mytharch can go down. I’m so excited!!
I’ve never researched the angel lore… Ofcourse I’ve heard of them, I’ve read of the Bible (well not the whole thing naturally lol) in school many years back. I used to go to sunday school as a kid and I had a lot of story books of biblical tales. But since my school days my touch on religion has dimished quite a bit…
Hmm… Actually, I had one optional course in upper secondary school that had some discussion about the Apocalypse, but since it’s been “a while” I’ve forgotten alot *grin* But I faintly remember conversations about angels and their ranks, and their role in the end of days. I recall being a little spooked at the time (end of days don’t sound like a dance party), but it sparked some amazing debates in my class. I’m not that much of a religious type but I like talking about it sometimes, people have so many different angles and definitions of their own religion.
But that course way back was basically just from Christianitys POV. You’ve got here Hebrew and Muslim too, truly an interesting read my dear 🙂
Good stuff, Jas, big things (literally!), good stuff. This is where my pragmatic, snarky American brain gets in the way of cosmically apocalyptic poetry and storytelling: it had to be these two nondescript humans right now to bring this all about? Not very powerful, are ye, O heaven. 😎
Of course, since we in the audience only have access to the tourist version of the Bible (I’d really love a copy of the Real® one) flush with myriad inconsistencies (even Ned Flanders knows this) we’ll just have to hope Kripke & Co. know what they’re doing, because there are about 52 billion different ways this can play out. Out, damned destiny, out I say!
But you don’t think the show needs more tragedy? If the hills are alive with the sound of AC/DC, who wants to watch that? Muah.
Great stuff Jas, a very well worked through text with lots of meat on it. Thanks for sharing your finds! And Nike of Samothrace is my all-time favourite statue and my number one reason to want to visit the Louvre. I got my parents to make a pretty big detour on our road trip in Italy just so I could spend some time with David in Florence. The things you do for good art…
Great article, Jas. Again 🙂 Love reading your stuff, thanks for your time and effort!
This whole angels thing can be pretty confusing – who is who and where do they come from and go to. But for me one thing’s for sure: I’ll never look at angels the same way, surely no more fluffy winged Cate-Blanchett-like angel christmas cards for me. What an illusion to picture them like that, when they’ve always been described as warriors. F* commercials.
One thing I’m still confused about, and maybe it’s just a language thing: the Heavenly Host. Who or what is that? I used to think it’s God, but now I’m not sure. Anyone can help me out?
Cheers!
Lara
Supernarttu, Randal, Kaffeklubben and Freebird, thanks for reading my ramblings here, guys!
Supernarttu, I was equally amazed about the lore you can actually find on angels, from good old heathen concepts to strict Christian… I’m so looking forward to see what will go on on Supernatural. That celebrity death match will surely be epic.
I’ve often detected problems when you bring the topic of religion on the table. You just need one fundamentalist and suddenly you’re somewhat at war.
Randal, of course this show needs more tragedy! I haven’t cried my eyes out enough.
Kaffeeklubben, hey, you wouldn’t be another Scandianvian in our midst? I feel just like you about the Nike. And I wish to see David one time, too. I have a beautiful book about him, though, that shows him from all angles, beautifully photographed, like a nude portrait. Wow.
Lara, hey, you wouldn’t believe how many angels there are, I have one of the smaller dictionaries, and you can hardly get them all… If I got it right, the Heavenly Host means simply the armies of Heaven. Somebody correct me please, if I’m wrong.
Thanks again , y’all, take care love Jas
Hey Jasminka – a great article but I’m going to disagree on the Cain and Abel thing. 😀 Cain and Abel is one of those stories that seems a perfect fit for Supernatural, since it’s about two brothers, but I think if it’s looked at in terms of how the story is told in the Bible, it’s actually not a good fit to the mythology. (Unless they’re going down a really obvious story telling myth arc and then I’m just going to be disappointed. Heh.)
If Dean or Sam are descended from Cain’s bloodline then the only conclusion is that one of them will try to kill the other in a fit of jealousy. God warns Cain before the killing that sin is crouching at the door and that it’s eager to control him if he can’t do what’s right. But it just seems such a clunky and obvious thing to play out over the mythology of the show. Mainly because as a story, it doesn’t really go anywhere. Good guy dies, and becomes a martyr and bad guy is doomed (but not that doomed since he marries and has kids. Mind you, his descendants appear to have their own problems).
God appears not to favor Cain’s bloodline since there’s no mention of Cain again after Genesis. God actually seems to favor Seth (Adam and Eve’s third son) since this line eventually results in Noah. (Mind you, it appears that the rest of the flock is annoying God quite a lot by then.) Anyway, in Dean’s case it would make more sense for someone who is (presumably) going to stop the Apocalypse to be descended from Seth (and therefore, Noah).
Okay, I’ll stop waffling now. My argument could be as confused as some passages in the Bible. Heh. Great article!
B.
Hey Jas..this article looks awesome. I’ve only read halfway, but I want to mention something before I forget. The name of the Angel of Death is never mentioned in the Quran. I’m not sure where or why people started thinking that his name is Izrail, but it is a mistaken belief. Even some Muslims have the impression that his name is Izrail. However it came about though, that is not his name. We simply refer to him as the Angel of Death.
And strangely enough, even though I am a Muslim, I’ve never heard the story about him being the one who took the clay from earth. Sounds interesting…I think I better go look it up. And finish reading this article as well 🙂
B. and Narcissus, thanks for your enlightening remarks!
B., a corner of my cortex also finds the Cain and Abel connotation a bit far fetched. Almost every story of conflicting brothers is being compared to the first pair of brothers. I felt I’d tackle the subject, as the writers decided to have the Winchester blood line go back to the first people.
I do appreciate your objection! We will probably have to wait for the writers to explain that connection (then again – they have been known to throw in elements that were not explained as of yet, like Dean’s bleeding eyes in BloodyMary. I know, I know, but I just can’t leave it alone. That one bugs me.) Thanks so much for putting a finger to that inconsistency!
Narcissus, this is really interesting! I did not find that in the Koran, either, but I have to admit I haven’t read it thoroughly. I’m not a Muslim, but I read some of it in the past to understand that religion better, just like I read about Judaism or Buddhism and others. I believe the Angel-of-Death concept here comes from some Sufi interpretations (though for the life of me I cannot remember who it is attributed to, forgive me, and I can’t find my notes). I hope I haven’t hurt any Muslim feelings.
Thanks so much. Please, should you find more inconsistencies, let me know. Chance for me to learn more….
Love Jas
Oh not at all Jas…I’ve always loved having a go at this sort of subject every now and then. And then you come along with your articles and tie it all in with the show..I love it 🙂 I’ve learned a lot from you too..I’ve looked into Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism before, but I don’t think I ever dredged out as much detailed info as you have, unless it’s for an assignment, which means that whatever I’ve learned somehow gets erased from my brain the moment I hit ‘print’ :roll::
Holy Comparative Religions, Batman! Very impressed, Jas–just wanted to let you know 😀 This was fascinating.
Happy to hear that, Narcissus, *sigh of relief*. I’ve always loved details. You should see my lectures… 😉
I can only hope to not overcook the recipients… Thanks, dear. Jas
Thank you, ElenaM, I’m glad you liked this. Makes my job here even better.
Cheers, Jas
Great article Jas. Didn’t know all the different levels of the angels. Guess Kripke is keeping those the same. Don’t know about the stories ties to Cain and Able though. Not that it hasn’t come up in the past, but remember what Castiel said “Your bible gets more wrong than it does right.”
Thanks Sablegreen for your comment. I guess Kripke will give us the ‘real’ Bible version as opposed to the tourist version we normal people use… Hate him. Love him. Can’t wait to see how all will go down… 😉 Jas
This is in response to Dany’s post (and anyone else who is interested). Hope this helps!
First off, I have to admit to a sideline hobby of reading books about early Christianity (100 to 400CE). Back then, the beliefs were all over the place. The ‘official’ version of the Bible is a result of the First Council of Nicaea. An untold number of ‘books’ were dumped during this council. So I’ve always considered the ‘real’ Bible to also be the books that were judged to be heretical. Some of them, quite frankly, read like the writer was taking a serious amounts of hallucinogenics. Have a crack at reading the ‘Pistis Sophia’ and tell me it doesn’t read like a plot line from Dr. Who. Heh.
If you (and any other readers) would like to read some of the funky stuff that was circulating at the time, you can plug the term ‘Nag Hammadi’ into Google. The Nag Hammadi Library refers to texts that were discovered in 1945 that relate directly to the New Testament. Many of the books are in fragments but there are plenty of almost complete texts including The Gospel of Thomas.
What’s interesting about many of these books is that there is a heavy emphasis on the independence of women and that they had equal rights in the church. (So you can see why they might have been considered to be heretical). In the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Jesus conveys secret teachings to Mary. Upon learning of this his males disciples are less than impressed that he’s seen fit to say these things to a woman. There is also the Acts of Paul and Thecla. Thecla is a young roman women about to be married when she meets Paul. She is converted, and then refuses to marry, causing much consternation for her Roman family. She also becomes a devoted companion of Paul, which causes even more outrage.
Finally, there’s no official (tourist) versions of the Bible even now… There are variants in the books included in each ‘version’, depending on the church. For example, the Book of Tobit (Old Testament) is not included in protestant version of the Bible.
It’s a very interesting subject and I think provides a much better understanding of Christianity than the view that thinks the Old and New Testament have somehow existed as exactly as they have, since Day One. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Dany and B., thank you for your comments and thanks B. for our additions!
I’ve always been somewhat irritated about the fact that some people who considered themselves worthy went and decided which chapters the bible should contain and which not (back at Nicaea), but I reckon is has always been a matter of politics. Some chapters obviously were too dangerous for the ruling class of the time. When I find time I will most definitely check out the online library you mention, thank you.
I believe the tourist version the show refers to might be simply the standard bible the regular person might own or have access to.
I agree with you that taking only Old and New Testament as an account of Christianity would be too narrow a view. After all, religion is what people make of it.
It is a comforting thought, though, that most religions evolve around one simpe rule: love, kindness, respect.
Cheers. Jas