Michael
Quis ut Deus – Who is like God, which is the meaning of his name. Michael’s name alone was, according to myth, the war cry of the true angels in the battle fought against Satan and his followers. Scripture describes Michael as the leader of the forces of heaven, and his weapon is a flaming sword.
His colour is red, he creates fire, warmth, and enhances the human blood with godlike quality. Hence his natural element is fire (according to Islam, this angel commands all forces of nature, fire, wind, earch, water).
He is the supreme enemy of Satan. He vanquished the devil and ejected him from Eden once and will achieve victory at the hour of the final battle.
‘And there was a war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him’. (Revelation 12)
In contrast to Islam, Michael is the Christian angel of death (according to Roman Catholic view) who, at the hour of death, descends and offers each soul the chance to redeem itself before passing, thus frustrating the devil, weighing the souls (sometimes he is depicted holding scales) against a feather – an image that goes back to ancient Egypt.
He symbolizes the victory of good over evil – he was, after all, the leader of God’s Army and is expected to be the prince of the heavenly host again in the final battle at the end of time, to fight the Antichrist.
‘At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until them. But at that time your people, everyone whose name is found written in the book, will be delivered.’ (Daniel 12:1)
In Rabbinic traditions, Michael acted as the advocate of Israel and fought with princes of other nations, in particular with Israel’s accuser, Samael. According to Jewish lore, Michael’s enmity with Samael began in the time when the latter was cast out of heaven (you’re kindly invited to check out my article ‘A Devil Named Lucifer’ to find out more about the connections of fallen and faithful angels). Samael tried to bring down Michael with him, seizing the archangel’s wings and would have succeeded, had God not saved his favourite, Michael.
When we consider, that all angels are referred to as a brethren of devoted being, we find another possible hint here – if Michael and Samael are to be regarded as brothers, then we could see a platform here for the ancient struggle of brother against brother, Cain versus Abel, Sam against Dean…
We have already been informed, quite recently, that the Winchester bloodline goes back to the first brothers we know about, the children of Adam and Eve. And since a fallen angel (Lucifer, Satan or the devil, however you feel compelled to call him) had a say in the fate of the first humans and convinced them to eat from the forbidden tree, is there more of his influence to be found in the fate of his descendants and is there more to the connections of the early human days of Creation, the first family, Michael and Lucifer and the Winchester brothers?
‘An ancient bloodline going back to Cain and Abel.’
Michael, TheSongRemainsTheSame
‘Eve conceived and gave birth to Cain. … Then she also gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel became a shepherd of a flock, but Cain cultivated the land. … and presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also presented (an offering), some of the firstborn and their fat. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was irate and downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain: Why are you irate? Why are you downcast? If you do right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do right, a demon is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it. Cain said to his brother Abel “Let’s go out to the fieldâ€. And while they were in the field, Cain attacked Abel and killed him.’ (Genesis 4)
Essential to this story are Cain’s jealousy and aggression. He is so much detached from his moral nature that he fails to master his sinful self (the demon waiting for him at the door). According to other teachings, Muslim and Jewish, Cain’s motive was the rejection of his offering to God, which is an interpretation of the text, but not explicitly depicted in such a manner.
Now, if we assume that we find a parable-like concept in Supernatural (although the first born is Dean, not Sam, the younger one’s anger and disposition to fall for demonic temptation bears some similarity to Cain’s story), what is his story going to develop into?
Was Michael the first-created and Lucifer the second? Was Lucifer the first, and Michael so jealous of his beauty and love of God that he decided to bring about his downfall? Who actually started it? I suppose to find an answer to this question we cannot rely on the tourist version of the Bible, unfortunately the only one available to us (the Supernatural writers obviously gained access to the real thing – to whom did they sell their souls to get there? We will never know), so it is only speculation based on religions texts.
Other Christian groups interpret (or simply translate the text) differently – some believe it was Satan who ordered Cain to make the offering, thus making Cain’s sacrifice vain and faithless (because inspired not by his own idea, but by the great enemy, fabled for his vanity).
I could just see Lucifer trying to convince Sam to offer a great sacrifice to save the world – his brother’s life perhaps? Thereby it would draw on another Christian interpretation – the comparison between the death of Abel (as the first martyr) and the death of Jesus, who refers to Abel as righteous (Matthew 23:35), while it is stated in Hebrews 12:24 that ‘the blood of sprinkling is… better… than that of Abel’ – which regards the blood of Jesus as mercy bringing, the blood of Abel, however, as demanding vengeance – resulting in cursing and marking Cain who turned to revenge for being rejected. Is Dean’s blood required to calm raging fate down?
Abel was regarded as the first innocent victim of the power of evil – hence as the first martyr. Genesis 4 also tells us what happened to Cain after he killed his brother: ‘The Lord said to Cain: “where is your brother Abel?†He replied “I know not. Am I my brother’s keeper?. The Lord said: “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. So you are cursed and banished from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood you have shed. … You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.†But Cain answered the Lord “My punishment is too great to bear. You banished me from the soil and I must hide myself from your presence and become a restless wanderer, whoever finds me will kill me.†Then the Lord said: “Whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over†And the Lord placed a mark on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him.’
The Irish Saltair na Rann (The Versified Psalter, 988 A.D.) records Gabriel announcing to Adam: ‘Dark rough senseless Cain is going to kill Abel’. So much for listening to the angel of annunciation.
In Judaism, the mark of Cain is rather a sign of mercy than a punishment – Cain should not be killed until he has had seven generations of children. (So that some of them might father the line leading to the Winchesters… they’ve come a long way from the deserts of the Middle East to Kansas. But then again, they haven’t been much in Kansas anymore.)
Some modern Baptist teachings offer a very interesting view in regard to our favourite show: They deny that Cain was cursed by God, but believe instead that Cain brought the curse upon himself, as God simply states ‘you are cursed’ – so Cain’s aggression and jealousy was the curse, the result Abel’s death. So the curse was handed down through a string of aggression and anger to Cain’s descendants.
So, is the anger Sam used to feel almost all his life his curse, in a Cain-like manner which would determine him getting into a fight of life and death with Dean?
Of course, the story of Cain and Abel cannot be translated literally into the mythology of our show. The
connections have been established, however, spurring the fans’ speculations. Sam and Dean follow a long line of conflicting brothers. Classic literature unfortunately shows such stories in abundance, just look at the Karamazov. We have already had enough tragedy on Supernatural to be worthy of Tolstoy.
Was the conflict between Michael and Lucifer (that took place long before the creation of Man, if we believe classic literature) the inspiration for the already existing demons (at Cain’s door) to influence the first humans into bringing about the first homicide to evoke a string of events that lead to two brothers who – at first – had no idea they were more then hunters…
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