So I saw @flagggermus’s Apollyon art a while ago (linked here) and now this theory has been sitting in my head and now I finally wrote it down.
So Apollyon, otherwise known as Abaddon or Abbaton (Apollyon is considered his Greek name), has a few references in literature. He is most recognizable in his cameo in the Book of Revelations, where he is said to have a role in the apocalypse and Judgement Day. However, he appears in other works as well as some apocryphal literature. Most notably, this includes “The Enthronement of Abaddon”, which covers how Apollyon gained his abilities; “Pilgrim’s Progress” where Apollyon is equated to Satan; and “the Book of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ”, where he is said to be present at the titular event. However, one excerpt from the Enthronement of Abaddon appears to have some interesting implications for Apollyon and his gender identity.
“And when My Father saw that none of the angels wished to bring the earth to Him, He sent the angel Mouriel to the earth … And when the Angel of God had departed to the earth he stood upon it in great power and might, and in the commandment of God. And he reached out his hand to take some of it, and straightway the dust (or, clay) cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘I swear unto thee by the name of Him … that thou shalt not approach me to take me unto God.’ And the angel Mouriel was not afraid at [the mention of] the Name of My Father when he heard it … and he brought it to My Father [Who] rejoiced over it. And He took the clay from the hand of the angel, and made Adam according to Our image and likeness…”
(Translation of the Enthronement of Abbaton in Coptic Martyrdoms by E. Wallis Budge Vol. 1)
He receives the name Abbaton after the fall of man, and their subsequent exile from the Garden of Eden. Abbaton become the angel of Death and is made king over humanity.
“And My Father said unto Mouriel the angel, ‘Behold, the man whom I created in My image hath transgressed the commandment which I gave him. He hath eaten of the tree, and hath brought a great injury upon all mankind. For reason I make thee king over him, for it was thou who didst bring him to Me on this day, which is the thirteenth of the month Hathor. Thy name shall be a terror in the mouth of every one. They shall call thee Abbaton, the Angel of Death.”
As is evident in this text, Apollyon/Abaddon/Abbaton is referred to with male pronouns (i.e. he/him/his) as is his former counterpart, Muriel. Interestingly, references to the Angel Muriel are made in other texts, as a Dominion (rank of Angel) and governing over the astrological sign of Cancer in “A Dictionary of Angels” written by Gustav Davidson in 1967.
“(Murriel, from the Greek “myrrh”)— angel of the month of June and ruler of the sign of Cancer (crab), as cited in Camfield, A Theological Discourse of Angels, p. 67. Muriel is also one of the rulers of the order of dominations. He is invoked from the south and is able to procure for the invocant a magic carpet. In addition, he serves under Veguaniel as one of the chief angelic officers of the 3rd hour of the day.”
This is evidenced by the common understanding of the time that angels, as spiritual beings, do not have a concept of gender. As such, most earlier religious references to angels always use male pronouns for all angels. However, with the resurgence of spirituality and interest in the supernatural in modern times, modern sources describing the angel Muriel use female pronouns (she/her/hers) Some notable examples from the first page of the Google search for “Muriel Angel”:
Similar search queries give effectively the same result. Most sources on Muriel interested in spirituality describe Muriel as a female angel associated with the sense of smell. And very few acknowledge Muriel’s connection to Apollyon/Abaddon.
It is odd that such a discrepancy exists. This could be possible due to the present usage of the Scottish name Muriel as a feminine name (though that arises from a different etymology than the angel Muriel, from the Scottish Gaelic “Muirgheal” meaning “bright sea”). Regardless of the reason, it is odd that modern portrayals of Muriel alone sees this sort of “switch” but neither Apollyon nor Abaddon saw a corresponding change in the pronouns used for them considering that the Enthronement of Abbadon describes them as the same entity,
Step 2:????
In conclusion, Apollyon is at the very least what we would describe as nonbinary, which is also considered to be under the trans umbrella.
