#gustav davidson

[lingeringbigbang]

Lamenting angel, from ancient Greek pietà. Reproduced from Jameson, Legends of the Madonna (A Dictionary of Angels including the fallen angels by Gustav Davidson)

[visualpoett]

The prefix "arch," meaning principal or preeminent, when attached to the word angel, literally translates as chief-angel. Depending on the reference source this high-ranking choir may be composed of four, six, seven, or nine angels. For instance, according to the Book of Revelation, there are seven archangels who stand in the presence of God. While Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are generally agreed to be three of the seven archangels, the identity of the other four is subject to debate. Possible candidates are Uriel, Raguel, Zadkiel, Saraquel, Remiel, Anael, Orifiel, Uzziel, Raziel, and Metatron. The Koran recognizes four and actually names two, Djibril (Gabriel) and Michael.

According to Dionysius the archangels are "messengers which carry Divine Decrees." They carry God's messages to humans and are ultimately in command of God's armies of angels who constantly battle the Sons of Darkness, with Michael at the helm.

In art archangels are usually depicted with larger wings and many eyes. Of the archangels, the most often represented are Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael.

Sources:

Davidson, Gustav. A Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels. New York: Free Press, 1971.

Ronner, John. Know Your Angels: The Angel Almanac With Biographies of 100 Prominent Angels in Legend and Folklore, and Much More. Murfreesboro, Tenn.: Mamre, 1993.

[eirikrjs]

Do you have any good pointers for researching individual angels? Most paths I've tried lead back to weird guardian angel horoscope-type crap.

I'd start with Gustav Davidson's Dictionary of Angels. There's at least basic information about obscure angels in it. If you want more in-depth information about Jewish angels, particularly Metatron, try Gershom Scholem's work. His Kabbalah (a decent introductory book broken into individual topics, incl. Metatron) is available on archive.org with a registered account.

But beyond him or the likes of Michael and Gabriel, it may be difficult. I think Davidson will at least list primary sources for the more esoteric angels.

[thequotiest]

There are instances where an angel or troop of angels turned the tide of battle, abated storms, conveyed saints to Heaven, brought down plagues, fed hermits, helped plowmen, converted heathens. An angel multiplied the seed of Hagar, protected Lot, caused the destruction of Sodom, hardened Pharaoh's heart, rescued Daniel from the lions' den, and Peter from prison.

A Dictionary of Angels, Gustav Davidson 

[angelofstormandsea]

Unfortunate Angel Names #14

Kafkefoni - one o fthe 7 enduring unholy sefiroth. Kafkefoni is king of the mazzikin and husband of the “little leprous one.” [Rf. Bamberger, Fallen Angels, p. 174.].

[eirikrjs]

So the IMAGINE compodium and a random blurb in Dx2 says Uriel was the first angel to become a human. Where did they get that from?

Here's a link to the IMAGINE profile and here's a relevant snippet from Uriel's entry in Gustave Davidson's A Dictionary of Angels:

I recommend reading the whole thing: archive.org/details/ADictionaryOfAngels/page/n325/mode/2up?view=theater

This idea that Uriel is actually Jacob is probably behind the profile's reference. The rest of the profile just seems to take from this entry verbatim, like him warning Noah, guarding Eden, watching over the heavens, Judgment Day, etc. Even in the SMT1 profile he's said to guard Tartarus and that's from this book's entry, too. Davidson's book is also one listed in the official Akuma Zensho bibliographies, so they almost certainly have a old copy in the office.

It seems in this case a reference book trying to cram as many sources as possible into an single entry (and hey, unlike the SMT profiles, it names what they are) is behind what otherwise seems completely outlandish. And it's certainly weird! I'm guessing when SMT profiles (especially long ones like those in IMAGINE) are being written from a single book like this Dictionary, there's no consideration for level of orthodoxy or tradition (or consistency); whatever sounds interesting is what goes!

[angelofstormandsea]

Unfortunate Angel Names #13

Barginiel - governing angel of the 7th hour of the day. [Rf. Waite, The Lemegeton]

[angelofstormandsea]

Unfortunate Angel Names #8

Barbiel - once a prince of the order of virtues and of the order of archangels. He is the angel of the month of October and one of the 28 angels of the 28 mansions of the moon.