FALLEN ANGELS..
FALLEN ANGELS DEMONS..
Abezethibou
In the Testament of Solomon, when Solomon summons Beelzebub for an interview, the prince of the demons reveals that an angel named Abezethibou accompanied him when he fell from Heaven. After his fall, Abezethibou became a one-winged demon condemned to hell. He claims that all those imprisoned in Tartarus fall under Abezethibou's control. This charge comprised Abezethibou's primary role and burden in the demon world. He opposed Moses and the Israelites during the Exodus from Egypt.
Later, Abezethibou himself appears before Solomon, informing the king that, as an angel, Abezethibou had sat in Amelouth, a place he described as the "first Heaven". After his fall, Abezethibou roamed Egypt, and, after the appeal of Moses to let the Israelites leave Egypt, cause Pharaoh's heart to harden. This is contrary to the traditional Christian view of the event based on the Book of Exodus, which contends that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh. He went with the Egyptian army in the pursuit of the Israelites, and the collapsing Red Sea crushed and drowned him, where he was imprisoned by a pillar of water.
The Testament of Solomon states that Jannes and Jambres called upon Abezethibou when they battled against Moses, and the demon provided them with the magic they used. He claimed to be "the adversary of Moses in [performing] signs and wonders." Abezethibou was sealed in the Red Sea, but Beelzebub claimed that "when he [Abezethibou] is ready, then he will come in triumph."
Al-‘Uzzá
Al-ʻUzzā (Arabic: العزى al-ʻUzzā [al ʕuzzaː]) was one of the three chief goddesses of Arabian religion in pre-Islamic times and was worshiped by the pre-Islamic Arabsalong with Allāt and Manāt. The Nabataeans equated her with the Greek goddess Aphrodite Ourania (Roman Venus Caelestis). A stone cube at aṭ-Ṭā’if (near Mecca) was held sacred as part of her cult. She is mentioned in the Qur'an Sura 53:19 as being one of the goddesses that people worshiped.
Al-ʻUzzā, like Hubal, was called upon for protection by the pre-Islamic Quraysh. "In 624 at the 'battle called Uhud', the war cry of the Qurayshites was, "O people of Uzzā, people of Hubal!" Al-‘Uzzá also later appears in Ibn Ishaq's account of the alleged Satanic Verses.
The temple dedicated to al-ʻUzzā and the statue itself was destroyed by Khalid ibn al Walid in Nakhla in 630 AD.
Amy (demon)
Asbeel
was a moon elf who was at once blessed and cursed by Tymora and Beshaba to become a sentinel for Tymora that was charged with watching over the Stone of Tymora. Asbeel was to watch the bearers of the stone without interfering, only acting to ensure that upon the death of the current bearer, the stone found its way to the next bearer.
At some point during the centuries of watching over the bearers, Asbeel became disenchanted with his role and began interfering, even slaying more than a few of the bearers.
For this, Asbeel was cursed to wear the visage of a demonic elf any time he was not in a temple to one of the Sisters of Luck.
Asbeel is the arch-enemy of Maimun in the Stone of Tymora novels.
Azazel
According to the Book of Enoch (a book of the Apocrypha), Azazel (here spelled ‘ăzā’zyēl) was one of the chief Grigori, a group of fallen angels who married women. This same story (without any mention of Azazel) is told in the book of Genesis 6:2–4: "That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. […] There were giants in the earth in those days; and also afterward, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown."
Enoch portrays Azazel as responsible for teaching people to make weapons and cosmetics, for which he was cast out of heaven. The Book of Enoch 8:1–3a reads, "And Azazel taught men to make swords and knives and shields and breastplates; and made known to them the metals [of the earth] and the art of working them; and bracelets and ornaments; and the use of antimony and the beautifying of the eyelids; and all kinds of costly stones and all colouring tinctures. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray and became corrupt in all their ways."
The corruption brought on by Azazel and the Grigori degrades the human race, and the four archangels (Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel) “saw much blood being shed upon the earth and all lawlessness being wrought upon the earth The souls of men [made] their suit, saying, "Bring our cause before the Most High; Thou seest what Azazel hath done, who hath taught all unrighteousness on earth and revealed the eternal secrets which were in heaven, which men were striving to learn."
BARAQIEL ANGEL OF LIGHTENING..
Baraqiel, Barâqîjâl, Baraqel was the 9th Watcher of the 20 leaders of the 200 fallen angels that are mentioned in an ancient work called the Book of Enoch. The name means "lightning of God", which is fitting since it has been said that Baraqiel taught men astrology during the days of Jared or Yered. Some scholars believe that he is Sanat Kumara of theosophists such as Benjamin Creme and Madame Blavatsky; others believe that Sanat Kumara is a separate being.
It has also been proposed based on a reconstruction by Schniedewind and Zuckerman that Baraqiel was the name of the father of Hazael, mentioned in the 9th century BCE inscription from Tel Dan. The biblical figure, Barak, known from Judges 4 is a shortened version of this longer name.
Bezaliel
Bezaliel (also Busasejal, Basasael), Aramaic (damaged), Greek Θωνιήλ (damaged), was the 13th Watcher of the 20 leaders of the 200 fallen angels that are mentioned in an ancient work called the Book of Enoch. This angel is probably one of the most controversial of the list of fallen angels in the Book of Enoch. He is often left off the list of angels from chapter 6 as a result of the problematic transmission of the text. The R. H. Charles translation from 1917 does not include him on the list of 20 leaders. Michael Knibb says as of 1982 there were various translations of the name all with different names and meanings. The name Bezaliel (Shadow of God) is taken from chapter 69 and is the 13th angel listed there.
Bezaliel has been rarely mentioned in texts. There also is an occult organization that works for this Watcher: Congregation of Bezaliel.
Chazaqiel
Chazaqiel (Aramaic: זיקיאל, Ancient Greek: Εζεκιήλ), also Êzêqêêl, was the 8th Watcher of the 20 leaders of the 200 fallen angels that are mentioned in an ancient work called The Book of Enoch. The name means "cloud of God", which is fitting since it was said that Chazaqiel taught men the knowledge of the clouds, meteorology. Michael Knibb translates this angel as being the "Shooting star of God".
Daniel ANGEL
Daniel (Hebrew: דניאל, Ancient Greek: Δανειήλ), also spelled Dânêl, is a fallen angel, the seventh mentioned of the 20 Watcher leaders of the 200 fallen angels in the Book of Enoch, who taught the "signs of the sun" to humans. The name is translated by Michael Knibb as "God has judged".
Conversely, according to Francis Barrett in The Magus, Danjal is the name of one of the 72 holy angels bearing the name of God, Shemhamphorae.
In Dante’s Inferno, Satan is portrayed as a giant demon, frozen mid-breast in ice at the center of Hell. Satan has three faces and a pair of bat-like wings affixed under each chin. As Satan beats his wings, he creates a cold wind that continues to freeze the ice surrounding him and the other sinners in the Ninth Circle. The winds he creates are felt throughout the other circles of Hell. In his three mouths, he chews on Judas, Brutus, and Cassius. Scholars consider Satan to be “a once splendid being (indeed the most perfect of God’s creatures) from whom all personality has now drained away.” Satan, also known as Lucifer, was formerly the Angel of Light and once tried to usurp the power of God. As punishment, God banished Satan out of Heaven to an eternity in Hell as the ultimate sinner. Dante illustrates a less powerful Satan than most standard depictions; he is slobbering, wordless, and receives the same punishments in Hell as the rest of the sinners. In the text, Dante vividly illustrates Satan’s grotesque physical attributes.
- The Emperor of the kingdom dolorous / From his mid-breast forth issued from the ice; /And better with a giant I compare / Than do the giants with those arms of his; / Consider now how great must be that whole, / Which unto such a part conforms itself. / Were he as fair once, as he now is foul, / And lifted up his brow against his Maker, / Well may proceed from him all tribulation. / O, what a marvel it appeared to me, / When I beheld three faces on his head! / The one in front, and that vermilion was;
- THE DEVIL..
- In mainstream Christianity the devil is usually referred to as Satan. Some modern Christians consider the devil to be an angel who, along with one-third of the angelic host (the demons) rebelled against God and has consequently been condemned to the Lake of Fire. He is described as hating all humanity (or more accurately creation), opposing God, spreading lies and wreaking havoc on the souls of mankind. Other modern Christians consider the devil in the Bible to refer figuratively to human sin and temptation and to any immoral human system
- Satan is often identified as the serpent who convinced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit; thus, Satan has often been depicted as a serpent. Though this identification is not present in the Adam and Eve narrative, this interpretation goes back at least as far as the time of the writing of the Book of Revelation, which specifically identifies Satan as being the serpent (Rev. 20:2
In the Bible, the devil is identified with "the dragon" and "the old serpent" in the Book of Revelation 12:9, 20:2 have also been identified with Satan, as have "the prince of this world" in the Gospel of John 12:31, 14:30; and "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" in the Epistle to the Ephesians 2:2; and "the god of this world" in 2 Corinthians 4:4. He is also identified as the dragon in the Book of Revelation (e.g.), and the tempter of the Gospels (e.g.).
The devil is sometimes called Lucifer, particularly when describing him as an angel before his fall, although the reference in Isaiah 14:12 to Lucifer, or the Son of the Morning, is a reference to a Babylonian king.
Beelzebub is originally the name of a Philistine god (more specifically a certain type of Baal, from Ba‘al Zebûb, lit. "Lord of Flies") but is also used in the New Testament as a synonym for Satan. A corrupted version, "Belzeboub", appears in The Divine Comedy.
In other, non-mainstream, Christian beliefs (e.g. the beliefs of the Christadelphians) the word "satan" in the Bible is not regarded as referring to a supernatural, personal being but to any 'adversary' and figuratively refers to human sin and temptation.
In Islam, the devil is called Shayṭān, (Arabic: شيطان, plural: شياطين shayāṭīn) and refers to all evil forces under leadership of the archdevil known as Iblīs (or Eblis), who was cast out of heaven, after he refused to prostrate before Adam.
The primary characteristic of Iblis is hubris; not only did he deem himself a superior creation to Adam, he also demonstrated arrogance by challenging God'sjudgment in commanding him to prostrate. His primary activity is to incite humans and jinn to commit evil through deception, which is referred to as "whispering into the hearts." The Quran mentions that satans are the assistants of those who disbelieve in God: "We have made the evil ones friends to those without faith..
Gadreel
Gadreel or Gaderel gader ha-el, literally "wall of God") is listed as one of the chiefs in the fallen grigori.This is depicted in the second section of the "Book of Enoch"; "Parables". He is said to have been responsible for deceiving Hawwah (Eve).
Gadreel was mentioned as the third of five "satans" who led other angels into copulating with humans, leading to the creation of the giant-like Nephilim. The others were called Yeqon (or Yaqum, Aramaic "he shall rise"), Asbeel ("deserter from God"), Penemue ("the inside"), and Kasdaye ("Chaldean", "covered hand").
Gamigin
Gamigin is the fourth Goetic demon described in the Lesser Key of Solomon (referred to in the Crowley/Mathers edition as Samigina), and (as Gamygyn) forty-sixth in the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, in both works as a marquis who initially takes the form of a small horse before transforming into a hoarse-voiced human. The Lesser Key of Solomon merely leaves his duties at teaching liberal arts and giving accounts of souls that died in sin.
The Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, Thomas Rudd's variant of the Ars Goetia, and the Dictionnaire Infernal go into more detail, with Gamigin forcing the souls of those who drowned into "airy bodies" to answer questions in either, with Weyer and de Plancy further claiming that Gamigan can do likewise for souls "which dwell in purgatorie (which is called Cartagra, that is, affliction of soules)". According to Rudd, Gamigin is opposed by the Shemhamphorasch angel Ieuiah.
Le génie du mal
Le génie du mal (installed 1848) or The Genius of Evil, known informally in English as Lucifer or The Lucifer of Liège is a religious sculpture executed in white marble by the Belgian artist Guillaume Geefs. Francophone art historians most often refer to the figure as an ange déchu, a "fallen angel." It is located within the elaborate pulpit (French chaire de vérité, "seat of truth") of St. Paul's Cathedral, Liège, and depicts a classically beautiful man in his physical prime, chained, seated, and nearly nude but for drapery gathered over his thighs, his full length ensconced within a mandorla of bat wings. Geefs' work replaces an earlier sculpture created for the space by his younger brother Joseph Geefs, L'ange du mal, which was removed from the cathedral because of its distracting allure and "unhealthy beauty."
In the late 1980s, a photograph of Le génie du mal became a focal point of Himmelsweg, an art installation by the Liège-born artist Jacques Charlier on the theme of seductive evil and the danger of obscuring the memory of the Holocaust.
Harut and Marut
Harut and Marut are the two angels mentioned in the second surah of the Qur'an who were present during the reign of the prophet Solomon and according to some narratives those two angels were in the time of Hazarat Idrees and were located at a location called Babel. The Qur'an indicates that they were a trial for the people and through them the people were tested with sorcery.
The story of Harut and Marut is revealed in the second surah (chapter), of the Qur'an, entitled "Al-Baqara" or "The Cow" . It appears in the 102nd Ayah, or verse, and forms part of a narrative concerning the people who followed sorcery.
Kokabiel
Kokabiel also spelled Kôkabîêl, Kôkhabîêl, Kakabel, Kochbiel, Kokbiel, Kabaiel, or Kochab, considered the 'angel of the stars', is a fallen angel, the fourth mentioned of the 20 Watcher leaders of the 200 fallen angels in the Book of Enoch. His name is generally translated as "star of God", which is fitting since it has been said that Kokabiel taught astrology to his associates.
According to The Book of The Angel Raziel, Kokabiel is a holy angel; in other apocryphal lore, however, he is generally considered to be fallen. Kokabiel is said to command an army of 365,000 spirits.
Luceafărul (originally spelled Luceafĕrul; variously rendered as "The Morning Star", "The Evening Star", "The Vesper", "The Daystar", or "Lucifer") is a Romaniannarrative poem by Mihai Eminescu, first published in 1883. It is generally considered his masterpiece, one of the greatest accomplishments in Romanian literature, and one of the last milestones in Europe's Romantic poetry. One in a family or "constellation" of poems, it took Eminescu ten years to conceive, its final shape being partly edited by the philosopher Titu Maiorescu. During this creative process, Eminescu distilled Romanian folklore, Romantic themes, and various staples of Indo-European myth, arriving from a versified fairy tale to a mythopoeia, a self-reflection on his condition as a genius, and an illustration of his philosophy of love.
The eponymous celestial being, also referred to as "Hyperion", is widely identified as Eminescu's alter ego; he combines elements of fallen angels, daimons, incubi, but is neither mischievous nor purposefully seductive. His daily mission on the firmament is interrupted by the lustful calls of Princess Cătălina, who asks for him to "glide down" and become her mate. He is persuaded by her to relinquish his immortality, which would require approval from a third protagonist, the Demiurge. The Morning Star seeks the Demiurge at the edge of the Universe, but only receives a revelation of mankind's irrelevancy. In his brief absence, the Princess is seduced by a fellow mortal. As he returns to his place in the sky, Hyperion understands that the Demiurge was right.
Luceafărul enjoys fame not just as a poetic masterpiece, but also as one of the very last works completed and read publicly by Eminescu before his debilitating mental illness and hospitalization. It has endured in cultural memory as both the object of critical scrutiny and a strong favorite of the public. Its translators into various languages include figures such as Günther Deicke, Zoltán Franyó, Mite Kremnitz, Leon Levițchi, Mate Maras, Corneliu M. Popescu, David Samoylov, Immanuel Weissglas, Todur Zanet, and Vilém Závada. The poem left a distinct legacy in literary works by Mircea Eliade, Emil Loteanu, Alexandru Vlahuță, and, possibly, Ingeborg Bachmann. It has also inspired composers Nicolae Bretan and Eugen Doga, as well as various visual artists.
Lucifer and Prometheus
Lucifer and Prometheus is the title of a classic work of psychological literary criticism written by R.J. Zwi Werblowsky and published in 1952. In it, Werblowsky argues that the Satan of John Milton's Paradise Lost became a disproportionately appealing character because of attributes he shares with the Greek Titan Prometheus. It has been called "most illuminating" for its historical and typological perspective on Milton's Satan as embodying both positive and negative values. The book has also been significant in pointing out the essential ambiguity of Prometheus and his dual Christ-like/Satanic nature as developed in the Christian tradition.
Werblowsky uses the terminology of Carl Jung and his school in examining "mythological projections of the human psyche", though he emphasizes that he is not interested in the concept of the archetype in the strict Jungian sense. Rather, he sees the myth of figures such as Satan and Prometheus as expressing "the shortcomings … of the world as conceived by the human soul." The relation of power and civilization is explored through the interaction of the concepts of Old Testament sin and Greek hubris. In this analysis, Satan "becomes the sole power-exponent in this sublunar, post-lapsarian but pre-eschatological universe, and thus stands as the prototype of human civilizing effort."
Werblowsky sets out to explore "the heroic at its limits", and makes explicit the motivating factor of World War II and its horrors in undertaking this study:
| The apocalyptic beast let loose has become a reality to our generation, and nobody knows what is still ahead of us. It is understandable therefore that books on the devil have been on the increase lately. … If the attempts of this school have not yet borne much fruit, it is because we fear the devil's sight more than his activity, and because of a very understandable reticence to force open our 'whited sepulchres.' |
Lucifer and Prometheus was one of 204 volumes in The International Library of Psychology, Philosophy and Scientific Method series published 1910–1965 and including titles from Jung, Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, Erich Fromm and others. It was Werblowsky's first published book. This volume was reissued in 1999 by Routledge. It includes an introduction written by Jung.
Marchosias
In demonology, Marchosias is a great and mighty Marquis of Hell, commanding thirty legions of demons. In the Ars Goetia, the first book of The Lesser Key of Solomon (17th century), he is depicted as a wolf with gryphon's wings and a serpent's tail, spewing fire from his mouth, but at the request of the magician he may take the form of a man. He is a strong fighter and gives true answers to all questions, and is very faithful to the magician in following his commands. Before his fall he belonged to the angelic order of Dominations (or Dominions), and when he was bound by Solomon he told him that after 1,200 years he hoped to return to Heaven ("unto the Seventh Throne").
In the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577) of Johann Weyer the demon is called Marchocias and his description is much the same as that given in the Goetia except that his gender when appearing as a wolf is female ("a cruel she wolf") and spewing forth "I cannot tell what" from his mouth. He likewise hopes to eventually return to the Seventh Throne but is "deceived in that hope."
Collin de Plancy in his Dictionnaire Infernal (1818) draws on both sources for his description of Marchosias in his catalogue of demons.
The name Marchosias comes from Late Latin marchio, "marquis".
Naamah appears in the Zohar as one of the mates of the archangel Samael. She, along with her cohort Lilith, causes epilepsy in children. After Cain kills Abel, Adam separates from Eve for 130 years. During this time, Lilith and Naamah visit him and bear his demonic children, who became the Plagues of Mankind. (Zohar 3:76b-77a)
In another story from the Zohar, Naamah corrupts Ouza and Azrael. (Zohar: Genesis: Chapter XXXII)
Gustav Davidson writes in A Dictionary of Angels that Nelchael is "an angel belonging to the order of thrones and one of the 72 angels who bear the mystical name of God Shemhamphorae, according to Barrett, The Magus, and Ambelain, La Kabbale Practicque. However, he appears to be not a holy angel, but a fallen one who, in Hell, teaches astronomy, mathematics, and geography to his demons.
Nisroch is an otherwise unknown Assyrian god in whose temple King Sennacherib was worshiping when he was assassinated by his sons Adrammelech and Shizrezer. (2 Kings 19:37; Isa. 37:38). He has been tentatively identified as the god of agriculture.
Josephus, quoting Herodotus, identifies the temple by the name Araske.
In the Midrash, "Nisroch" is actually said to be derived from the Hebrew word "neser." Neser was the name given to a plank of wood discovered by Sennacherib on his return to Assyria from his campaign in Judah. The sages write that this plank was originally part of Noah's Ark, and that Sennacherib worshiped it as an idol. It would therefore be concluded that it was this idol that Sennacherib was worshiping when he was murdered by his two sons.
Some religious authors consider Nisroch to be a fallen angel, once of the order of Principalities and an associate to Belphegor. Johann Weyer and Collin de Plancy wrote that Nisroch is chief of cuisine to the princes in Hell.
Penemue penimi — "the inside") is a watcher in Enochian lore. He is a curer of stupidity in man, mentioned in Bereshith Rabba. As an angel associated with Abraxiel (Abraxas), Penemue was also likely of the order of healing angels called the Labbim.
Phenex
In demonology, Phenex is a Great Marquis of Hell and has twenty legions of demons under his command. He teaches all wonderful sciences, is an excellent poet, and is very obedient to the conjuror. Phenex hopes to return to Heaven after 1,200 years, but he is deceived in this hope.
He is depicted as a phoenix, which sings sweet notes with the voice of a child, but the conjurer must warn his companions (for he has not to be alone) not to hear them and ask him to put in human shape, which the demon supposedly does after a certain amount of time.
Johann Wier's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum describes this spirit as follows:
"Phoenix is a great marquesse, appearing like the bird Phoenix, having a child's voice: but before he standeth still before the conjuror, he singeth manie sweet notes. Then the exorcist with his companions must beware he give no eare to the melodie, but must by and by bid him put on humane shape; then will he speake marvellouslie of all wonderfull sciences. He is an excellent poet, and obedient, he hopeth to returne to the seventh throne after a thousand two hundredth yeares, and governeth twentie legions."
Other spellings: Pheynix, Phoenix, Phoeniex.
The Prince of Darkness is a term used in John Milton's poem Paradise Lost referring to Satan as the embodiment of evil. It is an English translation of the Latin phrase princeps tenebrarum, which occurs in the Acts of Pilate, written in the fourth century, in the 11th-century hymn Rhythmus de die mortis by Pietro Damiani, and in a sermon by Bernard of Clairvaux from the 12th century.
As described in 1 Enoch, these are the leaders of 200 angels that are turned into fallen Angels due to their taking wives, mating with human women, and teaching forbidden knowledge. One of 20 leaders, Ramiel is mentioned sixth.
In this same work, Ramiel is also the name of an angel, and is described as "one of the holy angels whom God has set over those who rise" from the dead, in effect the angel that watches over those that are to resurrect.
He is mentioned also in 2 Baruch where he presides over true visions (55:3).
Ramiel is the angel of hope, and he is credited with two tasks: he is responsible for divine visions, and he guides the souls of the faithful into Heaven. He is called Jeremiel or Uriel in various translations of IV Esdras, He is said to have been the archangel responsible for the destruction of the armies of Sennacherib, as well as being the bearer of the instructions of the seven archangels
Samyaza also Semihazah, Shemyazaz, Shemyaza, Sêmîazâz, Semjâzâ, Samjâzâ, Semyaza, and Shemhazai, is a fallen angel of apocryphal Jewish and Christian tradition that ranked in the heavenly hierarchy as one of the Watchers. The name "Shemyaza(z)" means "the (or my) name has seen" or "he sees the name".
In the Book of Enoch, Samyaza is portrayed as the leader of a band of angels called the Watchers that are consumed with lust for mortal women and become fallen angels.
Samyaza convinced several other Watchers to join him in fornicating with women. As a result, he and the other sinful Grigori begot giant offspring (called Nephilim in the Book of Genesis) that dominated and feasted upon humans during the days of Jared. The Watchers' other sin was to teach humans various creative arts — especially Azazel's, who taught the secrets of war, which brought down the wrath of God.
God commanded the angel Gabriel to cause the Giants to wage civil war:
Finally, the judgement of the associates of Samyaza is described.
After the destruction of the Giants, God caused the Great Flood of Noah to wipe out the humans who had become corrupted. (The Holy Bible teaches that they were there before and after the flood, however.)
Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte (Spanish for Our Lady of the Holy Death) or, colloquially, Santa Muerte (Holy Death), is a female deity (or folk saintdepending on school of thought) in Mexican folk religion, particularly Folk Catholicism, venerated primarily in Mexico and the Southwestern United States. A personification of death, she is associated with healing, protection, and safe delivery to the afterlife by her devotees. Despite condemnation by the Catholic Church, her cult has become prominent in the 2000s and 2010s, as a continuation of the Aztec goddess of death Mictecacihuatl or Mictlancihuatl (Nahutl for "Lady of the Dead") clad according to Spanish iconography.
Since the pre-Columbian era Mexican culture has maintained a certain reverence towards death, which can be seen in the widespread commemoration of the Day of the Dead. Elements of that celebration include the use of skeletons to remind people of their mortality. The worship of Santa Muerte is condemned by the Catholic Church in Mexico as invalid, but it is firmly entrenched among an increasing percentage of Mexican culture.
Santa Muerte generally appears as a skeletal female figure, clad in a long robe and holding one or more objects, usually a scythe and a globe. Her robe can be of any color, as more specific images of the figure vary widely from devotee to devotee and according to the rite being performed or the petition being made.
As the worship of Santa Muerte was clandestine until the 20th century, most prayers and other rites have been traditionally performed privately at home. Since the beginning of the 21st century, worship has become more public, especially in Mexico City after Enriqueta Romero initiated her famous Mexico City shrine in 2001. The number of believers in Santa Muerte has grown over the past ten to twenty years, to an estimated 10-20 million followers in Mexico, the United States, and parts of Central America. Santa Muerte has similar male counterparts in the Americas, such as the skeletal folk saints San La Muerte of Paraguay and Rey Pascual of Guatemala.
Satan
Satan satan, meaning "enemy" or "adversary"; Arabic: shaitan, meaning; "astray", "distant", or sometimes "devil") is a figure appearing in the texts of the Abrahamic religions who brings evil and temptation, and is known as the deceiver who leads humanity astray. Some religious groups teach that he originated as an angel, or something of the like, who used to possess great piety and beauty, but fell because of hubris, seducing humanity into the ways of falsehood and sin, and has power in the fallen world. In the Hebrew Bible Satan is primarily an (or "the") accuser or adversary. In some later Jewish writings and in the New Testament, Satan is described as a more malevolent entity opposed to God, also called the devil, who possesses abhorrent qualities.
Although Satan is generally viewed as having negative characteristics, some groups have very different beliefs. In Theistic Satanism, Satan is considered a deity who is either worshipped or revered. In LaVeyan Satanism, "Satan" is a symbol of virtuous characteristics and liberty
In Christianity, there are many synonyms for Satan. The most common English synonym for "Satan" is "devil", which descends from Middle English devel, from Old English dēofol, that in turn represents an early Germanic borrowing of Latin diabolus (also the source of "diabolical"). This in turn was borrowed from Greek diabolos "slanderer", from diaballein "to slander": dia- "across, through" + ballein "to hurl". In the New Testament, "Satan" occurs more than 30 times in passages alongside diabolos, slanderer, referring to the same person or thing as Satan.
Beelzebub, meaning "Lord of Flies", is the contemptuous name given in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament to a Philistinegod whose original name has been reconstructed as most probably "Ba'al Zabul", meaning "Baal the Prince". This pun was later used to refer to Satan as well.
The Book of Revelation twice refers to "the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan" (12:9, 20:2). The Book of Revelation also refers to "the deceiver", from which is derived the common epithet "the great deceiver"
Sathariel
Sathariel is one of the Qliphoth, corresponding to the Sephirah Binah on the kabbalistic Tree of life. It represents the Concealment of God, which hides the face of Mercy. The form of the demons attached to this Qliphah are of black veiled heads with horns, with hideous eyes seen through the veil, followed by evil centaurs.
The Qliphoth are the shadow of the Sephirot, the chaotic force that exists when the Sephirah is unbalanced. Binah is the Sephirah that gives birth to form, the great mother of the cosmos, the eternal womb. Through her, the spiritual energy of Keter and Chokmah are woven into the matrix that eventually becomes matter. But when this force is unbalanced, then the spiritual principle is hidden, matter is taken to be simply matter, and is not understood to be simply condensed energy, which is crudified spirit. Binah, the giver of form, becomes Sathariel, the concealer of spirit.
Sathariel is described in the Book of Enoch as the 17th Watcher of the 20 leaders of the 200 fallen angels. The name is believed to be of Babylonian origin and a combination of shetar and el (God) with the name meaning "side of God". Michael Knibb believes the name to mean "Moon of God" or "Dawn of God" based on the Ge'ez copies of the Book of Enoch.
The cortex or outer shell of Sathariel is called the order of Sheireil, "The Hairy Ones of God". This demonic order has been described as a black labyrinth of chaotic riddles, where Lucifuge reigns. The magician's third eye is opened and darkness becomes light if ascension progresses through this order. This results in the magician learning to see the light of Lucifer and becoming clairvoyant.
In qliphotic kabbalah, Sathariel is the third qliphah after Thamiel and Chaigidel. Sathariel is directly connected to Thamiel, Chaigidel, Da'at, Gamchicoth and Golachab. These connections are described as gateways or tunnels, similar to the paths between the sephiras.
Shamsiel also spelled Samsâpêêl, Shamshel, Shashiel or Shamshiel, was the 16th Watcher of the 20 leaders of the 200 fallen angels that are mentioned in an ancient work called the Book of Enoch. The name means "sun of God", which is fitting since it has been said that Shamsiel taught men the songs of the sun during the days of Jared or Yered. Shamash (the Babylonian sun god) may share some mythological basis with Shamsiel.
Shamsiel is said to lead 365 legions of lesser angels in the Zohar and it is said that he was assigned by God to guard the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve were expelled; this would make him a cherub if this legend is true. There is apparently some disagreement in sources as to whether Shamsiel is a fallen angel; he is still regarded as the ruler of the 4th Heaven and it has been said that he fought on the side of God during the War in Heaven according to some questionable sources
There is a monstrous "angel" named Shamshel in the anime series called Neon Genesis Evangelion, ostensibly named for the ancient Hebrew entity.
A minor character named Samchia appears in the first book in The Fallen series. He is a fallen angel living on earth as "Samuel Chia" and is the second in-series victim of the books' primary antagonist Verchiel, who kills him by kicking him from a high window.
In the anime Fairy Tail, a character named Angel can use Angel Magic summoning forth Shamsiel, a white cherub that can shoot light to blast the latter's opponents.
A succubus by the name of Shamsiel Shahar is a main character in the visual novel Kyonyuu Fantasy and its anime adaptation of the same name, serving as a benefactor and primary love interest of the protagonist, Lute Hende.
Tamiel
Tamiel (or Tumiel; , also spelled Tâmîêl, is a fallen angel, the fifth mentioned of the 20 watcher leaders of the 200 fallen angels in the Book of Enoch. His name is usually translated as "perfection of God" (the combination of tamiym and El-God) but Tamiel is also called either Kasdaye (also Kasdeja, from Aramaic "Chaldean", "inhabitant of Chaldea", "astrologer") or Kasyade (prob. compd. of כָּסָה kasah—"to conceal" + יָד yad—"hand", "power"; lit. "covered hand", "hidden power") in the Book of Enoch, Chapter 69.
Michael Knibb lists the translation of Tamiel as "God is Perfect" or "Perfection of God." Tamiel was attributed as a teacher of astronomy (Enoch 8:7). He also taught "the children of men all of the wicked strikes of spirits, [the strikes of] demons, and the strikes of the embryo in the womb so that it may pass away (abortion), and [the strikes of the soul], the bites of the serpent, and the strikes which befall through the noontide heat, [which is called] the son of the serpent named Taba'et (meaning male)" during the days of Noah, not the days of Jared
Turiel
For her performance as Tauriel, Evangeline Lilly was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress, the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress in an Action Movie, the Empire Award for Best Supporting Actress, and the 2014 Kids' Choice Awards.
In an article written by Clarence Haynes of The Huffington Post, Tauriel was compared to Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Both of them were described as archetypical embodiments of the ancient Greek goddess Artemis. Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post, in his review of The Desolation of Smaug, welcomed Tauriel's addition to the set of characters and called her "a sort of pointy-eared Lara Croft".
Shaun Gunner, Chairman of the Tolkien Society, praised the inclusion of Tauriel as "the biggest gem and missed opportunity of this film" stating that she provides "a strong and warm voice in the story" but that the writers "were wrong to cheapen the character by putting her in a love-triangle". Fan reaction to Tauriel's appearance in The Hobbit films, and to other changes made by Jackson in adapting Tolkien's book for the screen, were parodied in the song and video "Who the 'ell is Tauriel?" by The Esgaroth Three.
In Mad magazine's parody of The Desolation of Smaug, writer Desmond Devlin emphasized the similarity of the setting in which actress Evangeline Lilly's character was placed with that of her character on Lost, with her statement, "I can't believe I'm back in another weird forest, fighting random threats and making random alliances on a vague and poorly-defined mission. I thought I was done with that stuff when they cancelled Lost!" Devlin, who had begun a running joke of alluding to Legolas (called Legolamb in the parody) being effeminate in the magazine's parodies of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy,also used Tauriel to return to that gag, as well as referencing Tauriel's lack of canonicity.
Vassago (also Vasago, Usagoo) is the third Goetic demon described in the Lesser Key of Solomon (including Thomas Rudd's variant) as a prince "of a good nature" and of the "same nature as Agares". He rules twenty-six legions of spirits, and is summoned to tell magicians of past and future events, and locate lost objects. He is one of the few spirits found in the Lesser Key of Solomon but not in Johann Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum. Vassago is mentioned in the Book of the Office of Spirits as Usagoo, appearing as an angel, "just and true in all his doings," with the powers of inciting the love of women and revealing hidden treasures, in addition to ruling twenty spirits. Sloane MS 3824 mentions Vassago in invocations to summon spirits that guard treasure, and in the "Experiment of Vassago" and the "Experiment of Agares," both intended to capture the named spirits in crystals. According to Rudd, Vassago is opposed by the Shemhamphorasch angel Sitael.
Murderer and vampire-themed cult leader Rod Ferrell used "Vassago" as a "vampire name" and burned a V representing this alias onto his victims..
In the Books of Enoch, the first Book of Enoch devotes much of its attention to the fall of the Watchers. The Second Book of Enoch addresses the Watchers who are in fifth heaven where the fall took place. The Third Book of Enoch gives attention to the unfallen Watchers.
The use of the term "Watchers" is common in the Book of Enoch. The Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 6–36) occurs in the Aramaic fragments with the phrase irin we-qadishin, "Watchers and Holy Ones", a reference to Aramaic Daniel. The Aramaic irin "watchers" is rendered as "angel" (Greek angelos, Coptic malah) in the Greek and Ethiopian translations, although the usual Aramaic term for angel malakhadoes not occur in Aramaic Enoch.
The dating of this section of 1 Enoch is around 2nd–1st century BC. This book is based on one interpretation of the Sons of God passage in Genesis 6, according to which angels married with human females, giving rise to a race of hybrids known as the Nephilim. The term irin is primarily applied to disobedient Watchers who numbered a total of 200, and of whom their leaders are named, but equally Aramaic iri("watcher" singular) is also applied to the obedient archangels who chain them, such as Raphael (1 Enoch 22:6)
In the Book of Enoch, the Watchers ( are angels dispatched to Earth to watch over the humans. They soon begin to lust for human women and, at the prodding of their leader Samyaza, defect en masse to illicitly instruct humanity and procreate among them. The offspring of these unions are the Nephilim, savage giants who pillage the earth and endanger humanity.
Samyaza and his associates further taught their human charges arts and technologies such as weaponry, cosmetics, mirrors, sorcery, and other techniques that would otherwise be discovered gradually over time by humans, not foisted upon them all at once. Eventually God allows a Great Flood to rid the earth of the Nephilim, but first sends Uriel to warn Noah so as not to eradicate the human race. The Watchers are bound "in the valleys of the Earth" until Judgment Day. (Jude verse 6 says that these fallen angels are kept "in everlasting chains under darkness" until Judgement Day.)
Zaqiel was the 15th Watcher of the 20 leaders of the 200 fallen angels that are mentioned in an ancient work called the Book of Enoch. The name is believed to mean "purity of God" (zaqaq-el). The Ethiopian text reads "Zavebe"; Michael Knibb translates his name in the Ethiopic Book Of Enoch as being "God has hidden" or "God has protected".
(JoanneClare)
very thought provoking good article
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