History Main / AngelicAbomination

On the flip side, some like to claim that the common portrayal of angels as human-like is "inaccurate." This is actually false; there are plenty of depictions of angels in the Bible where they are described as looking like ordinary men. [[note]]Such as the angel the women encounter at Jesus' tomb: "a young man... clothed in a white robe."[[/note]] In fact, there are ''more'' passages describing them as looking like normal people than otherwise. What ''is'' inaccurate is the depiction of angels as "humans with {{wing|edHumanoid}}s." In the Bible, angels are either [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith entirely human]] or entirely ''un''-human (if it's got wings, it's probably also got multiple faces, is on fire, has animal hooves, etc.). The popular image of angels as winged humans arose from classical artwork, where giving a character wings--white in Judaism and Christianity, multi-colored in Islam--was a very easy and immediate visual shorthand.

On the flip side, some like to claim that the common portrayal of angels as human-like is "inaccurate." This is actually false; there are plenty of depictions of angels in the Bible where they are described as looking like ordinary men. [[note]]Such as the angel the women encounter at Jesus' tomb: "a young man... clothed in a white robe."[[/note]] In fact, there are ''more'' passages describing them as looking like normal people than otherwise. What ''is'' inaccurate is the depiction of angels as "human with {{wing|edHumanoid}}s". In the Bible, angels are either [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith entirely human]] or entirely ''un''-human (if it's got wings, it's probably also got multiple faces, is on fire, has animal hooves, etc.). The popular image of angels as winged humans arose from classical artwork, where giving a character wings--white in Judaism and Christianity, multi-colored in Islam--was a very easy and immediate visual shorthand.

* During the trial of [[UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc Joan of Arc]], one of her interrogators remarked that the angels depicted on Joan's banner were painted with arms, feet, legs, and clothing. He asked whether she had the angels depicted in the same manner in which they appeared to her. Joan responded, "No, I had them painted in the way they are painted in the churches." Upon being asked whether she had ever seen her angels in such a form (i.e. in human form) Joan simply responded, "I will tell you nothing more."

* During the trial of [[UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc Joan of Arc]], one of her interrogators remarked that the angel depicted on Joan's banner was painted with arms, feet, legs, and clothing. He asked whether she had the angel depicted in the same manner in which they appeared to her. Joan responded, "No, I had them painted in the way they are painted in the churches." Upon being asked whether she had ever seen her angels in such a form (i.e. in human form) Joan simply responded, "I will tell you nothing more."

On the flip side, there is a popular claim that the common portrayal of angels as human in appearance is inaccurate. This is actually false, angels in the Bible were described as human in many places, in fact there are far ''more'' passages describing them as looking humanoid or indistinguishable from humans than otherwise (Humanity was, after all, created "in their image"). If anything, it's the "PrettyBoy with {{wing|edHumanoid}}s" depiction that is wrong. In the Bible, angels either appeared as [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith fully human]] or anything but, with no in-between. If it had wings, it also had numerous hands, multiple heads, dozens of eyes, appeared to be made of stone, shone like metal, was on fire, lacked some crucial part of human anatomy, followed the body plan of another animal entirely, or some combination thereof. The popular image of angels as winged humans arose from classical artwork, where giving a character wings--white in Judaism and Christianity, multi-colored in Islam--was a very easy and immediate visual shorthand.

* ''WebAnimation/HazbinHotel'': The angels we see [[ThePurge dealing]] with hell's OverpopulationCrisis are known as Exorcists, they are silvery-skinned humanoids with white wings, notched halos, horns and glitching holographic faces with {{Slasher Smile}}s. They also have weapons that are capable of killing the otherwise immortal demons.

Often invokes HolyIsNotSafe, with the angels being dangerous due to their sheer power and being on a higher plane from us PunyEarthlings. Despite the appearance, [[BenevolentAbomination these angels can]] [[CreepyGood still be good]], though [[LightIsNotGood if they're evil]] or if GodIsEvil expect this to be more common.

* ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm'' has an "angelic" skin for [[VideoGame/{{Diablo}} perhaps the second most popular example]] of a BigRedDevil. This "Archangel Diablo," as the tooltip says, brings a whole new meaning to "holy terror".

->''"The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands."''

[[OlderThanTheyThink This actually has a lot of basis to it]]. While this depiction wasn't universal in the original books and many angels in Literature/TheBible and related literature ''were'' depicted as close to human, there were quite a few Biblical angels described like this. Angels would often say "fear not" because their appearance and power were [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm terrifying]]. The most notable example of this type of angel is in the Literature/BookOfEzekiel which portrays angels as StarfishAliens, like flaming wheels with eyes and wings or as [ManyFacedDivinity many faced]] [[HumanoidAbomination humanoid but eldritch beings]].

[[OlderThanTheyThink This actually has a lot of basis to it]]. While this depiction wasn't universal in the original books and many angels in Literature/TheBible and related literature ''were'' depicted as close to human, there were quite a few Biblical angels described like this. Angels would often say "fear not" because their appearance and power were [[YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm terrifying]]. The most notable example of this type of angel is in the Literature/BookOfEzekiel which portrays angels as StarfishAliens, like flaming wheels with eyes and wings or as many faced [[HumanoidAbomination humanoid but eldritch beings]].

Often invokes HolyIsNotSafe, with the angels being dangerous due to their sheer power and being on a higher plane from us PunyEarthlings. Despite the appearance, [[BenevolentAbomination these angels can still be good]], though [[LightIsNotGood if they're evil]] or if GodIsEvil expect this to be more common.

* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': Angels are large, limbless dragon-like beings with avian wings. They appear to have had Eridan DrivenToMadness, and seem to be counterparts to [[EldritchAbomination Horrorterrors]].