Buy Your Very Own Guardian Angel
Angels have a place not only in many religions but also in today’s popular culture, thanks to books, movies, TV shows depicting their various roles. They’ve also become a focal point for many celebrated artists over the last millennium.
But where did the term “angel” originate from? And did they come to have such an influence on modern-day culture?
Etymology of Angels
The term angel as we use it today comes from the Old English word engel
(pronounced with a hard “g”) and the Old French term angele
(soft “g”). Both of these words are respectively derived from the Latin term angelus
, itself a version of the late Greek angelos
Both the Latin and Greek forms literally translate as “messenger”, which is a reference to the role they play in many religious depictions, acting as a messenger from God to humans on Earth.
The first mention of angels or celestial beings acting as supernatural messengers is in ancient Jewish texts. The texts (found today in the Torah) describe angels as taking the human form delivering messages from God.
The most famous of the early angels described in these early religious texts was Gabriel. He was said to be a guardian angel, protecting Israel from other archangels, as described by the prophet Daniel. This is where the meaning of today’s term “guardian angel” originates from, and this description was a sign of the future proliferation of the roles angels performed.
Since those early texts, references to angels began to evolve and develop into key celestial beings in other religions, most prominently in Christianity and Islam. It was the prevalence of their depictions in the Bible and the Quran that lead them to be the focus of many early Christian and Islamic art pieces.
Angels in Art and Popular Culture
Originally visual illustrations of angels were created in places of worship. It was at this point that angels began to appear with wings and golden halos which depicted their demigod status. Whilst the painting of angels continued from the Romans right through the medieval period, their significance exploded during the Italian Renaissance.
Artists such as Sandro Botticelli and Michelangelo depicted in angels in various frescos adorning the walls of holy buildings such as the Sistine Chapel. Once again, Gabriel along with archangel Michael were popular choices as subjects.
After this resurgence, angels began to appear in wider popular culture such as in the plays of William Shakespeare. More recently, angels have been covered in great detail across literary works, movies and in countless television series. Usually they have appeared as human in form with the wings and halo that have begun synonymous with the term.
Spend Time with Your Very Own Angel
Angels mean different things to different people, for many they offer comfort and reassurance, for others they provide a beautiful symbol of their religious beliefs. Whatever your reasons, having your very own angel lamp can be a great addition to your home. Whether you want to put a guardian angel in your child’s bedroom to reassure them, or add it to your own personal religious shrine, these multi-colored lamps are a great choice.
Thanks to the latest advances in LED technology, these lamps give the cool optical illusion of a 3-D angel floating in the air. Better still, not only can you change your angel’s colors to reflect your mood, this beatifically crafted piece provides a great talking point for any room.
So what are you waiting for? Order now
to reserve your handmade, made-to-order angel lamp!