As you may or may not know, angels are incredibly powerful beings. They’re also very popular, so much so that we often use them in our writing. With their haunting prowess, their proclamations, and most importantly, their divine judgements we just can’t help using them in our stories. Protagonists, antagonists, supporting characters, and even love interests, there’s no doubt that including angels in the plot adds a bit of uniqueness to our literary masterpieces.

Below is a list of just a few angels that many authors have used in their books.

St. Michael: As I mentioned in part 1, Michael is an archangel who leads the armies of heaven. He is regarded as the chief of war, and the leader of God’s armies. According to the Catholic Church, Michael has four main responsibilities; to fight and defeat Satan, to guide the faithful to heaven when they die, to be a champion for both Christians and the Church, and to mark the time of when Judgement will befall Earth. In Milton’s Paradise Lost, he fights Satan, cutting off his right side in order to hurt him.

St. Gabriel: Gabriel is the archangel who delivered the message to the Virgin Mary, stating that she would give birth to Christ. He’s also regarded as the angel of messengers, postal workers, and telecommunication workers. This has been played with in shows such as Supernatural, where he is also considered the Trickster, a mischievous character who simply wants the war with Michael and Lucifer to end.

St. Raphael: This archangel is mentioned in the Book of Tobit, and is often seen as a healer, a guide, and even an assistant to the Grim Reaper himself. Interestingly enough, Raphael, alongside Michael and Gabriel, is recognized by the Catholic Church. He’s often associated with water. In the novel To Reign in Hell by Steven Brust, both Raphael and
Michael aid God in watching over Heaven. In Supernatural, Raphael attempted to take control of Heaven himself, before he is killed by Castiel. Because I’m a part of the medical field, and because I’m a Pisces, Raphael has a special place in my heart.

St. Uriel: Uriel isn’t as well known as his brothers, mainly because he is found primarily in rabbinical literature. However, he is a part of the four archangels that serve humanity. Oftentimes, he is described as the Angel of Presence. Legends say that he is the one who stands over the gate of Eden, as well as the angel who warned Noah of the flood. The Catholic Church did accept Uriel for a while. but then he was removed in 745 AD, simply because the church wanted the public to focus more on God, rather than the angels. As such, he doesn’t serve as important a role in modern fiction.

Of course, these aren’t the only angels people use. If you read the Book of Enoch, or even the Keys of Solomon, you can find a whole list of angels that specialize in one specific thing. Perhaps you could even go through a list of the rabbinical angels; you may find your inspiration for your characters there. After all, many generations of writers have used angels as artistic muses; what’s one more?