Gabriel’s name means “God is my strength,” and is of Chaldean origin. He is one of the two highest-ranking angels mentioned in both Judeo-Christian and Mohammedan holy texts, the other being Michael. If one counts the apocryphal Book of Tobit, then Raphael is the third angel mentioned in the Old Testament. Gabriel is said to have dictated the Koran to Mohammed.
He is the ruler of Cherubim, governor of Eden and said to possess 140 pairs of wings. Some sources claim he is actually a female angel. He is an intermediary between humans and Heaven and is credited with inspiring Jeanne d’Arc.
According to Talmud Sanhedrin 95b, Gabriel carries “...a sharpened scythe which had been ready since creation.” This same weapon may have been used to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. The Book of Angels mentions the scythe as having a seven-foot ash wood handle and a five-foot long blade. Gabriel is also said to have killed the Nephilim, a race of giants created when the Grigori, or Watchers, a group of angels, slept with human women.
He is the angel of January, the moon, Mars, winter, and Aquarius.
Sources:
Davidson, Gustav. A Dictionary of Angels, Including the Fallen Angels.
New York: The Free Press, 1971, pp. 117, 119
Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Angels.
New York: Checkmark Books, 2004, pp. 138
Lewis, James R. and Oliver, Evelyn Dorothy. Angels A to Z.
Detroit: Visible Ink Press, 1996, pp. 169
Thompson, Ruth et al. The Book of Angels.
New York: Sterling Publishing Co. , Inc., 2006, pp. 58, 61, 62, 64, 68
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In Death Sword, Gabriel is Xariel's former boss. A misunderstanding alienates the two angels for centuries. It is only when Metatron requests Gabriel work with Xariel and Karla, the two angels of death realize they were manipulated.
A warrior angel, Gabriel's nature borders on bellicose and he's not above punching Xariel unconscious if he believes the younger angel deserves it. Because Gabriel and Karla share a similar temperament, their personalities often clash. Nevertheless, Gabriel is loyal to both Xariel and Karla, even joining Xariel to rescue Karla and fight Samael.
His greatest passion is chess and Xariel considers him to be an unofficial grandmaster. Gabriel tries, often unsuccessfully, to teach Xariel the game.
When fighting, Gabriel wields a large scythe. He stands 6'9" with shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes. His wings are white and span nearly 14 feet. In the battle with Samael, he is wounded, leaving Xariel to fight his former lover by himself. While Gabriel recuperates, Xariel takes his place as Metatron's subordinate.
A warrior angel, Gabriel's nature borders on bellicose and he's not above punching Xariel unconscious if he believes the younger angel deserves it. Because Gabriel and Karla share a similar temperament, their personalities often clash. Nevertheless, Gabriel is loyal to both Xariel and Karla, even joining Xariel to rescue Karla and fight Samael.
His greatest passion is chess and Xariel considers him to be an unofficial grandmaster. Gabriel tries, often unsuccessfully, to teach Xariel the game.
When fighting, Gabriel wields a large scythe. He stands 6'9" with shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes. His wings are white and span nearly 14 feet. In the battle with Samael, he is wounded, leaving Xariel to fight his former lover by himself. While Gabriel recuperates, Xariel takes his place as Metatron's subordinate.
3 comments:
Awesome descriptions. Gabriel sounds awesome to paint. :)
This might be an odd way to introduce myself, but I'm Arthur Wang, the artist that did work for Natasha's 'War of the Soulites'.
I decided to be a bit vain and search for myself, and landed on her page. I saw that you may have been looking around for an artist like me to paint your stories, so I figured I'd drop by and say hi.
Hi Arthur,
Thanks for stopping by. :-)
I loved your depiction of Natasha's work. I do a little bit of drawing/painting but I'm not "trained" so it's really more of a hobby. (I took a few classes a long time ago.) Photography seems to be my specialty.
Photography can be gorgeous. I dabble a bit in photography myself, though generally for preparation of a painting (I photographed my girlfriend for Natasha's image, for example).
It's never too late to learn how to draw, really. The way it allows your mind to be set free is quite amazing. Creative minds tend to have a lot of crazy, 'impossible' images in their heads, so learning to draw scifi and fantasy is an awesome outlet.
Anyway, if you're ever looking around for an illustrator to work with, feel free to contact me. My email is Arthur.at.ArthurWangArt.com. :)
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