ANGELS AND MINISTERS OP GRACE 245
angels
evolved from the fervid imagination of the superstitious among the
Jews. Of these angels not recognized by the Church, the following
prayer of a certain Aldebert, condemned by the second Council of Rome,
745 a.D., gives us a
few names: "I pray and supplicate the angel Uriel, angel Raguel, angel
Michael, angel Adimis, angel Tubuas, angel Sabaoth and angel Simihel. '
' In the judgment of the Church fathers, all these names, with the
exception of Michael, designated demons.3
A
manuscript of the ninth or tenth century in the Library of Cologne
gives the following "nomina angelorum," and instructs the reader as to
their special virtues :
If
when it thunders you think of the Archangel Gabriel, no harm will
befall you. If on awakening you think of Michael you will have a happy
day. Have Orihel (Uriel) in mind against your adversary and you will
prevail. When eating and drinking think of Raphael and abundance will
be yours. On a journey think of Raguhel and everything will prosper.
Should you have to lay your case before a judge, think of Barachahel
and all will be explained. When you take part in a banquet, think of
Pantasaron and all the guests will delight in you.*
On
some medieval gems appear angel figures, one very curious specimen of
this class being an onyx, engraved in intaglio. On this gem, which is
in the British Museum, the engraver depicts the Annunciation, but the
figure of the Angel Gabriel is precisely that of a nude Cupid ; hand
and foot are raised as though the little god (or angel) were dancing.
It has been conjectured that this strange attempt at adapting a classic
form is due to the fact that the gem was cut in Constantinople during
one of the violent iconoclastic persecutions, and that the engraver
thus sought to veil the true significance of his work. In this case,
however,
•Dictionnaire
d'Archéologie Chrétienne, ed. by Dom Fernand Cabrol and Dom H.
Leclercq, vol. i, Pt. II, Paris, 1907, col. 2088. •Ibid., col. 2089.
