Model Train Journal

Maybe I have gone off the deep end, but I've been thinking of angel statues lately

Primarily, what do they mean? What do the poses represent? Wings up, wings down, carrying weapons, books, crosses. Watching over children, weeping, you get the idea.

I think this started after watching the The Da Vinci Code staring Tom Hanks.

What prompted the sculptor to portray the angel in a particular pose? I suspect whoever commissioned the sculptor gave them some guidance on what they wanted the statue to show. Was there a "play book" or set of standards they had to go by? Was a particular religious group leading the effort?

I'm not what you would call a religious person by any stretch of the imagination, but this has got my curiosity.

Here's a few photos I found on the internet, I was hoping to find a website or a book that might explain the purpose and meaning of these angelic statues:

I think that monster angel was one of the Weeping Angels from Dr. Who ?

Concerning angels, here's what I have gathered along the way in life, which were points I found interesting because they have had some affirmation to them, in my mind:

1. All the major religions of the world, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, believe in angels. To me, that's a big deal.
2. Several of those angels have the same name, shared by the three religions. Very interesting. (One of them, you have shown us in your second photo from the top - I would interpret that as being Michael the Archangel.
3. Buddhism believes in angels, but they differ from the western conception of angels (says Wikipedia), in that they believe angels ("devas") aren't eternal.

And personally, as a person deeply rooted in a Judeo-Christian background and present, I believe, or at least have a pretty good feeling, that the following is legit:

1. Everybody has two Guardian Angels. (I probably added that to my beliefs by reading a book, several decades ago, "Embraced By the Light," which I would heartily recommend, even to a cynic.) I have no idea how seriously that should be taken as a personal believe or viewpoint into the matter of angles.
2. One should not assume help from Guardian Angels. Oh, they will help, but they like to be asked, too. (That concept I take a bit more seriously.)
3. I don't have a recollection of Angels having been mentioned by Jesus, at least in what has been available to us in any record. Yet, it has been written that he had a conversation with The Devil in the desert. Interesting to me.
4. Now, whether stories of angels are actually reports of visitations and interferences by extra-terrestrials, I have no idea, but since it has just recently been asserted by astrophysicists that there are the following known stars/galaxies/points of light, in the Universe: 100,000,000,000 X 100,000,000,000 , it sounds stupid, let alone foolishly vain, to think we are alone and the only ones existing. From that I have deduced that we do not know everything. Some of us may think we do, but we do not. (See the disagreements between Carl Segan and Professor Neil deGrasse Tyson as an example.)
5. All of which leads me to saying to myself, "Are angels possible?" And my answer is, "Why not? What's to fear from thinking that?"

P.S. I do not need a carload of angels to drive a Buick onto the White House lawn, get out, and say, "We're here, darlings!" to let myself believe in their existence and relevance - yes, relevance.

P.P.S. My sincere compliments to you, Bob D, for having the courage and trust to broach this subject on this board. And I find your doing so to be refreshing. And encouraging. Let's see how this goes along. But I wanted to show you respect and encouragement by posting a reply, at least. I'm not the least bit threatened by putting my personal beliefs out there.

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:I think that monster angel was one of the Weeping Angels from Dr. Who ?

Good memory Rufus. The episode was called, "Blink."

https://youtu.be/cwdbLu_x0gY
Did you ever consider when time started? For science, before the big bang, for theologians, before creation, time did not exist.

webenda wrote:...Did you ever consider when time started? For science, before the big bang, for theologians, before creation, time did not exist.

Very interesting to ponder, Wayne. I have no problem with those distinctions, whatsoever. I don't see any conflict, just different ways of expressing viewpoints on the same "start-up." The final element, about Time, is particularly intriguing.

Something, perhaps, to ponder (your statement here made me think about this):
If the Universe is everything, wouldn't that include the Nothing , too, the space dispersed among and in the time and matter which is among and between all the somethings, all the states of matter, energies, non-matter, light, darkness, gravity, quasars, etc.

Even when a star dies, after having become a Red Giant, and collapses into being a Black Hole, isn't even that hole UNempty, thus containing something, even if it's just a force?

The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.

So it helps us distinguish one moment from the next. Nice. We probably needed that (except for the Goldfish, huh.)

MurphOnMillerAve wrote:

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.

So it helps us distinguish one moment from the next. Nice. We probably needed that (except for the Goldfish, huh.)

You'll have to ask the bowl of petunias.......

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:

MurphOnMillerAve wrote:

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.

So it helps us distinguish one moment from the next. Nice. We probably needed that (except for the Goldfish, huh.)

You'll have to ask the bowl of petunias.......

I'm "foliage-challenged," remember? I wouldn't understand their li'l mutterings. But I do like their smiles. (Or was that pansies? )

Thanks for all the comments so far!!!

Angel statues simply fascinate me.

Another thing...I believe in evil spirits too. I mean, would the Catholic church go to all the trouble of having priests perform exorcisms if evil didn't exist?

I'm sure most of the sculpts done by "The Masters" were commissioned works from the various churches. I'm also guessing the churches dictated what they wanted the statues to represent. It amazes me that a piece of stone can be cut into something so perfect.

Whenever I see some of these statues (or even go into an old, huge church) a sense of humbleness (or fear ) falls on me, can't explain it.

Hey, here's 2 photos of my new kitchen:





Forgot to get the basket for the sink drain, but the plumber said he has to come back anyway and will pick one up. Still waiting on the dishwasher (29th) but once that's in I'll be cooking in no time

Seaboard Air Line Fan wrote:...
...Another thing...I believe in evil spirits too. I mean, would the Catholic church go to all the trouble of having priests perform exorcisms if evil didn't exist?....

I recently heard it said that the Devil's ultimate victory is that people don't believe he exists, anymore.

MurphOnMillerAve wrote:

Seaboard Air Line Fan wrote:...
...Another thing...I believe in evil spirits too. I mean, would the Catholic church go to all the trouble of having priests perform exorcisms if evil didn't exist?....

I recently heard it said that the Devil's ultimate victory is that people don't believe he exists, anymore.

When belief in a God dies, the God dies.

Kitchen looks great Bob...not an angel in site!

Healey

P. S. Yup, that weeping-angel episode of Dr. Who was a good one. I think there was a sequel a couple years later.

healey36 wrote:Yup, that weeping-angel episode of Dr. Who was a good one. I think there was a sequel a couple years later.

I think so; at least 2 other shows. I think they've shown up in other shows, too....