Azrael
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Azrael (Arabic: ) is typically known as one of the names of the angel of death, and is an English form of the Arabic name Izrail, the name traditionally attributed to the angel of death in Islam, although the name Malaikat Maut (which is a direct translation of angel of death) is usually used in the Qur'an. It is also spelled Azrail, Ashriel, Azaril, and Azriel. The name literally means whom God helps.
Azrael was first known as Azra, the descendant of the high priests of Aaron and scribe of the Babylonian exile and second Temple Jerusalem period. During the early Christian period he became known as Esdras, the prophet who bears witness to the coming of Christ. It was this early Christian story that claimed Azrael ascended into heaven without tasting death. He was also mentioned in the Christian heretic Marcion's records concerning the "Angel of Law."
He is generally depicted as an archangel under the command of God and usually not in a fashion similar to those associated with darker incarnations of Death personified. Depending on the outlook and precepts of various religions in which he is a figure, Azrael is portrayed as residing in the third Heaven. He has four faces and four thousand wings, and his whole body consists of eyes and tongues, the number of which corresponds to the number of people inhabiting the earth. He will be the last to die, recording and erasing constantly in a large book the names of men at birth and death, respectively. [Rf: Hastings, Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics IV, 617]
See also
- Death (personification)
- Angels in Islam for more information.
Azrael in fiction
- Azrael is the name of the Demon lord you are playing in the second campaign, and fighting in the first one in the PC game Heroes 5
- Azrael makes a brief but memorable appearance in Terry Pratchett's novel Reaper Man. While there are many deaths for different worlds (who are themselves divided into deaths for different creatures) in the Discworld novels, Azrael, as the Death of Universes, is their ruler. All other Deaths are aspects of him.
- The novel Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman includes the Angel of Death, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who calls himself Azrael.
- In The Smurfs, the sorcerer Gargamel's pet cat was named Azrael.
- Azrael appears in at least one John Bellairs book.
- In the sci-fi flight simulator Freespace 2, a Shivan capital ship is classified as the Azrael.
- In Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, the chief human rebel against the Authority is called Lord Asriel.
- In Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's trilogy The Rose of the Prophet, Asrial is the name of a young guardian angel - an immortal serving the good god Promenthas.
- Jason Lee played the character Azrael, a forsaken muse with a hidden agenda, in Kevin Smith's movie Dogma (though the film gives the Loki-like character the name Azrael, and the Azrael-like character the name Loki). He wears a white Cabot hat to hide two small horns growing out of his forehead
- In Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed, Muruta Azrael is the name of the leader for Blue Cosmos, an extremist group dedicated to eradicating genetically enhanced humans (the coordinators).
- There is also a novel Azrael by the German author Wolfgang Hohlbein. Azrael is a codename for a special drug to enhance human skills for military purposes.
- In Yoshiki Tanaka's novel The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Azrael (or Azrail) is the name of a hawk. The name is translated to Japanese as 'Kokushitenshi' (告死天使) which means 'Angel Who Announces Death'.
- The alias of the writer of the Outpost Nine editorial series "I am a Japanese School Teacher" is Azrael.
- In the computer game Disciples 2 Azrael is the Guardian of the Empire Capital. It is very powerful and uses the attack Holy Wrath.
- In the science-fiction setting of the Warhammer 40,000 strategy war game, the Dark Angels Chapter Master is known as Commander Azrael, Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels.
- In the fictional Batman universe, Azrael is another masked and costumed superhero, a mostly-faithful ally to Batman himself and his allies. Real name Jean Paul Valley, he stood in for Bruce Wayne as Batman during the Knightfall saga.
- A 'Prince Azrael' was also a wizarding cat who appeared briefly in Spyro the Dragon
- Azriel is also an anagram for the name 'Raziel' which was used in the Legacy of Kain's Soul Reaver, though this is not intentional, as Raziel is the name of another archangel. It is interesting to note, however, that the Elder God refers to Raziel several times as his "angel of death".
- In the video game Chaos Legion, Azrail is the forbidden spirit of chaos, one of the final bosses in the game.
- In the Dragon King series by Stephen Lawhead, Azrael is the ruler of the underworld, frequently invoked in interjections.
- Azrael is the real name of the wingless angel in the manga Juvenile Orion.
- Azriel is an ancient Babylonian spirit floating around Manhattan in a novel by Anne Rice titled Servant of the Bones. [link]
- In the computer game Diablo II, one of the Desert Warrior mercenaries that can be purchased in Act II is named Azrael.
- In the videogame Yu-gi-oh: The Falsebound Kingdom, Azrael is the name of the first Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
- In the videogame Wild ARMS, Azrael is the name of one of the attacks used by Lady Harken, a scythe-wielding warrior who is helping to usher in the end of the world.
- In the webcomic Casey and Andy, Azrael attempted to take control of hell, failed, and was killed by a divine lightning bolt.
- In the Mists of Everness series, Azrael appears as an evil sorcerer, formerly Merlin, who has forsaken his previous name through acts of evil.
- In the PS2 video game Final Fantasy XII, there is a summon named Zalera, an anagram for Azrael.
Azrael in Music
- The 1999 self-titled album by Demons & Wizards features a three song epic about a gnome named Azrael, "who is unhappy with the universe he created and begins to disassemble it." (http://www.demonsandwizards.za.net/ns_demonsandwizards.htm).
- The 1986's album Horse Rotorvator by Coil, which contains only songs devoted to death, features The Golden Section describing visions of death in different cultural traditions, including Azrael. The lyrics can be read [here].
- Azrael is an artist in Seattle's highly localized Oldominion crew.
- The Azrael is the name of an album by Black Sunrise, a Portuguese hardcore-metal band.
- Azrael (Angel of Death) is a song from on re-issues of the 1967 album The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack by progressive band The Nice
- Azrael is a song on the 1986 album Crimson Glory by progressive metal band Crimson Glory about the angel of mercy, Azrael.
- The album Darkangel by VNV Nation contains the tracks Darkangel(Gabriel), and Darkangel(Azrael).
- There is a Japanese power metal band by the name of Azrael.
- There is a Marduk song called Azrael.
- There is a death metal band from Buffalo, New York called Sons of Azrael
- Azrael is also a power metal band from Granada, Spain.
- "Under Azrael's wings" is a song by British Stoner/Doom Metal band Cathedral
- "Twilight Of Azrael" is a song from the "Beyond The Cursed Eclipse" album by the black metal band Vesperian Sorrow.
External Links
- [Song of Azrael] information about the origins of Azrael in Jewish, Islamic and Christian history.
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