Supernatural creature of the week: Archangel Michael

The Archangel Michael is a loyal warrior and the mightiest of God’s angels, but in Supernatural he’s a pain in the rear.

I wasn’t going to do Michael this week because I don’t find the character that interesting, not to mention how irritating he is, but since he was the only baddie this week it felt necessary. Michael has been a character on Supernatural since Season 4, way back nine years ago when the apocalypse storyline was going on.

He was even irritating then. Why haven’t they haven’t killed him yet? Even back in Seasons 4 and 5 when he was doing a mission for good, his narrow view of humanity and righteous methods made him dangerous. The Michael in Supernatural is a fictitious villainous version of the original, but the basic outline is the same. An angel built for battle and a warrior determined to impose the will of God.

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Out of all the angels in Christianity, no one is more famous than Michael. Except for Lucifer but he was kicked out of the club, so he doesn’t count anymore. There are more facts and legends about Michael then there are ghosts in the White House, which is a fancy way of saying there’s too much.

His name means “Like Unto God” or “Who is Like God.” He’s Prince of the Archangels and of the Angelic Hosts, the Defender of the Faith, and the Angel of Deliverance. His divine complement is Archeia Faith and, in the Book of Daniel, he’s called “the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people.”

However, he wasn’t always considered a divine police chief armed with a flaming sword. Once upon a time, his job was the opposite of fighting. He was a healer.

Healing sanctuaries dedicated to Michael started appearing in the fourth century before his image evolved into something closer to a guardian. Nowadays, in most modern literature and media forms, he’s solely associated with Lucifer and the apocalypse. No healing involved anywhere.

Association with plagues

Michael has his history as a healer to thank for his Archangel title. Not a lot about him is known prior to this time, but he must have been a pretty good doctor considering it’s the reason he got the promotion.

Michael’s nurturing side was more dominant in the fourth century than any other time period, which was the same time a devastating plague happened to hit Rome. Michael was called to heal the sick and it was during this time that he became known as an archangel and “Prince Among Angels.” By the sixth century, feasts were being held in his honor, such as the holiday Michaelmas celebrated on September 29.

Then again, there’s no trace of a plague hitting Rome around that time (none that I can find) but Michael is associated with another Rome bound plague that hit in the sixth century in the year 591. According to the story, while Rome was struck with a horrible plague and famine, Pope Saint Gregory the Great called an assembly to gather at the church of Saint Mary Major on April 25. The plague was so bad, it’s said that 80 people died on the way there.

Pope Gregory joined them in prayer while holding the image of Our Lady painted by Saint Luke the Evangelist in the air. As the group approached the Vatican, they suddenly saw the Archangel Michael standing upon the mausoleum sheathing his flaming sword. It was a sign that their suffering was over and, immediately after, the plague ended.

Another healer related story about Michael is the Miracle at Chonae, the only one not plague related. In the legend, John the Apostle foretells the appearance of Michael at Cheretopa near Lake Salda, following which a healing spring magically appears.

A local whose daughter was healed by the spring built a church on the site as a sign of gratitude, and people came from all around to be healed. A fellow group became jealous and attempted to drown the church by redirecting a river in its path, but Michael came and spared it. The legend showcases Michael’s duties as a protector, but it also reveals his role as a healer in the presence of the magic spring which appeared in his name.

Casting out Satan

As the commander of Heaven’s armies, Michael is a force to be reckoned with. He casts out disobeying angels, smites Heaven’s enemies with a flaming sword, and in Roman Catholicism is the Angel of Death. But most of all, he defends the holiness of Heaven. Catholic and Orthodox traditions even name him the patron saint of policeman and soldiers.

Also referred to as Saint Michael, he is most famous for his role in casting Lucifer from Heaven in the New Testament where he led God’s army against Lucifer during the war in heaven and cast his brother out. As said in Revelation 12:7-9,

"“Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.”"

There is a similar story in Jewish myth that involves Michael casting out the angel Samael instead of Lucifer. Referred to as “Venom of God”, Samael is an archangel known as the accuser, seducer, and destroyer who tempts the Israeli people towards sin. He’s pretty much a more interesting version of Lucifer and is referred to as Satan.

Samael had attempted to take over the body and soul of Moses, for which Michael fought him for. The two battled and as Samael began to fall, he grabbed Michael’s wings hoping to drag him down too, but he was saved by God. Jude 1:9,

"“Not even the archangel Michael, when he was engaged in argument with the devil about the corpse of Moses, dared to denounce him in the language of abuse; all he said was, ‘May the Lord rebuke you.”"

Michael and Samael had another confrontation earlier involving the twin sons of Issac, Jacob and Esau, whose infamous feud began in the womb. The two brothers remained in conflict their whole lives, but it started way back as unborn children when they disagreed over who would be born first and who would inherit the earth. Seems like a strange argument for two fetuses to have.

Samael, who was Esau’s assigned guardian angel, decided to murder the unborn Jacob and resolve the matter. Fortunately, Michael stopped him in time. For those who don’t know: Esau was born first but Jacob inherited everything.

Islam

Muslim lore paints Michael differently than the other two powerhouse religions. More connected to the earth, he’s the angel of nature who provides both food and knowledge to man.

Michael’s counterpart in Islam is Mikhail, an archangel who was so shocked at the sight of Hell that he never laughed again. In Muslim lore, Jibrail (counterpart to Gabriel) is the head archangel instead of Mikhail. The two appear together in various legends working together to balance an individual’s good and evil. They’re even mentioned together in the Quran in Sura 2:98. It’s the only time Mikhail is mentioned in the Islamic holy text.

"“Whoever is an enemy to God, and His angels and His messengers, and Jibrail and Mikhail! Then, God is an enemy to the disbelievers.”"

He appears more in the Hadith, where he’s shown to be an adviser and aid to the Prophet Muhammad.

The two, Mikhail and Jibrail, are said to be the first angels that bowed to Adam and are known for their roles in helping Muhammad on his spiritual journey to Jerusalem and his ascension into Heaven. Together they purified the prophet, with Mikhail preparing the water and Jibrail purifying him.

There are hundreds of more legends on the Archangel Michael, too many to tell. But the Supernatural version is vastly different. The earlier Supernatural seasons showed a more accurate version, but now he’s just another angel whining the usual “humans are helpless” song and dance.

Supernatural returns from its winter break Jan. 17, 2019, 8:00 p.m. on the CW