Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies

Cecil: Mayor Winchell turned to the few remaining reporters who still attend her press conferences and said, “Angels are real! I am staring at one right now! They are real, ok?” She began to open the door wide to show the press, but the figure – who was certainly not an angel – mouthed “Shut up, Pamela!” at Mayor Winchell. The alleged angel added, “Shh! Geez!” and slammed the door. (“Parade Day” 16:00)

This, along with the fact that Erika lives with Old Woman Josie, enjoys opera, and can talk to humans without big trouble suggests their desire to also imitate humans in Night Vale.

All in all, it can be said that the trope of angelic “otherness” appears quite frequently in recent American narratives and that it has been subverting the stereotypical conception of angels as androgynous beings with fluffy wigs with the help of the feature of imitation, which is connected to instances of the angels (rather unconvincingly) pretending to be human, and which can also be connected to disguise, shapeshifting, and skinwalking, and the feature of paranormality, which is connected to the purposeful portrayal of angels as supernatural creatures or extraterrestrial beings. Furthermore, both of these features can be connected to the trickster archetype.

Hyde, for instance, connects the trickster’s ability to imitate to his ability to adapt in different environments: “Perhaps having no way also means that a creature can adapt itself to a changing world. Species well situated in a natural habitat are always at risk if that habitat changes.” (Hyde 43) In other words, it can also be said that angels trying to pretend to be human in order to blend in are, in fact, acting as “chameleons” and changing their skin according to specific situations.

This “skin changing” in particular can be likened to the instances where angels decide to use human bodies as vessels in order to be able to walk the earth (e.g. in The Supernatural or Legion and Dominion). Hyde says that “sometimes tricksters alter the appearance of their skin; sometimes they actually replace one skin with another.” (51), which is used as a way to accomplish their goals or trick their enemies.

Furthermore, when looking for connections between tricksters and paranormality, it is especially necessary to focus on the diverse nature of the trickster. The trickster can become anything he wants: human, animal, supernatural creature, or even all of them at once.

In the world of [trickster] tales, boundary is broken down between the village and the bush, and between humans and supernatural creatures. Characters may be animals acting like humans, or humans acting like animals. . .the contestants draw on the special power coming from the nonhuman world. (Gates 221)

This “nonhuman world” that Gates is describing may also be likened to the mysterious nature of angels in the above examples, namely Erika from Welcome to Night Vale, whose existence has been denied since episode 1.

Finally, in relation to paranormality it is also important to draw attention to the issue of gender, sex, and sexuality. While many authors opt for depicting angeles as gendered (and predominantly male) beings (e.g. in Drop Dead Diva, the angel Fred is depicted in a very masculine way), the examples from this chapter also show that they sometimes choose to portray them androgynous (Gabriel in Constantine), asexual (Castiel in Supernatural), or even as hermaphrodites or completely sexless creatures (The Prophecy) instead in order to increase the sense of otherness and emphasise the paranormal feature. According to Hyde, “it is often said that well-known tricksters are not male but androgynous, or at least of indeterminate sexuality.” (Hyde 335) Specifically, he mentions Hermes, whom he calls the “classical hermaphrodite”, Wakdjunkaga, who “disguises himself as a woman, marries the son of a chief and bears three sons”, or Loki, “having eaten the half-cooked heart of a woman”, which helped him become female and “give birth to monsters”. (336) This kind of shifting of sex and gender can be connected to the already mentioned ability of the angels to disguise themselves by imitating humans as well as their use of randomly chosen human bodies as physical vessels.

All in all, when it comes to the allusions to angelic “otherness” in recent American narratives, it can be said that when compared to the earlier, more stereotypical depictions of angels which depict them predominantly as beautiful androgynous beings with fluffy white wings, it has been enhanced by the use of imitation and paranormality. This has, in turn, transformed the angels into more complicated and visually enticing characters.

4. Conclusion

All in all, based on the number of examples of angelic depictions in American popular culture and narratives presented in this thesis, it can be said that the angel archetype can indeed be considered a cultural phenomenon. For the most part, the popularity of this phenomenon can be connected to America’s general attachment to religion and Christianity, although, as has been indicated, the presence of religion is not always a condition as other sources of angelic fascination in America can be found for instance in people’s interest in the supernatural or the extraterrestrial.

American angelic narratives can be divided into two eras – the pre-1990s, which contain depictions offering rather stereotypical image of the myth – fluffy wings, beautiful, selfless, and devoted to God – and the post-1990s, offering more developed version of the archetype, influenced by the archetype merging with the trickster archetype and transforming the characters into more sophisticated and elaborated form.

Angelic depictions in recent American narratives can therefore be considered mergers of two different archetypes – the angel and the trickster. What makes this merger work well within these narratives is then primarily the compatibility of the two archetypes. For instance, both archetypes can be considered examples of dual nature and the ability to move between different spheres, such as heaven and earth, life and death, and good and evil.

In addition, while this compatibility has undoubtedly contributed to the conception of this merger, it is the differences between these two archetypes that have the ability to transform the angel archetype into something more attractive for contemporary American audiences. In other words, specific trickster features used in specific angelic tropes can either completely disrupt or enhance certain elements in the stereotypical image of the archetype in order to increase its expressive power.

For instance, the stereotypical conception of “messengers of God” as obedient and selfless beings has been subverted by the features of independence and arrogance. Specifically, the angel’s desire for autonomy has caused it strayed away from its original mission and therefore lost connection with God. Moreover, the angel’s arrogance can also contribute to this estrangement as it amplifies the angel’s selfish desire to reach its own goals. Additionally, as both of these features subvert the idea of angels as inherently flawless, that they have transformed the angel stereotype into more relatable characters.

When it comes to the “guardian angel” trope, the stereotypical notion describes them as beings who are fully devoted to their protégés and uninterested in any unauthorised interferences. This idea has been disrupted by two trickster features – deceit and transformativeness. Deceit, which is mostly perceived as a negative feature, disrupts the stereotypical idea that a guardian’s first priority is always its protégé, as many of the guardian angels presented are shown lying or deceiving their humans in order to gain something for themselves. Even when these actions do not result in negative outcomes, they can still serve as catalyst tools for the story, which disrupts the stereotypical idea that angels are not supposed to have any influence or directly interfere with their protégés’ lives. Consequently, the presence of these two trickster features has made the characters more unexpected and exciting.

Although the Bible presents both good and evil examples of angels (for instance, the Watcher angels, demons, or Satan himself are considered inherently evil), it is necessary to add that the stereotypical conception of angels describes them as morally unambiguous – meaning they are either good or evil, there is no in-between. This conception has been subverted by two trickster features – ambiguity and diversity of nature. The moral ambiguity feature makes the angelic characters more complicated, which makes them more relatable and intriguing to the audience. The diversity of nature represented by the use of the nephilim and other angelic “hybrids” may then perhaps appeal to the racially or ethnically diverse parts of American audiences.

Furthermore, while the trope of angelic playfulness has been in stereotypical depictions portrayed as rather silly, in recent narratives this element has been enhanced with the help two specific trickster features – trickery and creativity. Similarly to the deceit feature found in the guardian angel trope, the trickery feature often results in negative outcomes as it is usually connected to mischief and the angel’s desire to entertain itself at the expense of others. The creativity feature is then used to showcase the angel’s powers. Overall, these two features subvert the idea of angels as silly in order to make them more sophisticated.

Correspondingly, the angels’ role as mirrors to humanity has also been enhanced in recent popular narratives by the influence of the trickster archetype. Specifically, it was enhanced by two trickster features – desire and appetite. As these two core trickster features represent two of the most fundamental earthly pleasures – sex and food, it has transformed the angel archetype from the stereotypical conception of a being that does not feel desire or hunger into a kind of character that is more similar to humans than angels. This has, in turn, made them more relatable to audiences.

Finally, the trope of “otherness” in connection with angels has also been amplified in recent American popular narratives. Specifically, it is possible to talk about two trickster features which enhance the conception of angels as in some way peculiar – imitation and paranormality. While imitation emphasises the differences between angels and humans and therefore brings attention to the “otherness” of angels, the feature of paranormality demonstrates the similarities between angels and other popular creatures, such as monsters or aliens. All of this this then transforms the stereotypical conception of the archetype into a more peculiar and thus intriguing idea of an angel. Moreover, as the discussion concerning UFOlogy is still very much current in America, it can also be predicted that in the future this trickster feature might have even more influence on the angel archetype. Future depictions of angels may therefore resemble alien creatures in so many ways that it will be possible to talk about a merger of three different archetypes – the angel, the trickster, and the alien.

In final conclusion, the presence of trickster features in various angel tropes has guaranteed the continuing popularity of the angels in recent American narratives by transforming them into more relatable, exciting, intriguing, complicated, unexpected, and peculiar characters. Henceforward, a boring and always obedient angel can fall in love with a human and rebel against God, devoted guardian angel can prioritise its own needs to the needs of its protégé and and decide to build an opera house in its city, an angelic hero can discover a hidden dark side within itself, a silly angel can become a deadly prankster, angelic pureness and innocence can be spoiled by earthly pleasures, and finally, the general strangeness of angels can become enhanced to the point where they might resemble visitors from space. In summarisation, it can be said that the merger of the angel and the trickster archetype has therefore proven to be more sophisticated and appealing to American audiences.

5. List of Figures



Fig 1. Italian renaissance painters depicted angels as beautiful beings in long robes.

carlumare. ANGELICO, Fra Annunciation, 1437-46. San Marco Museum, Florence. Flickr.com. Web. 23 Apr. 2016.

Fig. 2. The Archangel Gabriel (Christopher Walken) brings a dying girl back to life to make her his slave. (The Prophecy 1:13:02)



Fig. 3. Supernatural’s Castiel (Misha Collins) confesses to Dean (right) that he has been doubting his mission. (“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester” 39:16)



Fig. 4. Phoebe (left) finding out about Leo’s (Brian Krause) true identity in Charmed. (“Secrets & Guys” 10:58)



Fig. 5. The angel Gadreel displaying his angelic identity while occupying Sam Winchester’s (Jared Padalecki) body in Supernatural. (“Devil May Care.” 30:40)



Fig. 6. Erika watching over their protege Old Woman Josie, as imagined by a fanartist

DejaDrew. “Josie, Erika, and Erika”. DejaDrew’s deviantART Gallery. deviantART. 17 Aug 2013. Web. 23 Mar 2016.

Fig. 7. Castiel’s (Misha Collins) ambiguous introduction in Supernatural. (“Lazarus Rising” 38:38)



Fig. 8. The leader of the powers, the angel Verchiel (Lisa Lackey) ready to fight Aaron, the main character of Fallen. (“The Beginning” 69:20)




Fig. 9. Freshly resurrected Archangel Michael (Paul Bettany). (Legion 1:28:41)



Fig. 10. The Archangel Gabriel (Tilda Swinton) after John calls him a half-breed. (Constantine 1:50:22)



Fig. 11. Supernatural’s Archangel Gabriel (Richard Speight, Jr. - right) disguised as a janitor. (“Tall Tales” 12:07)



Fig. 12. Supernatural’s Archangel Gabriel after he admits to being the trickster, sneering and enjoying a chocolate bar while having a conversation with Dean. (“Tall Tales” 34:42)



Fig. 13. Supernatural’s Archangel Gabriel clapping his hands in congratulations after Sam and Dean prove that he is an angel by trapping him in a ring of holy fire. (“Changing Channels” 32:00)



Fig. 14. Supernatural’s Angel Metatron (Curtis Armstrong) writing the script of the episode (“Meta Fiction” 01:06).



Fig. 15. The Archangel Michael’s (John Travolta) first appearance in the film. (Michael 00:20:11)



Fig. 16. The angel Seth (Nicolas Cage) and Maggie sharing physical intimacy. (City of Angels 1:10:20)



Fig. 17. Future version of Castiel (Misha Collins) portrayed as a drug addict and bohemian. (“The End” 17:54)



Fig. 18. The angel Metatron (Curtis Armstrong) enjoying Belgian waffles. (“Book of the Damned” 11:13)


Fig. 19. Supernatural’s Archangel Gabriel enjoying a table full of cakes. (“Tall Tales” 28:13)



Fig. 20. The Archangel Gabriel with the goddess Kali sitting on his lap in Supernatural. (“Hammer of the Gods” 22:10)



Fig. 21. The Archangel Gabriel (Christopher Walken) “perching” like an owl. (The Prophecy 39:21)



Fig. 22. Michael’s (John Travolta) wings. (Michael 00:20:28)



Fig. 23. Seth (Nicolas Cage) and Cassiel (Andre Braugher) sitting on top of a highway sign (City of Angels 04:20)



Fig. 24. The angels resembling a colony of penguins. (City of Angels 06:30)



Fig. 25. Supernatural’s archangel Raphael in his male (Demore Barnes) and female (Lanette Ware) vessels.



Fig. 26. Supernatural’s angel Hannah in her female (Erica Carroll) and male (Lee Majdoub) vessels.



Fig. 27. The coat-wearing angel has basically become an angelic trope of its own in recent popular narratives. Pictured (from left to right): the angel Seth – Nicolas Cage (City of Angels), the archangel Gabriel – Christopher Walken (The Prophecy), the archangel Michael – John Travolta (Michael), the angel Castiel – Misha Collins (Supernatural)



Fig. 28. The Angel of Death (Doug Jones) is more similar to alien creature than a heavenly being. (Hellboy II: The Golden Army 1:32:00)



Fig. 29. The wings of the angels in Legion and Dominion are permanently attached to their bodies, unless they have fallen, then their wings have been removed. (Legion 1:17:46)



Fig. 30. The wings of angels in The Messengers are only visible in mirrors (“The Awakening” 24:30)
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