#aziraphale's ring | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cobragardens · 7 months

Text

The Golden Lion

For all that Aziraphale is the more frightened of the two of them, Crowley is the snake: he camouflages himself carefully, and his first instinct is always to flee.

Aziraphale's is to stay. He insists on facing the Apocalypse. He insists on facing the Second Coming. He insists on trying to make a difference. He doesn't want to go up to Heaven, but he does it anyway, alone, because he wants to stop the destruction of Earth (again) and keep Crowley safe.

He's very difficult to shame, too. He never gives up his innocent pleasure in eating, even though Heaven, Hell, and probably people on Earth all mock him for it. He's soft and he remains soft, even after Gabriel shames him for both his physical and metaphorical softness. That takes a lot of strength and an unshakeable character.

You know the gold ring Aziraphale wears as a badge of office, that functions as the counterpart to Crowley's snake tattoo? The charge on that ring is a lion.

The heraldic attitude of the lion is rampant (i.e., reared up): it stands on its hind legs with its forelegs raised, as though attacking, and its head is forward-facing: it looks forward, toward the future.

Obviously in popular symbolism, lions represent bravery, and that definitely fits Aziraphale. He's literally leaving the only person who has ever loved him to go make the universe a better place for that person and for everyone, and he's going alone amongst the people who have despised and shamed him his whole existence and tried to kill him at least once; those people are mfing Heaven and have been entrenched in their power for thousands or millions of years. It doesn't get a whole lot braver than that.

In Christian symbolism specifically, the lion represents Christ. (He's referred to in the book of Revelation as the "lion of Judah" because the heraldic symbol for the tribe of Judah was a lion and Jesus was said to be from the tribe of Judah because his [step]father Joseph was from Judah.)

Normally when a story draws a parallel between a character and Christ, the parallel is one of self-sacrifice. That's not what's happening here. When symbolism for Christ represents his self-sacrifice, Jesus is invariably associated with a lamb--the sacrificial lamb--not a lion. When that symbolism represents Christ's mercy or holiness or divine nature/ordination, the dove of the Holy Spirit is used.

But the lion is a symbol inherited from the Old Testament. It represents royalty, power, threat, and seizure from others by force. Jesus is symbolically depicted as the lion upon his return to Earth during the book of Revelation. The lamb is Jesus' self-sacrifice and death for the sins of humanity, but the lion is Jesus' return, powerful, royal, and triumphant.

Does Aziraphale's ring foreshadow his involvement in the Second Coming of Christ? Probably! Is it a symbol that Heaven is the proverbial (and biblical) "lions' den" where they should be doves and lambs? Maybe.

I think it more likely that Aziraphale himself will be the lion, on a righteous rampage like Jesus chasing the moneylenders from the steps of the temple, telling them "It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." Because the ring is a signet ring, meant to impress a seal that legally represented the wearer as an individual. So the lion is linked to Aziraphale himself.

Aziraphale is soft. It is one of his very best qualities. And soft and weak are not the same thing: because he is soft, he tried to kill the Antichrist, a child. Because he is soft, he stood alone before a demon in defiance of the will of Heaven and demanded with no power whatsoever to back him up that the demon spare children whose murder God had authorized. He, an angel of God, worked with a demon to deceive the Heavenly Host and, as he points out himself, thwart the will of God. Even before that, because he was soft, Aziraphale gave humans the gift of fire and self-protection and then lied to God Herself about it. I mean it literally does not get any more courageous than that.

And I can't stop thinking about what that lion, and that softness, and the link between the two is going to mean for S3.

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens aziraphale's ring #aziraphale's ring #aziraphale #good omens analysis

427 notes · View notes

opscuritas · 5 months

Text

A pinterest pic inspired me to draw the ineffable wives being ethereal and pretty ✨️ I'm OBSESSED with them 😍

You can support me on Ko-fi here ❤️

#myart #good omens #zoom in to see the jewelry I love the rings #aziracrow #go2 fanart #david tennant #michael sheen #ineffable husbands #ineffable wives #fem aziraphale #fem crowley #good omens fanart

4K notes · View notes

buumbaby · 9 months

Text

" one fabulous kiss and we're good "

4K notes · View notes

gleafer · 1 month

Text

You like monsters?

You like ROMANCE?

You like OC characters mixed with Established Fandoms because Hey! If peanut butter and chocolate can do it, why not we??

We-heh-ell, I’ve got a comic for you! A King and His Castle on my Patreon can scratch that itch.

Enjoy this page to wet ze appetite!

*puffs imaginary cigarette*

Good stuff.

Ze link:

https://www.patreon.com/Gleafer?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

918 notes · View notes

pockyandsoda · 7 months

Text

yo we as a society need a term for the specific aesthetic that characters like aziraphale and stede and bilbo etc have, y'know the whole cosy-almost-cottagecore-kinda-light-academia-but-also-regency-and-dandy-esque-maybe-even-some-fantasy-light-and-warm-and-neautral-color-tones-and-simple-comforts-etc thing, because whatever it is has an unimaginable hold on me

#good omens #our flag means death #the hobbit #lord of the rings #ofmd #lotr #aziraphale #stede bonnet #bilbo baggins

2K notes · View notes

ekippp · 4 months

Text

wive

#aziraphale #crowley #good omens #aziracrow #i forgot her ring noooo

911 notes · View notes

indigovigilance · 7 months

Text

Angel Pinky Rings

I'm going to get strangely obsessed with finger jewelry for a moment.

Please do not ask Neil Gaiman to confirm or deny.

Before the Beginning, Aziraphale doesn't have a ring:

...then after the Beginning, he does:

...which he wears continuously for the rest of the story:

Archangel Michael

doesn't have a ring in Book of Job:

and then they do:

Uriel does:

...even Saraqael does:

...and Sandolphon:

...but not the Supreme Archangel

not in Book of Job:

and neither before Armageddidn't:

nor after:

...and not the 37th Order Scrivener:

Originally I thought the rings might denote rank, but Gabriel not having a ring throws a wrench in that.

Left vs. Right

Every angel that wears a ring wears it on their left hand (everyone except Saraqael wears it on their pinky, who wears it on their ring finger) except for Aziraphale, who consistently wears his pinky ring on his right hand. Furthermore, the style of each ring appears to be unique; we don't usually get a very good look at them (or at least I don't, I have kind of crappy hardware) but the differing styles seem to be meaningful to the individual. Putting it on the left may indicate that it has a negative connotation; the fact that Aziraphale's ring is on the right sets him apart.

Protecting the Ring

Additionally, all the angels that have rings, when they fold their hands, tend to cover up their ring-bearing hand, almost protectively:

Semi-Rational Theory

The rings are vessels of memory: they are only worn by angels who have transgressed against God's will, and are worn forever after as a symbol of the covenant made between the Creator and the Servant. They dump the memories of their transgressions into the ring so that their minds are made clean, but carry the mark of their prior sin with them for the rest of time. Much like a rainbow, it serves as a promise that the transgressor will never transgress again. The angels protect it because, consciously or not, they know that this ring contains a part of themselves, and it is both precious and shameful.

Absolutely Irrational Theory

Aziraphale wears his ring on his right hand because it doesn't fit on his left. That's because it's not actually his ring; it is Angel!Crowley's, and he is keeping it safe for them. Crowley and/or Aziraphale might not even know anymore that that is what it is, but by some pact between them made before the Fall, it is in Aziraphale's stewardship to keep safe until such time as Crowley can safely have his memories restored.

Again: Please do not ask Neil Gaiman to confirm or deny.

EDIT: MAGGIE HAS A PINKIE RING

This bish is sus AF

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you would like to reblog, please reblog from this repost with additional content and references.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To read more of my original content on erasure theory:

Jimbriel, Satan, the Book of Life, and what it means for Crowley

The Erasure of Human!Metatron

Baraqiel and Azazel

or, my first and my most popular post to date:

A Nightingale Sang in 1941

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #archangel gabriel #archangel michael #archangel uriel #saraqael #sandolphon #erasure theory #ivoc #aziraphale #aziraphale x crowley #ineffable husbands #angel!crowley #angel rings #ring theory

731 notes · View notes

sentientsky · 2 months

Text

will i ever be normal about michael and david’s acting choices here?? (no. not ever. holy fucking shit i am unwell)

#i watch this scene and I feel nauseous. there’s a ringing in my ears. im dry heaving in the corner #they’re just such incredible actors. oh my god #good omens #crowley #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #good omens 2 #aziraphale #go2 #good omens season 2 #ineffable lovers #ineffable wives #final fifteen #michael sheen #david tenannt

351 notes · View notes

just-being-aroace · 12 days

Text

What happens with aroace coded characters in fandoms that really annoys me:

Frodo Baggins: never involved in a relationship, loves his friends — fandom: he’s so in love with Sam, he even lets him and his family live with him

Bilbo Baggins: never married, dedicates his life to writing, adopts Frodo and loves him like a son — fandom: I ship him with Thorin so much

Sherlock Holmes: dedicated his life to his work, very loyal to his friends, never married or had a real relationship — fandom: he’s in love with Irene! He’s in love with John!

Aziraphale & Crowley: canonically ace according to the book, poster characters for a qpr — fandom: why don’t they just f**k? Why don’t they just k**s? This is queerbaiting!

There are probably more examples because it’s definitely a pattern.

368 notes · View notes

thebasementgirl · 8 months

Text

When I told my mom that I'm asexual she gave me a long speech about why I shouldn't say that about myself and I wasn't that and I should get these thoughts out of my head. That rant ended with me crying ugly. That's why I decided not to talk about it with her anymore.

I've been wearing a black ace ring on my right hand for two years now and a few weeks ago I bought a white aro ring for my left hand.

Today my mom told me that she thinks my white ring is ugly and asked me why I bought it. As I didn't want to say the real reason, I said it was because of Ineffable Husbands. The black one is Crowley and the white one is Aziraphale.

And I myself loved what I said. Now that's what I'm going to call my aroace rings

Ps: guys I'm seeing a lot of you are worried and I'm thankful for your care. But just for the record, my mom is a great mom and she loves me very much. It's just bc this is something confused for her and she was never really good with words. But we're fine and hopefully we're getting better. Pls do not talk anything bad about her bc I love my mom and it would hurt me too. Thanks for all your love. ~ Louie

#asexual #asexuality #ace #ace girl #aromantic #aro #aro girl #ace ring #aro ring #good omens #aziraphale #crowley #ineffable husbands #aroace

617 notes · View notes

cobragardens · 5 months

Text

Aziraphale's Ring Is a Queer Symbol

In a previous post I hold forth about the symbolism of the lion rampant on the escutcheon of Aziraphale's signet ring. The upshot is that the golden lion is used by Heaven as a symbol of its threat and its merciless, murderous corporate culture, and I argue that in S3 Aziraphale must subvert this stamp of Heavenly ownership and symbolically redefine the golden lion by summoning the courage to be soft.

Now I've learned some new stuff about how signet rings are worn. Come, sistren, and get nerdy with me.

Aziraphale's ring is one of several we see angels wearing in Good Omens. Here in an indispensably useful post, @indigovigilance lists the known rings of Show Omens angels and those rings' qualities and placement. Note how of the angels who have rings, everyone except Saraqael and Aziraphale wear their rings on their LEFT pinky fingers. There's a reason for this.

Since the medieval period in Britain and Germany, and from there in the U.S., signet rings have been bestowed by professional associations as a sign of membership, particularly at the upper end of society: trade guilds, colleges, hospitals, the Church(es), noble families, and societies like the Freemasons all issue(d) signet rings to some of their members. The traditional placement for signet rings of show professional affiliation is the left pinky finger.

In fact, as it was not socially acceptable in or past the Victorian era for men to wear rings on more than one finger, men who wore signet rings and wedding rings both would have their wedding rings sized to fit the pinky finger below the signet. If a ring had to be moved to preserve masculinity, it wasn't the pinky ring that was going anywhere. Family signets can be worn on any of a number of fingers, but since the Victorian period the men of the British Royal Family (who are from Germany) have been especial sticklers about wearing their signets on their left pinky fingers as well.

So. If you're British and you have a signet ring that's meant to indicate professional affiliation, you wear it on your left pinky.

But Aziraphale wears his signet ring on his RIGHT hand.

Before I offer my opinion on what that means, here's some more fun background on the history and significance of pinky rings in Anglo-American culture:

The Victorian period was when pinky rings started to become associated with queerness.

As fellow members of the Hundred Guineas Club, Oscar Wilde and Aziraphale would likely have been acquaintances.

According to Wikipedia (ibid.):

"During the Victorian era, both single men and women uninterested in pursuing marriage could wear a ring on the little finger of their left hand."

This quickly expanded to a pinky ring on either hand. Here's Wikipedia's picture of farmer and philanthropist Caroline Rose Foster in 1917, the Edwardian era, wearing a pinky ring on her right hand:

Do you smell a euphemism in "uninterested in pursuing marriage"? I do!

By midcentury--so only 30 years after Ms Foster up there--American and British queers, both men and women, were using signet pinky rings specifically to signal queerness to each other.

"For gay men in the 1950’s and 60’s, a way of signaling to others was through the wearing of a signet ring on the pinkie finger."

"During the 1950’s and 60’s signet rings were worn to signify membership of the gay community; both lesbians and homosexual men wore such rings."

The pinky rings @indigovigilance points out Maggie wears may mean she's an angel; they also match her midcentury lesbian style. Devious of the costumers to give her pinky rings on both hands rather than commit to one or the other.

Screenshot by @indigovigilance

To review, there are three reasons a person in Anglo-American culture might wear a pinky ring:

They just feel like it--This can be any kind of ring and can be worn on either hand or both

Professional affiliation--This is a signet ring worn on the left pinky finger

To signal queerness--This is a signet ring and can be worn on either pinky finger

Aziraphale has worn a signet ring on his RIGHT pinky finger at least since he repaired the Eastern "Gate" in the Wall of Eden, so I'm not suggesting that he adopted the 20th-century pinky signet trend to signal his queerness (although as a clockably 'gay' 'man,' Soho fixture, and member of the Hundred Guineas Club, he may well have started it). What I am suggesting is that Aziraphale has been given a ring by Heaven that Heaven intends him to use to show his professional affiliation, but as with the flaming sword he gives away, Aziraphale doesn't use the ring for its intended purpose. By wearing the ring on his right hand, Aziraphale removes the option of interpreting it as a symbol of his professional affiliation with Heaven and renders it strictly a personal ornament. He subverts a symbol of Heavenly menace into an object of beauty and queerness.

I mean queerness in both senses. If a human takes any symbolic notice of his ring, they'll note the signet is on his right hand and conclude Aziraphale is gay. If another angel takes any notice of it, they'll conclude Aziraphale is a bit odd--that he doesn't pay attention to the finer points of how to fit in with the archangels, doesn't do things like other angels do.

In conclusion, pinky signet rings as a queer signal are just the fucking coolest and I vote we bring them back immediately.

#good omens #good omens s2 #good omens 2 #aziraphale #aziraphale's ring #good omens lgbtq #pinky rings lgbtq #pinky rings as queer flagging #good omens angel rings #saraqael #michael #uriel #sandalphon

377 notes · View notes

mlmshipbracket · 22 days

Text

ROUND 6: POLL #2 - Semifinals