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indigovigilance · 7 months

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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

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

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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

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husbando-of-yae-miko · 2 years

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Finally, he’s here 🥹…

#dragalia lost #dragalia lost Phares #dragalia phares #also I got Sandolphon too #I didn’t get Gala Neddy but I got Gala Ranzal and I’m fine with that

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hopelesslysleepy · 2 months

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Crowley, if he ever finds out from Aziraphale that Sandolphon punched him in the gut:

#good omens #crowley #aziraphale #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #ineffable idiots #aziraphale x crowley

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writingdinosaur · 8 months

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Let’s Talk Names Pt.1

I had the sudden urge to research the angels and demons that appear in Good Omens. This has nothing to do with the fact that I’m meant to be focusing on Grad School. Leave me alone. This will be long, but some of the stuff I found was pretty cool. Quick disclaimer: I am neither a good scholar nor a good researcher. I found most of this on Wikipedia.

Angels first because, honestly, they were a lot easier. Most of them will have names ending in “el” because etymologicaly, “el” means God. Most of their names have something to do with her.

Michael, for example, means “who is like God?” This is meant to be a rhetorical question as the implied answer is no one. HOWEVER, in Latin it can also be the opposite. Meaning “one who IS like God.” Kind of explains a bit about Michael’s personality, tbh.

Uriel means “God is my flame,” and is described as a smart and scholarly angel.

Sandolphon from s1 was pretty funny as his name can be literally translated into “co-worker.” I thought this was a funny nod to his role in s1, which mostly consisted of following Gabriel around and generally being a freak. BUT! Then I read further. His name is thought to deal with the Book of Revelation. The book in the Bible that deals with… The Second Coming! According to Wikipedia, his name probably refers to his relationship with the Metatron. Not Gabriel. Makes you wonder if he’ll make an appearance in season three…

Speaking of Gabriel, I decided to do this both for his given name and for Jim in case there was anything to that. Surprisingly, there was. Gabriel means “God is my Man,” or perhaps “Man of God.” Straightforward enough. Jim is where it gets a bit more interesting. Jim (short for James, short for Gabriel) can mean a few things, the first perhaps being a bit more well known. James means supplanter. Supplanter meaning to overthrow. Fitting for the Prince of Heaven willing to throw it all away for his love for the Prince of Hell. James can also mean protector (an Angel giving himself up to demons clad in a sparkly white robe comes to mind). The last meaning is “may God protect.”

Saraquel was hard to find. There seems to be a few different names for this Angel, but they all mean “God is my ruler.”

Aziraphale was a name made up by (I believe) Sir. Terry. From what Neil Gaiman has said, I think they came up with something that sounded angelic enough to be an Angel’s name. Intentional or not, however, there are still a few things that can be discussed. There was nothing on Wiki, but after consulting multiple naming websites, Azira can mean “pioneering spirit,” (aka a leader) or “rising star.” Either one fits with his upcoming arc. Rising star hits a little harder, though…. Perhaps more importantly, however. His name does not end in “el.” It ends in “le.” Close to angelic, but not quite. Very fitting for our grey shaded angel.

Time for the elephant in the room: Let’s talk Metatron (I didn’t forget Muriel. We’re saving the best for last). The etymology of the Metatron’s name is highly debated. One theory is that Metatron comes from a Greek word meaning “co-occupant of the throne.” …What?! The throne here is obviously referring to heaven, but this calls into question WHY HE IS CO-OCCUPYING?! Another theory is that Metatron comes from a Latin word meaning “forerunner.” Forerunner means (wait for it) “one who announces the coming of another.” Um… HELLO?! It’s fine I’m fine. Either of these are obviously VERY fitting and I can’t wait to see what Neil has in store for us.

Last but not least. Muriel. I’m warning you now, there isn’t much here. What is here is a FUCKING ROLLER COASTER! Boring part first, Muriel comes from myrrh. Yes, the myrrh that was gifted by the wise men to Baby Jesus. Now I’m going to tell you EXACTLY what else it says about them.

First of all, Muriel is a Dominion. They tell Crowley that they cannot access Gabriel’s trial because “you have to be a throne, a DOMINION, or above.” Now, is it possible that Neil picked an Angel at random to fill in this position? Yes. But considering he kept the positions of the other Angels, why would Muriel’s be changed? Second, and perhaps the scariest, Muriel, in biblical lore, becomes the ANGEL OF DEATH. I… Neil. Neil if you hurt them…. Also, perhaps Muriel is promoted to Dominion when they BECOME the Angel of Death?

Anyway, it’s 1 am now. I’ll do part 2 tomorrow. I’m new to long posts on mobile, so I hope I did this right.

#good omens #good omens season 2 #ineffable fandom #aziraphale #good omens spoilers #ineffable husbands #good omens s2 #angels #metatron #metatrash #Michael #uriel good omens #gabriel #Jim #muriel #neil gaimen #neil gaiman good omens #this took me hours #i’m so tired

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mostlikelytobeobsessed · 4 months

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My absolute favorite scene in Good Omens doesn’t even involves the ineffables

when I took it upon myself to finally watch good omens after months of reading fanfics and theories and looking at art and piecing together the story in my mind, I instantly fell in love with everything about it. There was one particular little moment that caught my attention on my first watch through tho.

S1; Interior: AZ Fell and Co. Gabriel and Sandolphon have just popped in to see Aziraphale and they excuse their presence to the humans inside as just wanting to purchase….adult reading materials.

Having successfully tricked no one but himself (into thinking that he made his presence less odd), Gabriel gloats “humans are so simple!” and slams a book down on a nearby table. The book is about a Bible and a half thick. The book is about cleaning and housemaking.

I laughed at this scene uncontrollably and it had finally hit me just how much thought is given to this wonderful show. The book about something so simple as cleaning is the book that is quite literally as thick as a Bible. And books were created by whom? Humans. Rules of domestic chores were created by whom? Humans. And there’s a book about such at is *about as thick as a bible*.

In no world are humans simple, in no world are humans not making a big deal about societal virtues (I believe the boom was dubbed a “woman’s guide” or something of a sort), and in no world are angels, other than Aziraphale who has spent a majority of his existence on earth, in touch with just how messy and complicated humanity is. It’s such a small moment that conveys the true nature of angels like Gabriel with literally no words at all. THAT is damn good writing and THAT is my most favorite scene in Good Omens

#mostlikelyrambling #good omens #good omens fandom #writing #aziraphale #GODS I love this show

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creativeafterdark · 9 months

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Some extra sketches that have more to do with my jttw x mythology story, but takes place during chapter 4.

Gabriel and Sun Wukong met during the Monkey King's time as a bimawen and Gabriel was visiting with Sandolphon. The two bonded slightly during their short interactions but things went to shit before they were able to call themselves friends.

#sketch #jttw x mythology #jttw sun wukong #my thoughts: gabriel

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slippedfromgrace · 1 month

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The angel would gaze towards the emblem as it was gestured, finding it rather beautiful and would keep it in mind. The other was here similar and yet different way than the previous, so they understand the immediate thought that he won't be allowed to roam. "Very beautiful." They spoke softly, Sandolphon would wave a hand afterward. "It's completely fine. Do not worry." And they would continue escorting him.

They arrive to a double door room and opened it. Despite the interior being minimalistic, it was roomy and beautiful in a way. A large bed and some furniture aside. "I'll bring you myself to get your flowers, if I can." There was a pause. "We may have an additional escort but don't worry."

"They're... Good children..."

Of course he was speaking about the plants. The sachiel were some of the most gentle flowers he'd ever tended to. They had the softest voices and the most lovely scent once they bloomed. If only he'd redoubled his efforts to make them grow on the surface. Sure his small, hidden garden housed a couple but... It was nothing like the fields he'd had before.

"I'd... Rather no one know I'm here... If that's alright."

Entering the room he'd most likely be confined to, he did his best not to show any form of displeasure. He already missed the ivy on the walls, the scent of earth and the bakery down the street... Just that simple longing was enough to stress him into releasing his gentle, minty scent with a flutter of his wings.

"Thank you again. I promise I'll behave, I don't want to cause any issues for those kind like you."

It seemed like a moot topic due to the oath, but... He still wanted to show his sincerity.

#Heavenly Florist ; IC

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jewlybaby · 1 year

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~ rozonda ocielian a.k.a chilli

(alter of sandolphon ^destiny^)

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if-you-fan-a-fire · 4 years

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Neon Genesis Evangelion. Episode 10. “ マグマダイバ Magmadiver / Magma Diver.” Written by Hideaki Anno and Akio Satsukawa. Directed by Tsuyoshi Kaga and Hiroyuki Ishido. Gainax, 12-06-1995.

#neon genesis evangelion #nge #magma diver #gainax #hideaki anno #akio satsukawa #tsuyoshi kaga #hiroyuki ishido #nerv #angel #sandolphon #eva unit 02

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softer-omens · 5 years

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And the saved.

#good omens #the archangel fucking gabriel #uriel #sandolphon #michael #softer omens

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indigovigilance · 7 months

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Sodom and Gomorrah: A Speculative Meta

on Ao3: Sodom and Gomorrah: A Speculative Meta

Sodom and Gomorrah is the story of a land so steeped in sin that many prayed to God for intercession, and God sent two angels to see for themselves if the rumors were true, and determine based on their testimony whether the cities should be destroyed.

In Season 1, we learn that Sandolphon was there, doing a lot of smiting and turning people into salt. The way that Aziraphale talks about it, we are led to believe that he was there too, bearing unhappy witness to the destruction, his plastered-on smile faltering as his vision fades into the middle distance:

In this meta I am taking an alternate stance to the wonderfully presented interpretation by @queerfables in my speculation of what happened in Sodom and its relevance to the GO story arc overall, if canonized. I hope that readers will consider the merits of both arguments in their own formulations of Aziraphale and Heaven in the GO universe.

TW: discussions of homophobia, sexual assault, death & destruction

Verses are taken from this translation of Genesis, chapters 18 and 19.

Genesis 18

20 Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous

21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”

(Notably, the allegations made against Sodom and Gomorrah are never discussed. It is simply left at “sin so grievous.” Though it seems like there may be more information in Genesis 12)

But God herself did not go down to Sodom, instead sending two angels. I, like queerfables, read this and quickly came to the conclusion that for GO narrative purposes, the two angels that God sent to Sodom were Aziraphale and Sandolphon, where the former is playing tour guide to the latter, who has the real authority in the situation.

Upon arrival, the angels are met by Lot; he invites them to stay with him. At first they refuse, saying they will stay in the square, but he insists.

Genesis 19

4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house.

5 They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we may know [have sex with] them.”

There is a lot of baggage to unpack from these two lines, especially in the 2023 context of politics in the Western hemisphere. Same-sex marriage is nearly ubiquitous, a near turnaround from only twenty years ago, but so is homophobic rhetoric, and the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is cited a lot for those purposes. Intersectional communities of faith have done a lot of work to try to reinterpret these two verses, insisting that what God finds so abhorrent about the actions of the men of Sodom is not that they are homosexual but rather that they are attempting to gang-rape two newly arrived strangers in their city.

For the real world, this is a very important discussion and a solid position to maintain, if one wishes to defend the concept of a benevolent God who made homosexual, bisexual, transgender, and every other flavor of human as lovingly and intentionally as was made every cisgender heterosexual person.

But we’re not talking about real-world God. We’re talking about the God in Good Omens. And She is not a very nice person.

We have only to look at the contract that would allow the murder and then replacement of Job’s children, or the abject poverty under which Elspeth suffers that forces her to commit [apparent] atrocities, and ultimately drive her to attempt suicide. Whatever your feelings may be about the God of our shared meatspace, the God of Good Omens is not a character we are meant to admire, sympathize with, or make excuses for.

Returning to Sodom in the Good Omens universe.

I propose that it is thematically in keeping that the men of Sodom were not attempting to commit gangrape, but rather, they saw Sandolphon and fell in love on the spot. Because yes, Aziraphale is a fine scholarly-looking fellow, but it’s approximately 2000 B.C., the Bronze Age. Sodom and Gomorrah are most likely agrarian societies, and Sandolphon looks like he could throw a bale of hay like a javelin. He’s a whole lot of man, and the men of Sodom are into it. I mean, c'mon, Paul Chahidi in some biblical garb, is, uhh...

...not an eyesore, iykwim. [image source: imdb.com]

So they go to Lot’s house and ask if they can see this man, in hopes that they can ask him on a date. They are smitten by Sandolphon. Sure, the ultimate goal may be to have sex with them, but not right there on Lot’s doorstep, and the gross misquoting can be attributed to Sandolphon’s own libelous report of events, not to the Sodomites themselves. History is written by the victors, after all.

While we’re at it, let’s consider Lot’s response:

Genesis 19

6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him

7 and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing.

8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”

In the true spirit of Good Omens comedy, I can envision Lot walking out among these men, complaining that not one of them has asked permission to court or marry either of his daughters of maritable age, and perhaps rather than simping for his houseguest, perhaps they would consider dating one of them instead. Is it homophobic? Sure, but I’m not here to defend Lot; he doesn’t need it. Because standing next to Sandolphon, he’s an absolute poppet.

(The remaining stanzas regarding the Sodomites breaking into Lot’s house, I am going to selectively set aside and chalk that up to Sandolphon blowing some Sodomite choice statements about Lot being a homophobic asshole way out of proportion.)

Sandolphon, a True Believer, is not about to stand for this insult to his heavenly purity. Angels do not have relations with humans, and to insinuate that he would even consider it is blasphemy. He takes it as a personal insult that the Sodomites would propose such a thing. He finds this to be evidence enough that the Sodomites are truly corrupt and worthy of destruction.

I feel the need to emphasize here that while this contains some distinctly queer themes, Sandolphon is not angry because they are men; he is angry because they are human, a different species from himself (in the same way that angels are different species from demons), and furthermore that anything resembling love the way humans do it is disgusting and vile to him.

Aziraphale, meanwhile, is standing helplessly on the sidelines, desperately trying and failing to de-escalate the situation. But it’s no use, Sandolphon has already made up his mind. There’s nothing left for Aziraphale to do but to try to save as many people as he can, beginning with Lot and his family.

Genesis 19

12 The two [angels] said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here,

13 because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.”

Again, in the fashion that GO takes liberty with biblical narrative, I propose that it is Aziraphale alone who warns Lot that Sandolphon will destroy Sodom come sunrise, and sends him out into the night to gather his family and get them out as quickly as possible. I propose, additionally, that Aziraphale is the one who leads Lot and his daughters by the hand out of Sodom and then protects the village of Zoar from destruction so that they can take shelter there.

Genesis 19:

15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.”

16 When he hesitated, the [angels] grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them.

17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”

18 But Lot said to them, “No, my lords,[or singular, lord] please!

19 Your[singular] servant has found favor in your[singular] eyes, and you[singular] have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die.

20 Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.”

21 He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of.

22 But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.[“small”])

While yes, this is a fictional interpretation of a biblical scripture, let’s take something from the fact that Lot is supposed to be addressing two angels, but the pronouns he uses to do so are all singular in the original Hebrew: that is to say, it seems like he is only talking to one angel. So in the victor-edited retrospective, the story is written to seem like two angels were rescuing him, but from the faithfully quoted words of his own mouth, it was only one. It seems like Sandolphon tried to write himself in as one of the good guys but couldn't bring himself to actually change the words that were coming from Lot's mouth. (Again, this is unnecessary work to do for the biblical narrative to be molded to a GO narrative, but it is an interesting feature of the original text nonetheless.)

At sunrise, the destruction begins:

Genesis 19

23 By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land.

24 Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens.

25 Thus [S]he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land.

26 But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

So goes the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah: The cities are slandered before God, who sends Aziraphale and Sandolphon to investigate; Sandolphon is so incensed by human men flirting with him that he determines that the city shall be destroyed in the morning, and Aziraphale races against the clock to save as many as he can, knowing that he cannot save everyone. He bears witness as the men who resemble himself so much, who committed no greater crime than to seek out a forbidden love, perish in a rain of fire and brimstone. He must feign heavenly delight that a sinful blight was erased from the world, while mourning thousands of lost souls. He wonders if they have been sent to Hell. Even Lot’s wife, whose only crime was to question, to wonder what is behind her and perhaps regret leaving it behind, is turned to salt. He sees the vicious glee of Sandolphon exacting his revenge for the crime of impugning his celestial celibacy. He wonders what Sandolphon would do to him if he ever found out about the stirrings in his heart for a demon who, 500 years prior, had sat beside him on a rock, looking out over sea, comforting him as he nursed his wounded faith. He wonders just how far along with Heaven he can go, and what the consequences will be when he dares to say, “I will go no further.”

~~~

[image source: Wessex Archaeology]

For those who (like me) are interested, the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah seems to have been merged from two historical events, which was common in a period preserved primarily by oral history. The tale seems to resemble a volcanic event that occurred nearby and around that time, but Sodom and Gomorrah were most likely destroyed by an earthquake and a subsequent flood, since they were located in the Jordan Plain, the lowest dry land in the world, a full quarter of a mile below sea level at its lowest, and very near the Dead Sea. Additionally, the area is rich in bitumen, sulfur-rich near-surface petroleum deposits that, when disturbed by a major earthquake, may have sent hot tar flying into the air, which if it landed on anything flammable would give the impression that fire and brimstone were raining down.

✨ the more you know ✨

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Blending together the biblical canon and archaeological speculation, I'm going to make a wild, unsubstantiated proposal that Crowley turns the people of Sodom into fish so that they survive the flood. Because one biblical flood was enough, and he'd heard around the water cooler that She had promised not to do that again (lying liar). This creates a tentative connection with the raining fish we see in the title credits of both seasons, and I'm also going to reference it in an upcoming meta.

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #aziraphale #sandolphon #sodom and gomorrah #ivoc #textpost #long post

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