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Dwarf (Germanic mythology) In Germanic mythology, a dwarf is a being that dwells in mountains and in the earth, and is variously associated with wisdom, smithing, mining, and crafting. Dwarfs are often also described as short and ugly, although some scholars have questioned whether this is a later development stemming from comical portrayals of the beings.[1] The modern English noun dwarf descends from the Old English dwarȝ. It has a variety of cognates in other Germanic languages, including Old Norse dvergr and Old High German twerg. According to Vladimir Orel, the English noun and its cognates ultimately descend from Proto-Germanic *đwerȝaz.[2] Harpy. In Roman mythology, a harpy (Greek: ἅρπυια, harpyia, pronounced [hárpuja]; Latin: harpeia) was one of the winged spirits best known for constantly stealing all food from Phineus.

Harpy

The literal meaning of the word seems to be "that which snatches" as it comes from the Greek word harpazein (ἁρπάζειν), which means "to snatch". A harpy was the mother of the horses of Achilles sired by the West Wind Zephyros.[1] Hesiod[2] calls them two "lovely-haired" creatures, and pottery art depicting the harpies featured beautiful women with wings. Harpies as ugly winged bird-women, e.g. in Aeschylus' The Eumenides (line 50) are a late development. Roman and Byzantine writers detailed their ugliness.[3] Mythology[edit] A medieval depiction of a harpy as a bird-woman In this form they were agents of punishment who abducted people and tortured them on their way to Tartarus.

Aeneas encountered harpies on the Strophades as they repeatedly made off with the feast the Trojans were setting. Fenrir. Odin and Fenris (1909) by Dorothy Hardy.

Fenrir

Huginn and Muninn. Huginn and Muninn sit on Odin's shoulders in an illustration from an 18th-century Icelandic manuscript In Norse mythology, Huginn (from Old Norse "thought"[1]) and Muninn (Old Norse "memory"[2] or "mind"[3]) are a pair of ravens that fly all over the world, Midgard, and bring information to the god Odin.

Huginn and Muninn

Huginn and Muninn are attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources: the Prose Edda and Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson; in the Third Grammatical Treatise, compiled in the 13th century by Óláfr Þórðarson; and in the poetry of skalds. The names of the ravens are sometimes modernly anglicized as Hugin and Munin. In the Poetic Edda, a disguised Odin expresses that he fears that they may not return from their daily flights.

The Prose Edda explains that Odin is referred to as "raven-god" due to his association with Huginn and Muninn. Azrael. Background[edit] Depending on the outlook and precepts of various religions in which he is a figure, Azrael may be portrayed as residing in the Third Heaven.[3] In one of his forms, 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.

Azrael

He will be the last to die, recording and erasing constantly in a large book the names of men at birth and death, respectively.[4] He will receive the souls in the graves In Judaism[edit] In Jewish mysticism, he is commonly referred to as "Azriel," not "Azrael. " The Zohar (a holy book of the Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah), presents a positive depiction of Azriel.

In Christianity[edit] There is no reference to Azrael in the Catholic Bible, and he is not considered a canonical character within Christianity. A story from Folk-lore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian and Jewish by J. Uriel. Uriel (אוּרִיאֵל "El/God is my light", Auriel/Oriel (God is my light) Standard Hebrew Uriʾel, Tiberian Hebrew ʾÛrîʾēl) is one of the archangels of post-Exilic Rabbinic tradition, and also of certain Christian traditions.

Uriel

In Judaism and Christianity[edit] Sariel. Sariel (Aramaic: זהריאל, Greek: ‘Ατριήλ, 'Command of God') is one of the archangels mainly from Judaic tradition.

Sariel

Other possible versions of his name are Suriel, Suriyel (in some Dead Sea Scrolls translations), Esdreel, Sahariel, Juriel, Seriel, Sauriel, Surya, Saraqael, Sarakiel, Jariel, Suruel, Surufel and Sourial. Like Metatron, Suriel is a prince of presence and like Raphael, an angel of healing. He is also a benevolent angel of death (one of a few). Suriel was sent to retrieve the soul of Moses. It is said that Moses received all his knowledge from Suriel, (although Zazagel is credited also with giving Moses his knowledge). Raphael (archangel) Archangel. An archangel /ˌɑrkˈeɪndʒəl/ is an angel of high rank.

Archangel

Lucifer. Lucifer (/ˈluːsɪfər/ or /ˈljuːsɪfər/) is the King James Version rendering of the Hebrew word הֵילֵל in Isaiah 14:12.[1] This word, transliterated hêlêl[1] or heylel,[2] occurs only once in the Hebrew Bible[1] and according to the KJV-influenced Strong's Concordance means "shining one, morning star, Lucifer".[2] The word Lucifer is taken from the Latin Vulgate,[3] which translates הֵילֵל as lucifer,[Isa 14:12][4][5] meaning "the morning star, the planet Venus", or, as an adjective, "light-bringing".[6] The Septuagint renders הֵילֵל in Greek as ἑωσφόρος[7][8][9][10][11] (heōsphoros),[12][13][14] a name, literally "bringer of dawn", for the morning star.[15] In this passage Isaiah applies to a king of Babylon the image of the morning star fallen from the sky, an image he is generally believed to have borrowed from a legend in Canaanite mythology.[16] Etymology, Lucifer or morning star[edit] "How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn!

Lucifer

J. Isaiah 14:12[edit] Gabriel. In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel (Hebrew: גַּבְרִיאֵל, Modern Gavri'el Tiberian Gaḇrîʼēl, God is my strength; Arabic: جبريل, Jibrīl or جبرائيل Jibrāʾīl) is an angel who typically serves as a messenger sent from God to certain people.

Gabriel

In Islam, Gabriel (Jibra'il) is considered one of the four archangels whom God sent with his divine message to various prophets, including Muhammad.[6] The 96th chapter of the Quran, sura Al-Alaq, is believed by Muslims to be the first surah revealed by Gabriel to Muhammad. Judaism[edit] Gabriel is interpreted by the Rabbanim to be the "man in linen" in the Book of Daniel and the Book of Ezekiel. In the Book of Daniel, he is responsible for interpreting Daniel's visions. Gabriel's main function in Daniel is that of revealer, a role he continues in later literature.[7] In the Book of Ezekiel, Gabriel is understood to be the angel that was sent to destroy Jerusalem. Michael (archangel) Michael ("who is like God?

Michael (archangel)

", Hebrew: מִיכָאֵל‎ (pronounced [mixåˈʔel]), Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Greek: Μιχαήλ, Mikhaḗl; Latin: Michael (in the Vulgate Michahel); Arabic: ميخائيل‎, Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as "Saint Michael the Archangel" and also as "Saint Michael". Orthodox Christians refer to him as the "Taxiarch Archangel Michael" or simply "Archangel Michael". Nephilim.