What IS an angel?

I can't get what an angel is really. From what I have read all I seem to know is that they're an entity of order. What is order? Where did the human body with feathered wings image sprout from?

I think the answer to the second question is Greek mythology.

Angels are beings created by and in the service of the Source (or God, or the Creator, or perhaps 'Bob').
As for where the idea of a winged humanoid came from... I can't rightly say. My vote goes for 'comfort and practicality'. Always seemed that way to me, anywho.

I say if came from the creators mind. For something for the humans to see and know.
just a thought.

Angel - Celestial from a monotheistic pantheon.
Celestial - energetic being created by an entity for purpose X, more developed than an egregore or servitor.
Wings - Relatively recent to the angel image, I think Deros is right about the source.

And, just to screw up everyones take, my personal take --

Celestial - a race of beings not originally from earth, they are from a world or realm separate from earth. Wigned (generally), light based beings overall, however Celestial can technicly mean ANY being born off world.

Angelic - a subsection of Celestials, most generally subserviant to one being, or at the very least, one small crew or group of beings that have at least some ties to christian/catholic/related beings. Much like how we have humans, and then we have people from north america, asia, etc. basicly the same, however there are suttle differences, if viewed from an overall perspective.

Selcar Wrote:Angel - Celestial from a monotheistic pantheon.
Celestial - energetic being created by an entity for purpose X, more developed than an egregore or servitor.
Wings - Relatively recent to the angel image, I think Deros is right about the source.

Sel got the answers.
This is a topic that's been debated to death, these are the most commoly accepted defenitions.

And the wings, this is documentable fact. Angels weren't depicted with wings until "recently", and the inspiration comes from ancient greek art of their local gods and godesses.

And just for a different spin on the same damn thing.....

I know it's cliche, overdone and a probably futile endeavor but I personally use the four elements of water, fire, earth and air to analyze the world. Personally, I don't accept 'Chaos' and 'Order' as elements. Those a descriptions of a status. (Please keep any questions and complaints to PMs) I believe any celestial is a creature made of mostly fire and air elements. The funny coorelation is that physically speaking, they're the elemental equivalent to the sun and stars. And just to make sure it's clear, I see demons as aligned with the elements of fire and earth because, like the magma pools under the planet's lithosphere and the lava that makes it above, they keep things changing. Just figured I'd toss my own .02 in since I don't post much.

Erm.... ok... guess my best elements being fire and air is a pure coincidence... <!-- s:mrgreen: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt=":mrgreen:" title="Mr. Green" /><!-- s:mrgreen: -->

Interesting take on it, I do find Angelics to be very oriented with fire, though I myself have been told and do agree very much that I am exceedingly Earth element oriented.