Why are angels always portrayed as females?

Question

Esp in Christiniaty.

I doubt angels look like humans at all and have any gender.

^^ you guys rock! love your answers

Answer 1

No they're not. ALL the named angels are male.

Answer 2

They're not. There's plenty of good art work with definitely masculine angels. Gabriel and Michael are often depicted. But angels are probably more often depicted as female, especially in the last hundred years or so, because they are seen more as compassionate, gentle, not frightening. Their original emphasis was as messengers of the gods (or God), and were more often male. What's interesting is that guardian angels are usually depicted as female, even though guarding is traditionally a male job. I guess that's because females are the guardians of little children.

Actually, we are supposed to see angels as being above gender altogether, but few artists can do a good job of ambiguity with regard to gender, except with the very young.

Answer 3

Because women are nurturing and caring and, if I do say so myself, we're quite pretty. It's more comforting and calming to see flowing hair on a woman angel because it is almost motherly and angels are there to care for you, like your mother did. Of course, not everyone had an angel for a mom, I know I sure didn't, but it's the idea of the comfort and care of a mother that inspires artists to portray angels as women.

But in the bible, most angels are male...if not all of them. Gabriel, Michael, etc.

Answer 4

This is not true, some are portrayed as men, the Archangel Micheal for example. The truth is that angels are neither male nor female but a combination of both elements. People are this way too, however one side is outward and obvious and the other side is inner and more hidden.

Answer 5

I have no idea but I think that is a great question. Especially since most of the famous angels are male. I wonder if it is the embodiment of an angel "taking care" of people and that embodiment is usually carried out by a female or mothering element.

Answer 6

The Bible only describes Angels as being men. The actual passage that has been used by artists in the past to come up with female angels is this one where an angel who is called a "he" is giving a vision to the prophet.

Zechariah 5:5 Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, "Lift your eyes and see what this is that is going out." 6 And I said, "What is it?" He said, "This is the basket that is going out." And he said, "This is their iniquity in all the land." 7 And behold, the leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket! 8 And he said, "This is Wickedness." And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening. 9 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, two women coming forward! The wind was in their wings. They had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. 10 Then I said to the angel who talked with me, "Where are they taking the basket?" 11 He said to me, "To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it. And when this is prepared, they will set the basket down there on its base."

Answer 7

I've always wanted to know that, too. And they usually have mammory glands--there for nursing a baby.

Jesus sets the record straight: In heaven we will have a gonadectomy--no procreating, no marriage, because WE WILL BE LIKE THE ANGELS.

It is humorous sometimes when people say they are Christians and then misquote the Bible; take for example, one major denomination that says we will marry in heaven, and procreate and populate our own planets--"ye shall be as the God's they say."

But God is only the one who creates, and He has given us the right to procreate, something He did not do the angels, even lucifer.

This God is Jesus, if you didn't know it--He created the heavens and earth for us. There is a last-day Bible code that proves He is the Messiah. Select: http://abiblecode.tripod.com

Spoken by my donkey,

Blessings, Balaam

Answer 8

Many angels are male, with male names and male portrayals.

Gabriel and Michael are male angels.

Indeed, the Nephalim or "fallen angels' were male angels who came to earth and fathered children with women of the Earth.

Answer 9

Michael, Gabriel are seen as males. I see many painting with angels as babies with wings. I think it's 50/50. Actually, angels have no gender. They aren't human, they are 100% spiritual thus have no physical bodies. They have no need to be a male or female. We as humans draw or paint them as such just to give them dimension. Just as when we talk about them. We don't usually say "it", we say"him" or "she".

Answer 10

They're androgenous, so the males don't look too male.

A lot of angels began being portrayed in the Victorian era, when they romanticized them, so pretty female angels came about because pretty male angels weren't that romantic. ;-)

Answer 11

To attract people's attention i guess. But not always females, some males too.

In reality, angels don't have sexes. Unless they are chosen to become like human.