Christian beliefs
Christianity organized the supernatural world around God, angels, saints, the Devil, salvation and damnation. In practice, official religion intertwined with older protective customs and folk interpretations of signs.
God
In Christianity, God is the one, eternal and almighty Creator of heaven, earth and the entire universe. He is the source of life, goodness and love, ruling over both the visible and invisible world. Christians believe that God is revealed as the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - while remaining one God in three Persons.
Seraphim
Beings closest to God, symbolizing burning love, purity and ceaseless worship of the Creator. According to the vision of the prophet Isaiah, each Seraph has six wings: with two it covers its face, with two its feet, and with two it hovers before the throne of God. Their name means “the burning ones”.
Cherubim
Beings associated with divine wisdom, knowledge and the guardianship of sacred places. In the vision of the prophet Ezekiel, they have four wings and four faces: those of a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle. Their extraordinary appearance symbolizes the fullness of creation, vigilance and knowledge of God's mysteries. They should not be confused with the childlike “cherubs” familiar from later art.
Thrones
Angelic beings symbolizing divine justice, majesty and unshakable order. They were regarded as spiritual bearers of God's throne and executors of His judgments. In art they are sometimes depicted as dignified figures, but also as luminous or fiery wheels covered with eyes, inspired by the vision of the prophet Ezekiel.
Dominions
Beings that direct the tasks of angels belonging to the lower choirs. They are believed to watch over order, peace and the proper fulfillment of God's will. The Bible does not describe their appearance in detail. In art they were usually depicted as dignified, crowned figures holding a sceptre, an orb, or with a single pair of wings.
Virtues
Angels associated with spiritual strength, miracles and the preservation of harmony in creation. According to tradition, they transmit God's power to the world and support the workings of grace. They have no single fixed appearance. Artists depicted them as luminous winged figures surrounded by radiance, stars or symbols of the elements.
Powers
Guardians of spiritual order who oppose evil, chaos and the activity of demons. They are believed to protect creation from the influence of unclean forces and support the lower choirs in spiritual warfare. In art they resemble heavenly warriors equipped with armour, swords, shields and a single pair of wings.
Principalities
Beings watching over communities, nations, states and earthly authorities. According to tradition, they support those responsible for others, give courage to the persecuted and direct the activity of angels and archangels. They were depicted with crowns, sceptres, banners or a globe symbolizing guardianship over the world.
Archangels
Powerful messengers who carry out particularly important tasks and deliver momentous messages from God to humanity. They protect against danger, support the struggle against evil and bring spiritual help. In art they are depicted as dignified winged men. Michael usually bears a sword and armour, Gabriel a lily or scroll, and Raphael a traveler's staff.
Angels
Spiritual beings closest to humans, serving as God's messengers, guardians and guides. They are believed to convey God's commands, protect people and help them choose what is good. In the Bible they often appear as people dressed in bright, shining garments. Their characteristic white wings are mainly a later symbol of their heavenly nature.
Saints in Heaven
According to Christian belief, saints are people who, after the end of their earthly lives, have attained the fullness of salvation and dwell in the presence of God. The Church recognizes them as models of life and intercessors who pray for the living. Alongside officially canonized saints, Christianity also speaks of an innumerable multitude of the saved whose names are unknown to us, but who likewise form the community of the Church in heaven.
The Devil
The Devil, also called Satan, is in Christianity the embodiment of evil and the most powerful of the fallen angels. According to tradition, he rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven together with other rebellious spirits. His purpose is to lead people away from good, tempt them to sin and spread chaos and suffering.
Demons
In Christian tradition, demons are spirits that turned away from God and became enemies of the order of good. They were associated with temptation, sin, illness, possession and forces leading people toward destruction. In art they were depicted as deformed, horned, winged or partly animal-like beings.
Souls in Hell
According to Christian belief, these are the souls of people who ultimately rejected God and after death entered a state of eternal damnation. Their suffering was portrayed as separation from God's light, despair, loneliness and the impossibility of regaining lost hope.
Penitent souls
The dead who found no peace because of guilt, sudden death or unfulfilled duties. They might return home or ask the living for prayer. Tales of apparitions combined older fears of the dead with Christian teaching about purgatory.