CryptoAngels: Raphael
The second in a series of posts about the Archangels of the CryptoAngels project and their inspirations.
Owned by Blondie23LMD, Raphael is one of the great Kings of Heaven, second only to Michael. He is the Archangel who most closely resembles a King Arthur figure, and in his description we see that Heaven resembles Arthur’s kingdom in its prime.
Sir Thomas Mallory’s Le Morte d’Arthur was an inspiration for Raphael’s kingdom. This 15th century book focusses on the chivalry of Arthur and his knights. The Middle English term ‘passing’ (meaning ‘exceedingly’) is used twice in Raphael’s description, echoing Mallory’s frequent use of this word. Raphael’s designation as The Angel with the Hundred Knights is a reference to the King with the Hundred Knights, a figure mentioned in Le Morte d’Arthur and in even earlier Arthurian texts, such as the Vulgate Cycle and the Prose Tristan. Another inspiration for Raphael’s realm – and for the whole CryptoAngels Multiverse – was Roger Zelazny’s Chronicles of Amber. Like our Heaven, Amber is the true world projecting multiple shadow worlds, and Amber’s protector is also an elusive unicorn.
Raphael rules from the Château Valeureux, a beautiful, almost fairy tale, castle. Valeureux is French for valorous – appropriate to Raphael’s character – but the castle’s name also echoes Château de Vallery, the location of Trevor’s second Castle Party in 2023.
