Samael
Lore
The name Samael literally means “Poisoned Angel”: the root sam denotes poison, while the suffix el marks divine origin. The name mirrors his role as the heavenly executioner who carries out absolute justice. Over the ages, he has traveled the road from a servitor angel to a supreme demon and an independent wellspring of evil.
Samael can assume several shapes. In his angelic form he has eight wings, and his body is studded with countless glowing eyes. These eyes cover him from head to toe, symbolizing his status as the ultimate accuser and prosecutor—no sin can hide from Samael’s gaze. A single look from him can burn or drive a mortal insane. The second, anthropomorphic form serves to seduce and manipulate humans: a handsome, elegant youth with long red hair, pale skin, and crimson eyes, dressed in red garments or armor.
The third, demonic form is described as a monstrous serpent with a lion’s head, combining the lion’s fury with the serpent’s cunning. In battle his angelic and demonic aspects may fuse: his wings sprout razor-sharp barbs, and his feathers harden like steel, turning into lethal daggers that drip with infernal fire.
According to ancient legends, Samael was born out of a cosmic catastrophe. The aeon Sophia (Wisdom) desired to create offspring by herself, without the male principle (Spirit). The result was a malformed, blind god with a lion’s face and a serpent’s body. Ignorant of anything above himself, Samael imagined he was the only God. Thus he became the first sinner in the heavens.
