The Ancient Origins Behind the Shoulder Angels Trope

Tablets and Temples explained the ancient origins behind the shoulder angels trope, which depicts an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, that appear whenever a character has to make a decision between two options. The narrator explains that the idea of divided souls was first put forth in Ancient Greece.

The concept of competing influences on the mind can be traced all the way back to ancient Greece, and the belief that people have divided souls. In Plato's Phaedrus, he provides a vivid metaphor of the human soul as a charioteer driven by two winged horses, one of noble breed,represented by a white horse and one of common breed, represented by a dark horse.

The angel versus devil idea didn't come along until 150 C.E., but it took hold and evolved from there.

It would seem that the philosophy of the dividedsoul became intertwined with beliefs about personal angels. The earliest reference to personal angels appears in the early Christian text, the Shepherd of her mass, from around 150 C.E.. passage reads there are two angels with a man one of righteousness, and the other of iniquity. It goes on to describe how when a person feels anger or temptation,the angel of iniquity has taken hold. When they feel virtuous, the angel of righteousness is at work.

This concept was easily incorporated into films and television due its visual ease to portray an individual's point of decision.

The shoulder angeland devil was an easy way to visually display an inner struggle. Using folkmetaphors of angels and devils that people were familiar with. The trope would continue to be popularized in countless shows and movies. So the next time you see that familiar trope of a tiny angel and devil standing on someone's shoulders, you'llknow that it has a long history