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 divided soul 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 angel and devil was an easy way to visually  display an inner struggle. Using folk metaphors 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’ll know that it has a long history