Alright, I haven't posted here in a while, so I just thought I'd bring up a topic for discussion that has not yet, to my knowledge, been raised. This is, specifically, angels and their place in the Chrono series.
Now, angels occur, as far as I can tell, only three times in the games. The first that comes to mind is the obvious Angelus Errare of great fame in Chrono Cross. 'Where angels lose their way' is an interesting term in and of itself, but it implies that those in the Chrono world have some understanding, at least, of angeology. This might not be angels as in the Christian sense (warriors and messengers of God, terrible and glorious with flaming swords and the like, and such awesome beings as that), but imply heavenly creatures of some sort, at least on a greater plane of existence than humanity. But, overall, this term does not say much about what place they have in the scheme of things, only that some understanding of them is in place, much like in our own world.
The second point I wish to bring up is the final summon for the white elemental, Saints. Now, regardless of the name, these are not Saints proper, in the Christian sense of the word (for who ever of the saints becomes an angel?), but rather angels. It clearly says in the definitions that it calls an army of angels to aid your party. An interesting thing, I suppose, and a yet more clear showing of their existence in the Chrono world is made apparent, for here they are truly seen. Moreover, it is certain that they are more of the sort of the Christian/Jewish understanding, at least in some measure or order, for they are not cute cherubs but rather warriors sent from heaven, and quite apparently bear greater power than even your vaunted heroes do. How they arrive... theologically this is a sticky issue, as angels in the Jewish/Christian tradition could never be ‘summoned’, only sent at the bidding of God, and the times in which they engage in battle in the Bible are few, markedly the armies of heaven that surround a certain city, and if I remember right strike plague into the attackers (Elijah or Elisha is among those inside the city, and the faith and prayer of those is why God saves them with His own armies.) Now, it is quite doubtful that Serge and the rest have such faith as a prophet if, indeed, they have any faith at all. But that is simply a side point that I found interesting and as yet unresolved. I have one more comment on these angels, and that is the interesting apparel: it is plainly classical Greek. Whatever this may imply, I will leave it up to others to analyse for now (as my view of the similarities twixt the Chrono world and ours I have in past times made very apparent, and I needn’t do so now), but I thought it worth mentioning that they do exist.
Now, I have saved the most interesting occurrence (that I can remember) till last, and that is in neither CT or CC, but RD. This one can be counted as shaky, for it occurs in an alternate scenario, but be that as it may, it still proves interesting (perhaps in some form of the Chrono world it holds true.) Anyway, this is specifically the Phantom Break spell, in which Kid calls upon a certain fallen angel named Amcryst (if I recall the spelling.) Now, I am uncertain if this is a true name for any angel (it does not sound either Hebrew or Greek, so I doubt it, but maybe it occurs in the Apocrypha which I do not know), but that aside, one can extrapolate a few things of interest from this. Namely, it is referred to as the “fallen angel”; this at once determines a definition between good and evil, at least in that world. Moreover, it also demands a higher power which defines what is good, ie. absolute morality, else there would be nothing to consider an angel ‘fallen’. Thus in some measure, at least, God must exist in this timeline, and exercise authority over a class of angles. And, at some point, some fell into darkness, very similar to our own world. Basically, it provides an interesting glimpse into the supernatural forces, and specifically those of good and evil, that might rule in the Chrono universe, if this is not an anomaly in this time stream.
So, in essence, these are three points at which angels either are mentioned or occur, providing proof to the existence of the idea with the term ‘Angelus Errare’, and proof of actual existence, and the bearing of greater power than mortals, in the forms of the Saints summon. Finally, an event in either the second or third scenario of Radical Dreamers gives a glimpse into the ordering of higher powers in at least some timeline. The veil of mystery still lies upon the role of angels in the Chrono world, and probably always will, but I hope that this brings up at least interest in discussing it further.
Tell me what you think on this matter. It occurred to me just today, and I thought I’d write this mini-treatise on it. My apologies if this has already been addressed, and yet again my apologies for any lack of coherence that might be evident in the preceding paragraphs. I have attempted to set it out in form of essay with coherent paragraphs tying to a whole, but I have been exceedingly tired of late, and my ability to both think and control words is greatly depreciated.
