Angelus

The Angelus (/ˈændʒələs/; Latin for "angel") is a Catholic devotion commemorating the Incarnation. As with many Catholic prayers, the name Angelus is derived from its incipit: Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ ("... the Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary ...") and is practised by reciting as versicle and response three Biblical verses narrating the mystery; alternating with the prayer "Hail Mary". The Angelus exemplifies a species of prayers called the "prayer of the devotee".

The devotion was traditionally recited in Roman Catholic churches, convents, and monasteries three times daily: 6:00 am, noon, and 6:00 pm (many churches still follow the devotion, and some practise it at home). The devotion is also used by some Anglican and Lutheran churches.

The Angelus is usually accompanied by the ringing of the Angelus bell, which is a call to prayer and to spread good-will to everyone. The angel referred to in the prayer is Gabriel, a messenger of God who revealed to Mary that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God. (Luke 1:26–38).

Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Angel is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt for the American fantasy television programs Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series Angel. The character is portrayed by actor David Boreanaz. As introduced in Buffy in 1997, Angel is a love interest for heroine Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a young woman whose destiny as "the Slayer" is to fight the forces of evil, such as vampires and demons. However, their relationship is complicated by the fact that Angel is himself a vampire cursed with remorse and a human soul, which motivates him to assist Buffy in her duties as Slayer. The character's popularity led to the production of the spin-off Angel, which follows the character's struggle towards redemption after moving to Los Angeles. In addition to the two television series, the character appears in the comic book continuations of both series, as well as much other expanded universe literature. Angel appears in the most television episodes of all the characters of both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, appearing in 167 episodes (57 in Buffy and all 110 in Angel).

Angelos

The Angelos family (Greek: Ἄγγελος), feminine form Angelina (Άγγελίνα), plural Angeloi (Ἄγγελοι), was a Greek noble lineage which gave rise to three Byzantine emperors who ruled between 1185 and 1204. From the 13th to the 15th century, a branch of the family ruled Epiros, Thessaly and Thessaloniki under the name of Komnenos Doukas. The family name means angel (messenger of God).

The lineage was founded by Constantine Angelos, a Greek naval officer from Philadelphia (Asia Minor), commander of the Imperial Fleet in Sicily, who married Theodora Komnene (born 1096), a daughter of emperor Alexios I Komnenos. According to Niketas Choniates, a 12th-century historian, Constantine was brave, skilled and handsome, but of lowly origin. He was the son of one Manuel Angelos from Philadelphia and had three brothers: Nicholas Angelos, Michael Angelos and John Angelos, a military leader in Italy. Constantine and Theodora had three sons: the sebastokrator John Doukas, Andronikos Angelos and Alexios "Komnenos" Angelos, who erected a church in Nerezi in 1164, famed for its frescoes. Several members of the Angelos family, like John Doukas and his sons, often preferred to use other surnames rather than the family name.