Michael
There
are many archangels in Christian hierarchy but none are as famous as Michael
and Gabriel. Their church on Skiathos is
called Ayi Taxiarchi, the Holy first Commanders,
and is located not far from the Evagelistria
monastery but their icons can be found in nearly every church as they
are part of the iconostasis. There are normally three doors in this screen
of icons: the middle is called the Beautiful Gate and the other two the Gates
of the Angels; the left gate belongs to Michael and the right to Gabriel.
Micha'el means "God like" and he is a popular angel in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In Greece there are many named after him (Michalis). He is often depicted in Roman armor and often carries a sword in icons. This comes from the belief that he is the holy protector of Israel and God's armies and he is believed to have defeated Satan several times. It was Michael who banished the Devil as well as Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden after they had eaten the Forbidden Fruit and in the Apocalypse he defeats the Antichrist.
Michael
is also a psychopomp, like his pagan predecessor Hermes, which means
that he leads the souls of the dead to heaven. This, in turn, has made him
the protector of pilots, airport workers and the Greek Airforce. He also protects
paramedics (who also travels with souls at great speed) and grocers. In icons
emphasizing this aspect of the archangel Michael often holds the Scales of
Justice in one hand which is perhaps where the grocers come into the picture.
On Skiathos people believed up until not so long ago that Michael would come to earth on the first day of each year and write down the names of those he was going to collect during the next twelve months, and people would hide behind closed doors on this day in the hope of not being seen.
Michael is celebrated with Gabriel on November 8.