To: internet:[log in to unmask] The cult of saint Michael would seem to have been very popular in the monasteries of the Low Countries and Lorraine during the late Carolingian period and into the 11th century. I've seen liturgical, exegetical and visionary texts that assign to him the following roles, in addition to those already mentioned of psychopomp, protector of the chosen people, weigher of souls, etc.: 1. Slayer of the dragon. This was interpreted by some (following, perhaps, Cassiodorus) as a reference to Michael's role at the Creation; most often it stood in reference to the victory over the devil that occured with the Passion and Resurrection; very commonly, too, it was held to refer to Michael's role of slaying the dragon (and/or the Antichrist in some texts) at the End of the world. Interestingly, some antiphons conflate the silence in heaven of Apoc. 8:1 with the defeat of the dragon in Apoc. 12:7-10 (i.e., "factum est silentium in coelo dum committeret bellum draco cum Michael archangelo, et audita est vox milia milium decentium Salus honor et virtus omnipotenti Deo"). 2. Some liturgical texts seem to build upon Bede's exegesis of the Apoc. so as to insinuate for Michael a role in the Incarnation; even as Gabriel passes on the glad news to Mary, Michael stands before the temple and pours out the censer which is full of Christ's humanity (Apoc. 8:3-4). 3. One monk, Christian of Stavelot, built upon the fact that most of the dates for #1 and #2 fell on March 25th to conclude that the world would also end on a March 25th which falls on Easter Sunday. 4. Michael is not to be an impassioned and "honest" weigher of souls on the Final Judgement, according to some texts. One family of antiphons distinctly asks Michael to save the souls in the Great Judgement, and some visionary texts claim that after the weighing and judging, Michael is to team up with Mary and some other saints to "snatch" some of the souls from the ranks of damned, and return them to the ranks of the saved. Aren't there some tympana that have Michael cheating during the weighing of souls by pushing up on the pans from below? or am I thinking of that old Rockwell painting of the sweet old lady and the kindly butcher cheating each the other over a chicken? 5. Michael, again in cooperation with Mary and the Apostles, has also saved the world from destruction with his prayers on several times that a very angry God had scheduled the Final Judgement (usually for a day in November or September), according to the Carta Dominica as well as several visionary texts. Dave Van Meter . %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%