Standard abbreviation: Hom. Mich. Satan
Other titles: Narratio de IV archangelis, How Michael Vanquished Satanael, Tale of the False Antichrist, Fight of Archangel Michael and Satanael
Clavis numbers: ECCA 918
Category:
Related literature: Questions of Bartholomew, Questions of John, Sea of Tiberias, Teaching of the Lord.
Status: unassigned
Citing this resource (using Chicago Manual of Style):
1. SUMMARY
After God forms heaven and earth, he creates man and places him in paradise. The cunning Satanael refuses to bow before this creature. He assembles a host of 40,000 angels and with the divine-woven garments and the most holy divine-woven wreath of the sceptre of the ranks of archangels, he departs the heavens. Down below, he sets up an image of heaven in the clouds, complete with a throne from which he will rule. God summons his four archangels and tells them what Satanael has done. The angels ask when Satanael will seduce and torture humanity. God answers quizzically, saying “I will take a seventh part of the universe, a seventh aeon of the ages” and then promises he will explain his meaning on a wooden slab. Furthermore, he reveals that Satanael has introduced disease to humans, that he (God) will create another world without tolls, and that the righteous will be with him in the heavenly kingdom.
God commands Gabriel to retrieve Satanael’s angelic garb, but the angel refuses out of fear of Satanael (also called the antichrist). Gabriel describes his fearsome form: “his length is 100 cubits, his breadth is 50 cubits, his neck is 12 cubits; his mouth is as big as the altar [throne], his look is like that of a viper-asp; he has three heads.” God turns to Michael and Michael agrees to do his bidding but warns God that he will have to defeat Satanael through trickery and deceit. God agrees to forgive him for his lies and sends him with a sun powerful enough to burn the earth and desiccate the seas. Michael will be protected from its heat by a cool cloud.
Michael descends and is met by Satanael’s host. Satanael arrives, ready to do battle. Claiming that he has run away from God, Michael asks for asylum and promises to bring other angels with him. Satanael rejoices and places Michael on a second throne beside him. At this point, God unleashes the sun, striking down the rebel angels. Michael says God is punishing him and asks Satanael what they should do. Satanael brings Michael to a great lake to cool off. At Michael’s request, Satanael leaps in first, leaving his garment and wreath with Michael, who traps Satanael below the water by freezing its surface. As Michael rises back up to heaven, the rebel angels are killed.
Satanael breaks the frozen surface using a huge stone. He pursues Michael and reaches him at the third heaven, grasping his foot. Michael calls out for help to God, who tells him to strike Satanael on the head with his sword; this does not kill him but it does strip him of five of his twelve powers and he falls into the abyss. The garments and wreath are placed in God’s hands and all the angels and powers of heaven rejoice.
Named Historical Figures and Characters: Antichrist, Gabriel (angel), Michael (angel), Raphael (angel), Satan, Uriel (angel).
Geographical Locations: Jerusalem, Mount Tabor, paradise.
2. RESOURCES
Monastery of St. Archangel Michael in Lesnovo: a series of fourteenth-century frescoes document the story (see also Minczew, 47-52) (Wikipedia; Mapping Eastern Europe)
Габелић, C. Византиjски и поствизантиjски циклуси арханђела XI–XVIII в. Београд 2004, p. 94, ill. 102 (On the iconography related to the fight between Archangel Michael and Satanael cf subchapter VI)
S. Gabelić, “The Fall of Satan in Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Art,” Zograf 23 (1993–1994): 65–73 at 65, 69–70.
Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, Kraynitsy, Bulgaria. Nineteenth-century mural painting of the Michael defeating Satanael. Fig. 10.1 in Geller
J. Gutmann, “On Biblical Legends in Medieval Art.” Artibus et historiae 19/38 (1998): 137–142 at 137–138 (on Satan not worshipping Adam)
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY
3.1 Manuscripts and Editions
3.1.1 Church Slavic
3.1.1.1 Recension 1
Sofia, Narodna Biblioteka, 693, fols. 28r–40v (1796)
Sofia, Tsŭrkovno-istoricheski i arkhiven institut, 232, fols. 111–126 (1820)
3.1.1.2 Recension 2
Sofia, Tsŭrkovno-istoricheski i arkhiven institut, 1161, fols. 40v–55r (16th cent.)
Fragments from the Archaeographic Collection of the Savina Monastery published by Bogdanović and Miltenova
Rošci, Monastery of Nikoljac, 82 (or Bijelo Polje, Montenegro)
Ivanov, Ĭ. Старобългарски разкази: текстове, новобългарски превод и бележки. Sofia: Pridvorna Pechatnitsa, 1935 (edition based on Sophia 693).
Miltenova, A. “Апокрифът за борбата на архангел Михаил със Сатанаил в две редакции.” Старобългарска литература 9 (1981): 98–113 at 99–105 (editions of Sophia 1161 and Sophia 693)
———. “Неизвестна редакция на апокрифа за борбата на Архангел Михаил със Сатанаил.” Pages 121-28 in Литературознание и фолклористика: В чест на 70-годишнината на Академик Петър Динеков. Edited by L. Grasheva et al. Sofia: Izdatelstvo na Bŭlgarskata Akademiia na naukite, 1983.
Bogdanović, Dmitrije, and A. Miltenova. “Апокрифният сборник от манастира Савина, XIV в., в сравнение с други подобни южнославянски ръкописи.” Археографски прилози 9 (1987): 7–30.
Jovanović, Tomislav. “Траг апокрифа о борби са ђаволом у српској народној књижевности,” Kњижевност и језик 43 3/4 (1995): 33–55 (edition of MS 82).
Geller, Florentina Badalanova. “Slavonic Redactions of the Apocryphal Homily of John Chrysostom on How Archangel Michael Defeated Satanail: Some Considerations.” Pages 96–131 in The Embroidered Bible: Studies in Biblical Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha in Honour of Michael E. Stone. Edited by Lorenzo DiTommaso, Matthias Henze, and William Adler. Leiden: Brill, 2018 (photographs of MS 1161, pp. 106–107; edition and translation, pp. 108–23; edition of MS 232, pp. 124–31).
3.1.2 Greek (BHG 1288n; BHG 123z)
Athens, Ethnikê Bibliothêkê tês Hellados, gr. 1021, fol. 203r (1518) ~ ending only
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 1190, fols. 882r–887r (1542)
Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 1192, fols. 16r–26r (15th cent.)
Afinogenova, Olga. “Греческий вариант апокрифа о борьбе архангела Михаила и Сатанаила.” Scripta & e-Scripta 3–4 (2006): 329–48 (edition of Vat. gr. 1190, pp. 329–31).
3.1.3 Romanian
Bucharest, Biblioteca Academiei Române, 1282, fols. 164r–177 (17/18th cent.)
Cartojan, N. Cărțile populare în literatura românească. 2: Epoca influenței grecești. București: Editura enciclopedică română, 1974 (pp. 49–52).
3.2 Modern Translations
3.2.1 Bulgarian
Petkanova, Donka. Стара българска литература в седем тома, vol I, Апокрифи. София 1982 (Modern Bulgarian translation of MS 1161, pp. 41–48).
3.2.2 English
Geller, Florentina Badalanova. “Slavonic Redactions of the Apocryphal Homily of John Chrysostom on How Archangel Michael Defeated Satanail: Some Considerations.” Pages 96–131 in The Embroidered Bible: Studies in Biblical Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha in Honour of Michael E. Stone. Edited by Lorenzo DiTommaso, Matthias Henze, and William Adler. Leiden: Brill, 2018 (edition and translation, pp. 108–23).
3.2.3 Polish
Dąbek-Wirgowa, T. Siedem niebios i ziemia Antologia dawnej prozy bułgarskiej. Warszawa, 1983 (pp. 22–27).
Minczew, Georgi, and M. Skowronek. Apokryfy i legendy starotestamentowe Słowian południowych. Kraków 2006 (translation by A. Michałowska, pp. 12–25).
3.2.4 Serbian
Jovanović, Tomislav. Апокрифи старозаветни према српским преписима. Стара српска књижевност у 24 књиге, књига 23.1. Београд 2005 (Serbian translation of MS 1116, pp. 99–113).
3.3 General Works
Geller, Florentina Badalanova. “Slavonic Redactions of the Apocryphal Homily of John Chrysostom on How Archangel Michael Defeated Satanail: Some Considerations.” Pages 96–131 in The Embroidered Bible: Studies in Biblical Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha in Honour of Michael E. Stone. Edited by Lorenzo DiTommaso, Matthias Henze, and William Adler. Leiden: Brill, 2018.
———. “The Sea of Tiberias: Between Apocryphal Literature and Oral Tradition.” Pages 13-157 in The Old Testament Apocrypha in the Slavonic Tradition: Continuity and Diversity. Edited by L. DiTommaso and C. Böttrich. TSAJ 140. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2011 (pp. 80–84).
Ivanova, Klimentina. Един литургичен паралел към апокрифа „Как Михаил победи Сатанаил”. Pages 397–404 in Civitas divina-humana In honorem annorum LX Georgii Bakalov. София 2004.
Minczew, Georgi. “Един богомилски текст? Слово на св. Йоан Златоуст за това, как Михаил победи Сатанаил.” Palaeobulgarica/Старобългаристика 34/4 (2010): 17–46.
———. “John Chrysostom’s Tale on How Michael Vanquished Satanael—a Bogomil text?” Studia Ceranea 1 (2011): 23–54.
Skowronek, M. „Świat cały ma Cię za obrońcę.” Michał Archanioł w kulturze Słowian prawosławnych na Bałkanach. Łódź 2008.
