USC Dornsife Holiday Card: We See Angels Differently

at , we see angels differently.

If we peel back the wrapping paper of centuries,

we find that holiday traditions are an amalgam of influences from around the world. Among these,

the ideas of angels — from the Latin word for “messenger” — appear in a variety of conceptions. Often, angels

communicate ideas or provide a gift of new knowledge.

At USC Dornsife, our scholars work toward a similar end.

They combine knowledge from across disciplines to provide a better understanding of the world and our place within it.

I hope you will join us in celebrating the wings we ride on through the process of discovery.

Wishing you the best for a spirited holiday season.

Amber D. Miller Dean of USC Dornsife Anna H. Bing Dean’s Chair

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l Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río Porciúncula — the original name of Los Angeles — was established on Sept. 4, 1781, by order of King Carlos III of Spain. The 46 settlers of Indian, Spanish and African descent were from 11 families, who agreed to colonize the new Spanish “City of Angels.”

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uilt in 1901, the funicular railway known as Angels Flight ferried prominent Angelenos up and down Bunker Hill, then one of the most fashionable neighborhoods in L.A. At just 298 feet long, Angels Flight is not only the world’s shortest railway, it remains one of downtown Los Angeles’ most enduring landmarks.

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ur Lady, Queen of Angels, Old Mission Plaza Church was dedicated on Dec. 8, 1822, and remains the oldest structure of religious worship in Los Angeles.

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ngelfish are one of the most popular species of aquarium pets. Freshwater angelfish of the genus pterophyllum are members of the Cichlidae family and are found throughout South America, particularly the Amazon River Basin. Their round bodies and triangular fins allow them to hide among roots and plants.

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ong prized as a decorative garden addition, the Angel’s Trumpet (genus Brugmansia) is anything but heavenly. The bellshaped flowers, if ingested, can cause hallucinations or induce a dangerous, zombie-like trance. The flower has even been linked to several deaths.

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arlier this year, physicists discovered what they believe to be the long-theorized Angel particle. Originally conceived in 1937 by Italian theoretical physicist Ettore Majorana, the Angel particle is both matter and antimatter. It gains its nickname from the title of novelist Dan Brown’s thriller Angels and Demons and may be important one day for building powerful quantum computers.

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ngels — as many religions today conceive of them — can be traced to the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism, the most powerful religion at the time of Jesus Christ. These celestial beings can be found in such religions as Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Buddhism and typically assume protective or guiding roles for humans, carrying out the tasks of a higher power.

You can view the video at dornsife.usc.edu/angels.

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n the early 1900s, the art nouveau artist known by the moniker “Kieszkow� created a series of postcards depicting angels playing various musical instruments.

While not the first artist to portray them as female, Kieszkow deviated from the portrayal of genderless angels that was common until the 19th century.

University of Southern California dornsife.usc.edu