 The word angel comes from the Greek angelos, and means 'messenger'. It is a translation of the Hebrew word mal’akh. I believe Angels have been around since the beginning of time. They have never been human, they are an energy created by the Divine/Creator (God/Goddess) or however you like to address this energy. (Defining your God is not within the parameters of this website but there are some recommendations for further reading on the 'recommended resources' should you wish to explore further.) Angels emerged at the creation of the Universe to act as an intermediary between the Creator and ourselves.
The earliest recorded references to angels, depicting them as winged human-like creatures, are as long ago as 3000 BC as stone carvings and statues in the Sumerian culture. Winged messengers appear in myths and legends of most early cultures, Egyptian (Horus), Mayan, Greek (Hermes), Roman (Mercury) Indian and Chinese. References to winged messengers appear in all the current religions as well including Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam. I even saw an angel figure painted in some South African bushman rock art that is dated between 6-10 thousand years old. All current and ancient religious texts have references to winged messengers from God to us. Just because earlier cultures did not leave physical evidence does not mean there was no culture or belief in angels. Almost certainly, the motif of a winged human figure goes back much further into the shamanic cultures around the world. Even today shamanic belief and practices have survived across the world from Tibet to Siberia, Lapland to North and South America, Europe to Australia and New Zealand. In most shamanic practices it is believed the shaman flies through time and space in trance to the spirit world to connect to the souls of his/her clients.
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