When I was a little child, I was accustomed to the idea that all human beings have angels with them to guide them all throughout the course of their lives. The image of an angel that I have been used to is that from Christian theology--that winged creature with a majestic voice and a halo above its head to prove its goodness.What is interesting is that the idea of guardian angels has been nearly the same both in the East and the West--that angels are here to protect us from harm and to guide us with our everyday actions. This thought has been refined a number of times in the course of history, but the essence remains the same.
According to general belief, it is God who has sent these angels for our guidance. Each person is assigned to one angel, although a guardian angel may have multiple people under his/her guidance. The idea actually roots from Ancient Greek philosophy, although today it is mostly associated with Roman Catholicism. In fact, the Catholic Church's calendar of saints include a special day for commemorating our guardian angels. It falls on October 2. Despite this, the idea is still prevalent in other major religions such as Judaism, Islam, and Zoroastrianism.
In medieval and modern literature, the presence of a guardian angel is usually accompanied with a demon, who counters the advises and actions of the guardian angel. This has been the subject of morality plays, which were quite popular in medieval theatre.
Comedy is also one genre where the guardian angel and the demon have become popular. The constant animosity between the two has created an environment and situations that we sometimes find funny, even if it means them hurting each other.
Whether you look at it from a morality play, or a comedy, or even from real life does not matter. We already all know who to follow. It's just a matter of strengthening your will to do what is good and what is ethical.
