Angels And Miracles On The Battlefield

I remember my grandfather telling my mother about the atrocities of World War I. He was a young soldier at the time, fighting for his country in the trenches of France. My favorite part was the fascinating stories he told about the Angel of Mons.

The story of the “Angel of Mons” comes from the Battle of Mons, which took place on August 23 and 24, 1914. During the battle, British soldiers reported seeing angelic figures or supernatural beings who gave them divine protection against the German forces.

Although some called the Angel of Mons a myth, the general public chose to believe that spiritual intervention had thwarted a German breakthrough. After all, miracles can happen anywhere, right? These events were later popularized by Arthur Machen’s fictional story The Bowmen.

The British Army, part of the British Expeditionary Force, faced overwhelming German forces and suffered heavy casualties. They were forced to retreat as part of the larger retreat to the Marne, known as the “Great Retreat”.

Some British soldiers reported seeing supernatural beings during the battle. These reports included sightings of figures resembling longbow archers, specifically the phantom archers from the Battle of Agincourt (1415), and also angelic warriors.

Some soldiers also reported seeing a figure resembling St. George, a major figure in Christian hagiography, revered for his unwavering faith, courage, and the legendary deeds attributed to him. His story has been influential in Christian mysticism and has become a symbol of chivalry and heroism.

According to tradition, St. George was martyred in the early 4th century during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who was known for his persecution of Christians. St. George was executed because he refused to recant his Christian faith.

The most famous legend associated with St. George is about him slaying a dragon that was terrorizing a city and demanding human sacrifices. By defeating the dragon, he saved the city and converted its people to Christianity. This famous story symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and the power of faith and courage. He is traditionally depicted in art as a knight in armor slaying a dragon, emphasizing his role as a heroic and saintly figure.

St. George is the patron saint of several countries, including England, Georgia, and parts of Portugal and Spain. He is most closely associated with England, where he is considered the national patron saint. The flag of England, known as the St. George’s Cross, features a red cross on a white background. He is also the patron saint of various groups and professions, including soldiers and knightly orders.

MASS HYSTERIA OR DIVINE INTERVENTION?

Was the Angel of Mons an act of divine intervention due to the despair of the spirit realm at the terrible atrocities taking place on the battlefields of France? Or was it simply a case of mass hysteria due to intense trauma and a struggle for survival?

Mass hysteria, also known as mass psychogenic illness, is a phenomenon in which a group of people simultaneously experience similar physical or emotional symptoms without an identifiable physical cause. This condition is typically triggered by psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, fear, or a common threat. Typical symptoms may include dizziness, nausea, headaches, fainting, and other unexplained physical reactions. Mass hysteria often spreads quickly within a community, especially in close-knit groups, and can be influenced by social and environmental factors.

A lesser known symptom of mass hysteria is supernatural perceptions or mystical experiences. There have been instances where a group or community under significant psychological stress or fear collectively reports seeing or experiencing supernatural phenomena such as visions of mystical beings, apparitions, or otherworldly events.

Three famous documented examples of mass hysteria involving supernatural or mystical perceptions are:

THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS (1692-1693)

A series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft took place in Salem, Massachusetts. The hysteria began when a group of young girls in the village of Salem claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women of witchcraft. The community’s belief in the supernatural, combined with existing social tensions, led to widespread panic, resulting in the execution of 20 people and the imprisonment of many others.

THE DANCING PLAGUE (1518)

In Strasbourg, France, large numbers of people suddenly began dancing uncontrollably and seemingly for no reason. The dancing mania spread rapidly, with participants unable to stop until they collapsed from exhaustion. Some historical accounts suggest that those affected believed they were possessed or cursed, attributing the phenomenon to supernatural causes. Various explanations have been proposed, including stress-related psychogenic illness and ergot poisoning, but the exact cause remains uncertain.

THE TANGANYIKA LAUGHTER EPIDEMIC (1962)

In a village in Tanganyika (now Tanzania), a laughter epidemic broke out at a mission-run boarding school. It began with a few students and quickly spread, affecting hundreds of people in the surrounding area. Symptoms included uncontrollable laughing, crying, and fainting that lasted for weeks or even months. The event was initially thought to be caused by a viral infection, but no physical cause was identified. The epidemic is now considered a classic case of mass psychogenic illness, triggered by stress and social pressure, with laughter and other symptoms spreading through suggestibility and social contagion.

Science explains such shared mystical experiences as mass delusions or communal hallucinations shaped by cultural and social influences that spread rapidly within a group, leading to a shared belief in the occurrence of the supernatural event. The psychological mechanisms behind mass hysteria are said to cause people to misinterpret or exaggerate normal sensory experiences, leading to the perception of supernatural events. But I have a different view on the matter.

WHY I BELIEVE MY GRANDFATHER

My grandfather was a very sensible, pragmatic man. He was certainly not one for tall tales about angels and the like. Yet, he was convinced all his life that the Angel of Mons had appeared to the soldiers on that battlefield. I support his belief that it was an actual divine intervention and not just a case of mass hysteria for several reasons.

There are several first-hand accounts from soldiers who were present at the Battle of Mons. These accounts are strikingly similar, describing angelic figures protecting them. The consistency of these accounts lends credibility to the argument that something extraordinary happened on that battlefield.

Skeptics claim that the soldiers got their ideas from Arthur Machen’s The Bowmen, but those who reported seeing the angels could not have had prior knowledge of that story, since it was published later, after the initial reports. This suggests that the sightings were not merely influenced by a fictional story, but were reports of independent experiences.

Furthermore, unlike typical cases of mass hysteria, the soldiers’ descriptions of the angelic beings were calm and coherent. The soldiers reported feeling a sense of peace and protection, rather than the panic or fear more commonly associated with mass hysteria. There were also no environmental or physiological factors at the scene, such as gas exposure or mass poisoning, that could explain the widespread and simultaneous visions among the soldiers.

The event is said to have had a significant impact on the morale of the soldiers. It strengthened their resolve and may have contributed to their ability to hold their position against overwhelming odds. The positive outcome of the battle, despite the odds, could be interpreted as evidence of divine favor.

The miracle of the Angel of Mons has a special meaning for me because of my professional background as a spiritual counselor. Over the years, I have been privileged to witness and experience numerous everyday miracles and divine interventions in my own life and in the lives of my clients. These experiences have profoundly shaped my understanding of the supernatural and the possibility of divine influence in our world.

In my practice, I have observed instances where seemingly impossible situations have resolved themselves in ways that defy conventional explanations. These miracles often involve unexpected turns of events that can only be described as divine intervention. Such experiences have strengthened my belief in the presence of spirit and the divine at work in our lives.

Many of my clients have shared with me their own stories of miraculous occurrences, ranging from sudden healings to unexplained solutions to critical life challenges. The common thread in these accounts is a deep sense of divine presence and intervention, consistent with the experiences reported by soldiers at the Battle of Mons.

OTHER MIRACLES ON BATTLEFIELDS

Throughout history, there have been numerous accounts of mystical events and divine intervention in battles, often reported by multiple credible witnesses. Here are a few examples:

THE MIRACLE OF THE SUN (1917)

On October 13, 1917, during World War I, thousands of people reported witnessing a solar phenomenon in Fatima, Portugal. The sun was said to be dancing, spinning, and emitting multicolored light. This event was interpreted by many as a divine sign and is closely associated with the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima. Although it was not a battle, the event was significant in the context of the war and the hope it brought to many.

THE BATTLE OF MILVIAN BRIDGE (312 A.D.)

According to Christian tradition, before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge near Rome, Italy, Emperor Constantine the Great had a vision of a cross in the sky with the inscription “In Hoc Signo Vinces” (In this sign you will conquer). He is said to have interpreted this vision as a divine promise of victory. Constantine’s forces won the battle, leading to his conversion to Christianity and the subsequent Edict of Milan, which granted religious tolerance throughout the Roman Empire.

THE BATTLE OF AGINCOURT (1415)

During the Battle of Agincourt in the Hundred Years’ War in France, English forces led by King Henry V were vastly outnumbered by the French. According to reports, Henry V and his troops were encouraged by visions of angels or saints, and the English won a decisive victory against all odds. This battle has been associated with divine favor due to the miraculous nature of the victory.

THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM (1099)

During the First Crusade, the crusaders besieging Jerusalem were reported to have experienced divine intervention. Some accounts describe celestial phenomena and miraculous events that contributed to their success. The fall of Jerusalem was seen by many Crusaders as a sign of divine favor and intervention.

THE BATTLE OF LEPANTO (1571)

In a naval battle in the Gulf of Lepanto, near western Greece, between the Holy League (a coalition of Christian states) and the Ottoman Empire, the Holy League won a decisive victory. Some Catholic sources claimed that the victory was due to the intercession of the Virgin Mary and that the miraculous outcome was a divine intervention to protect Christendom.

THE BATTLE OF VIENNA (1683)

During the Battle of Vienna in Austria, which was a key conflict in the Ottoman Wars in Europe, the city of Vienna was besieged by the Ottoman Empire. The relief army, composed of a coalition of European forces, was reportedly aided by a sudden and severe rainstorm that hampered the Ottoman forces. This storm was interpreted by some as divine intervention in favor of the defenders.

The Angel of Mons is therefore just one example of the phenomenon of miracles and divine interventions in moments of extreme danger to provide protection or guidance. The idea of divine intervention is consistent with the concept of miracles. Faith traditions around the world contain numerous accounts of miraculous events that defy natural explanation.

Perhaps science cannot measure and technically explain everything in the universe. I believe that the Angel of Mons was a manifestation of the transcendent, something beyond material and psychological explanations. In my experience, scientific explanations are limited or inadequate when it comes to truly understanding the experiences of the divine or supernatural that millions of people around the world, including my clients and myself, experience every day.

For us believers, the Angel of Mons is a powerful reminder that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, and that supernatural occurrences in moments of great need occur every day in the lives of ordinary people.

Did heavenly beings really appear on the battlefields of France to help the British and French during World War I? Only you can decide for yourself.