When avant-garde musician Sun Ra said he was “rather an Angel than a man,” he was expressing a profound, multidimensional view of his identity—one that transcended conventional humanity and was deeply rooted in his cosmic, philosophical, and spiritual worldview.
1. Cosmic Identity and Myth-Making
Sun Ra often claimed he was not from Earth but from Saturn, sent to Earth on a mission of enlightenment and liberation. Saying he was an “Angel” rather than a man aligned with this mythic persona. In his cosmology, “Angels” were messengers of higher truths, cosmic beings beyond material limitation. He saw himself as a bringer of divine music and knowledge, unbound by earthly constraints like race, nation, or human frailty.
2. Rejection of Human Limitations
Sun Ra’s music and philosophy often rejected the societal structures and limitations placed upon Black people, particularly in America. By calling himself an Angel, he was renouncing the identity imposed by a racist, materialist world—a world that limited people based on skin color, class, and nationality. To him, being a “man” in this context meant being constrained; being an “Angel” meant liberation, transcendence, and purpose.
3. Spiritual Messenger Role
In religious and esoteric traditions, Angels are seen as intermediaries between the divine and the mortal. Sun Ra saw his music and his band (the Arkestra) as a vehicle for spiritual transformation—a form of communication with higher realms. He was not performing music for entertainment alone; he was channeling cosmic messages for human upliftment.
4. Artistic Autonomy
Sun Ra’s declaration also served to distance him from traditional roles of artists and musicians. By identifying as an Angel, he placed himself outside standard definitions of genre, expectation, or artistic duty. His identity became fluid, performative, and symbolic—freeing him to invent, innovate, and explore without boundaries.
In essence, when Sun Ra said he was “rather an Angel than a man,” he was:
- Refusing to be limited by societal definitions,
- Claiming a cosmic, spiritual mission,
- Asserting his role as a transcendent, visionary force,
- And aligning himself with a higher plane of being, both artistically and philosophically.
It was as much a metaphysical claim as it was a cultural rebellion.