Weeping Angels

The Weeping Angels are an ancient race of aliens from the Doctor Who television series. Steven Moffat, their creator, attributes their appeal to childhood games such as Grandmother's Footsteps and the notion that every statue is secretly a Weeping Angel.

Their usual mode of feeding is to send their victims back in time, which creates time energy to feed on. When they are not being observed by another being, they can move very quickly and silently, but when they are being observed, they become "quantum-locked", occupying a single position in space and becoming stone. In this state, they are frozen and difficult to destroy. They cannot suppress this reaction. If two Weeping Angels were to look at each other at the same time, they would be trapped in stone form until an outside force moves them apart. To prevent this, they often cover their eyes while moving - this makes them look as though they are weeping.

Read more about Weeping Angels:  Description, Appearances, Reception

Famous quotes containing the words weeping and/or angels:

    There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
    Bible: New Testament Jesus, in Matthew, 8:12.

    Referring to “the children of the kingdom ... cast out into outer darkness.” The words are also used in the parable of the talents, in Matthew 25:30, said of the “unprofitable servant.”

    For every man that Bolingbroke hath pressed
    To lift shrewd steel against our golden crown,
    God for his Richard hath in heavenly pay
    A glorious angel. Then if angels fight,
    Weak men must fall; for heaven still guards the right.
    William Shakespeare (1564–1616)