Ansiel is a name recorded in a charm against forgetfulness discussed by Joshua Trachtenberg in Jewish Magic and Superstition. His account offers more context than a simple label of constrainer: it compares different name lists and emphasizes the difficulty of explaining magical names.
The charm and its differing lists
In chapter 7, Trachtenberg describes a charm recited at the close of the Sabbath and on other occasions. One version invokes Poteh or Purah, the prince of forgetting, together with a series of names. A second version of that series includes Asiel, Ansiel, Ansipiel, Pathiel and other forms.
Ansiel is thus present in a particular version of a longer formula. The account does not establish a universal paired office with Pathiel governing all memory, or describe Ansiel protecting homes during childbirth.
The proposed meaning of constrainer
Trachtenberg reports that certain scholars recognized Ansiel as the constrainer and Pathiel as the opener, alongside proposed explanations for Armimas. He presents these within a discussion of the uncertainties of etymological reconstruction, not as a final dictionary of securely established divine functions.
That distinction makes the source valuable: it preserves the recorded name while showing how later interpreters tried to understand it. Ansiel’s place in this discussion is evidence for a name in historical magical practice. A complete angelic biography, a secure Hebrew reconstruction or additional protective powers need more than the resemblance between a name and a proposed verb.
Explore related entries
Read Amitiel, Armisael, the angel names A–Z index, or the guide to source traditions.