Green Man sculpture by Tawny Gray at the Custard Factory, Birmingham, England, photographed by Valiantis, Wikipedia “Green Man (Folklore)” licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

(17) GREEN MAN

It’s not easy being green – the Green Man, Jack in the Green, Green Knight…

“The Green Man, also known as a foliate head, is a motif in architecture and art, of a face made of, or completely surrounded by, foliage, which normally spreads out from the centre of the face. Apart from a purely decorative function, the Green Man is primarily interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, representing the cycle of new growth that occurs every spring.”

It has been argued as “related to natural vegetation deities” or even to represent “a pagan mythological figure” surviving in medieval art and architecture, but sadly the latter is a recent argument not supported by evidence.

However, “the Green Man is a term with a variety of connotations in folklore” – “During the early modern period in England and sometimes elsewhere, the figure of a man dressed in a foliage costume, and usually carrying a club, was a variant of the broader European motif of the Wild Man (also known as wild man of the woods, or woodwose). By at least the 16th century, the term “green man” was used in England for a man who was covered in leaves, foliage including moss as part of a pageant, parade or ritual”.

Hence the argument of the survival of a pagan mythological figure – by Lady Raglan in 1939 – which proposed a kind of Green Man Grand Unification Theory of the Green Man (including its frequent use as a name for pubs), the Jack in the Green folk costume and May Day celebrations.

And that’s just getting started – “The Green Man has been asserted by some authors to be a recurring theme in literature…the figures of Robin Hood and Peter Pan are associated with a Green Man, as is that of the Green Knight”.

RATING:

X-TIER (WILD TIER)