The green man
Green Men appear in various guises; faces with greenery issuing from the nose, mouth or eyes, faces from which leaves are growing and faces disguised by leaves and foliage, often interpreted as ‘Jack in the Green’, another prominent figure in early English mythology. ‘Green Man’ isn’t really a very helpful description and in their architectural context none of them is green and only a proportion of them are men. Foliate Head would be more accurate but this has never really caught on.
Until relatively recently, it was generally accepted that the Green Man was a pagan symbol that has survived into the Christian period. However, our understanding of pre-Christian and indeed the history of Christianity has advanced so much in the past fifty years and there seems to be evidence of foliate heads turning up in Mesopotamia, India and Nepal. Many symbols which found their way into Christian iconography have their origins in classical and eastern mythology, but often the meanings change according to the time, much as words change their meanings over time.
Carvings of Green Men first appear in churches in the 11th and 12th centuries and their use as ornamentation has
been subject to many interpretations. These churches were built by wealthy patrons who directed exactly what they wanted in terms of structure and iconography and they were as much influenced by fashion as we are today. This
new style of architecture brought with it a new language of ornament which was primarily religious in content, but not always. Images of demons and monsters are common warnings against sin and the inherent dangers of mortality and some of these images were copied from illustrated religious manuscripts.
Rich ornamentation was often applied to key focal points such as doorways, roof bosses and window surrounds. The chancel arch was also a favourite spot for didactic scenes or images as it separated the nave (the secular part of the church) from the chancel (the sacred part of the church). But foliate heads are also found anywhere where there is elaborate carving such as fonts, misericords and bench ends.
By the end of the 19th century, the Green Man had declined in popularity and architects had started to incorporate them into secular buildings such as a stone representation at St Enoch station on the Glasgow underground railway built in 1896.
From a modern day Pagan perspective, the Green Man has become a symbol of the fusion between man and nature and a reminder not to lose sight of our connection with the earth and the natural cycle of life and death. It has also assumed a more masculine character suggestive of the ‘wild man’, the hidden spirit of nature who could leap forth from us at any time. For Neo-Pagan this is a powerful symbol of re-connection with nature at a time when the material world seems to have triumphed over a more natural existence.
From: http://www.wartimehousewife.com/2010/10/going-green-man-2/
Until relatively recently, it was generally accepted that the Green Man was a pagan symbol that has survived into the Christian period. However, our understanding of pre-Christian and indeed the history of Christianity has advanced so much in the past fifty years and there seems to be evidence of foliate heads turning up in Mesopotamia, India and Nepal. Many symbols which found their way into Christian iconography have their origins in classical and eastern mythology, but often the meanings change according to the time, much as words change their meanings over time.
Carvings of Green Men first appear in churches in the 11th and 12th centuries and their use as ornamentation has
been subject to many interpretations. These churches were built by wealthy patrons who directed exactly what they wanted in terms of structure and iconography and they were as much influenced by fashion as we are today. This
new style of architecture brought with it a new language of ornament which was primarily religious in content, but not always. Images of demons and monsters are common warnings against sin and the inherent dangers of mortality and some of these images were copied from illustrated religious manuscripts.
Rich ornamentation was often applied to key focal points such as doorways, roof bosses and window surrounds. The chancel arch was also a favourite spot for didactic scenes or images as it separated the nave (the secular part of the church) from the chancel (the sacred part of the church). But foliate heads are also found anywhere where there is elaborate carving such as fonts, misericords and bench ends.
By the end of the 19th century, the Green Man had declined in popularity and architects had started to incorporate them into secular buildings such as a stone representation at St Enoch station on the Glasgow underground railway built in 1896.
From a modern day Pagan perspective, the Green Man has become a symbol of the fusion between man and nature and a reminder not to lose sight of our connection with the earth and the natural cycle of life and death. It has also assumed a more masculine character suggestive of the ‘wild man’, the hidden spirit of nature who could leap forth from us at any time. For Neo-Pagan this is a powerful symbol of re-connection with nature at a time when the material world seems to have triumphed over a more natural existence.
From: http://www.wartimehousewife.com/2010/10/going-green-man-2/