Traditional Green Man

The base design of image 1 (figure 1) is inspired by the traditional representation of the Green Man (figure 2). The Green Man has appeared in many different forms over the centuries, and has been captured in literature by stories of the Green Knight and the many tales of Robin Hood. Lady Raglan (1939, p.45) was the first person to use the term Green Man and conduct a serious study into the carvings found in many churches, which are most commonly of “a man’s face, with oak leaves growing from the mouth and ears, and completely encircling the head.” Lady Raglan (1939, p.50) argues that the Green Man is a figure “taken from real life” and is linked to “Jack-in-the-Green, Robin Hood, the King of May” and other woodland figures from English folklore, which all share characteristics in the church carvings found across England (figure 2). Lady Raglan (1939, p.50) agrees with Skeat’s explanation that “wood” used to mean “a mass of twigs or bush”, meaning the “headdress worn by the Green Man” symbolises how “Robin Hood is really Robin of the Wood”. These foliage headdresses and garlands are still used in May Day ceremonies today as a celebration of spring.

The traditional image of the Green Man features foliage in a circle around the face, however the types of leaves used are important to what the figure represents. Most commonly the Green Man is surrounded by oak and ivy leaves, but in church carvings acanthus leaves are used instead. Oak leaves traditionally symbolise the wilderness of the forest, untamed and wild. Ivy is symbolic of eternal life as it continues growing green throughout the winter. Varner (2006, p.88) summarises the belief held by Anderson and others that there are two types of Green Man: “The Green Man of the oak […] is the Green Man of the forest while the Green Man of the vine is the Green Man of agriculture." Varner (2006, p.88) argues the Green Man therefore symbolises “humankind’s development from pastoral nomads into settler farmers.” The Green Man of the vine can be found in churches and symbolises the civilisation of man and nature, as well as fertility and the cycle of life.

Reference:

Raglan,(2012) The "Green Man" in Church Architecture [e-book] Na. Available from: 1939

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/0015587X.1939.9718148 [Accessed 4th June 2021]

Thegypsy, (2019) [Online image]. Available from: https://www.thegypsythread.org/mabon-2019-honoring-the-green-man/ [Accessed 16 November]

Varner,G. (2008) THE MYTHIC FOREST, THE GREEN MAN AND THE SPIRIT OF NATURE, 2nd ed. [e-book] United States, Lulu press. Available from: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=VYQIOw8HU0sC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+green+man+symbolism&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi5o8P_gO7sAhVtRhUIHRz7DRgQ6AEwAHoECAQQAg#v=onepage&q=the%20green%20man%20symbolism&f=false. A [Accessed 4th June 2021]

Anderson, (1990). The Green Man: The archetype of our oneness with the earth. London: Harper Collins

Castelow,E.(Na) The Green Man [Online image]. Available from: https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-Green-Man/ [Accessed 4th June 2021]

Figures

Figure 1: Design plan for image 1

Figure 2: