The Green Man

The Green Man can be found in many places, though associated more recently with paganism his image can actually be found in churches and cathedrals. It’s not really known how old the Green Man is, but they first started to appear in England around the 12th century and it is said to derive from France. As he can be found in churches and cathedrals it’s a great example of how images from the old religions were adopted by the Christian church.

Pre-Christian traditions and superstitions were very much influential during the Middle and into the medieval ages, especially those surrounding nature and tree worship. It is believed that the image of the green man symbolises the cycle of life and rebirth.

The name Green Man was first used back in 1939 by Lady Raglan, she wrote about him for her article for the Folklore Journal, and up until this point he was usually referred to as simply the ‘Folicate Head’.

It is believed that he may have been the leading figure during May Day celebrations, this is because of the type of fauna that he is made up of. When looking at him he is usually depicted with acorns and hawthorn leaves which during the medieval period were used as symbols of fertility, hence the association with spring.

The Green Man can appear in 3 different variations

• The Foliate Head - covered in green leaves

• The Disgorging Head - has vegetation coming from his mouth

• The Bloodsucker Head - has vegetations coming from all orifaces

Jack in the Green

The Green Man has been associated with the Jack in the Green or Jack o’ the Green. This is an old English folk custom that coincides with the May Day celebrations, a person wears a conical wooden or wicker frame which is decorated with foliage.