Roots and Branches 

In the abbey of St. Denis, France, a fountain with an oak leaf mask (now in the Musee¢ Lapidaire of St. Denis) bears the inscription ‘Sylvanus’ dated c 1200 A.D. but possibly added at a later date.

  In Mundaya, Istanbul is a mask of Okeanus, god of the sea and satyr.

  Western Paganism defines the Green Man as the symbol of godhood within the male as well as the symbol of life, death and rebirth  (a theme reminiscent with the story of Christ) and its relationship with the transcendent life-force, the goddess, the female expression of the godhead.

  Rabanus Maurus an 8^th c theologian said the Green Man represented the sins of the flesh, lustful wicked men doomed to eternal damnation. This seems to be a long way from the meaning to those who used his image 6 centuries previously.

Above are some early accounts of the Green Man and as can be seen from the dates, foliate head carvings ( the name 'Green Man') is a recent term has been with us for a long time and can be found in many of our old buildings especially churches but also in other buildings. Many of the Green Man carvings date from the 14th - 15th century A.D. tailing off somewhat over subsequent centuries to be revived by the Victorians where they incorporated foliate head designs into church restorations as well as other building schemes.

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 The Celtic Connection?

The Celtic cultures of pre-Christian Europe by 400 BCE were producing foliate heads from stone, the foliage sprouting from the mouth. It is thought by some scholars these could be linked to tree worship.

Many Celtic Gods and Goddesses were associated with life, death, rebirth, nature and the underworld. One of the most striking features of early Celtic art is the association between the human face and foliate designs. The gold armlet of the prince buried in the 5th century BCE at Rodenbach in the Rhineland is decorated with a human face and what appear to be yew berries. If they are indeed yew berries this could indicate religious symbolism as it has been used for centuries in both Pagan and religious ceremony (go to any church and you are almost bound to find at least one yew tree)

Above is an introduction to some aspects of the Green Man's history the book list on the LINKS page has some recommended reading.

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©Green Man East Anglia 2007