Is he a symbol of nature, and the rebirth of nature once winter has retreated and the sun has returned, or is he a symbol of Anglo Saxon resistance to Norman invaders....
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| The mysterious Green Man continues to captivate people |
This latest design is of the GREEN MAN! This frondescent fellow is very much a mystery, but it is widely accepted that he is a pre-Christian, Celtic nature spirit representing the cycle of life, and the rebirth of plants and nature in the Spring. The green man went into hiding with the spread of Christianity, but vestiges of his viny visage continued to appear in the carvings of churches, chapels, and cathedrals. In fact, there are more than 110 green men carved into the crevices of the esoteric Rosslyn Chapel (the cryptic chapel associated with the Knights Templar after they were disbanded and went into hiding).
The oldest found carving of the leafy lad's foliate face dates back to 400 AD! The green man archetype is connected to some legends that you may not have heard of such as Jack-in-the-Green, the woodland faery Puck, Cernunnos, and Herne the Hunter. But the green man also lives on in other legends you probably HAVE heard of such as Robin Hood, Peter Pan, the Holly King (you know the Holly King better as the Ghost of Christmas Present), and the Green Knight of Arthurian legend. All of these characters beckon back to an older time.
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