Painting on Canal Barge of the mythical 'Green Man'
A Green Man is a face surrounded by or made from leaves. Branches or vines may sprout from the nose, mouth, nostrils or other parts of the face and these shoots may bear flowers or fruit. Commonly used as a decorative architectural ornament, Green Men are frequently found on carvings in churches and other buildings (both secular and ecclesiastical). "The Green Man" is also a popular name for English public houses, which sometimes show a full figure rather than just the head. The Green Man motif has many variations. Found in many cultures around the world, he is often related to natural vegetative deities springing up throughout the ages. Primarily it is interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, or "renaissance," representing the cycle of growth each spring. Some[speculate that the mythology of the Green Man developed independently in the traditions of separate ancient cultures and evolved into the wide variety of examples found throughout history. Some commentators conflate or associate the term with "Jack in the green". Usually foliate heads or foliate masks, carvings of the Green Man may take many forms, naturalistic or decorative. Some may have leaves for hair, perhaps with a leafy beard. Often leaves or leafy shoots are shown growing from his open mouth and sometimes even from the nose and eyes as well. In the most abstract examples, the carving at first glance appears to be merely stylised foliage, with the facial element only becoming apparent on closer examination. The face is almost always male. Mythical figures such as Cernunnos, Sylvanus, Derg Corra, Green George, Jack in the green, John Barleycorn, Robin Goodfellow, Puck, and the Green Knight are all the Green Man's nature; perhaps the story of Robin Hood was the same mythology. A modern type is found in Peter Pan, who enters the civilized world from Neverland, clothed in green leaves. Even Father Christmas, who was often shown wreathed in ivy in early depictions, has been suggested as a similar woodland spirit
Size: 4900px × 3448px
Location: Lancashire England
Photo credit: © Brenda Kean / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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