the green man!! (Earth, myth, churches, pagans, faith)

[morning-star]

I'm doing an art project on the green man and I was wondering if you have any info on this? any pictures?

I also want to ask why on earth did Christians put his image within their churches?? what is the link? why? was it because they wanted to take over the pagans so they took aspects of their faith and Gods etc. and changed them into their faith??

[Mike182]

Originally Posted by morning-star

I'm doing an art project on the green man and I was wondering if you have any info on this? any pictures?

I also want to ask why on earth did Christians put his image within their churches?? what is the link? why? was it because they wanted to take over the pagans so they took aspects of their faith and Gods etc. and changed them into their faith??

sadly my knowledge on the green man is very low, but Christianity had a history of taking Pagan 'stuff' and making it their own, so i wouldn't be surprised if this were the case.

[morning-star]

yes well they seem to have changed/stolen many of the pagan festivals and changed them or dumped their festivals on them E.G Yule - christmas

[Circle_One]

Originally Posted by morning-star

I'm doing an art project on the green man and I was wondering if you have any info on this? any pictures?

Well, that depends what you want to know. I know a fair bit about him.

I don't really know where to start, because I'm unsure exactly what you want, so I'll just babble for a bit and you can pick out what you need, haha.

The origins of the Green Man are not known. People have been researching him for years, but no one can pinpoint his exact origin, though one of the earliest depictions found of him was in an Irish obelisk, dated somewhere around the third century BC. Some believe that particular depiction was of the Derg Corra (the Man in the Tree), of Celtic Myth.

In Wicca, the Green Man is often used as a representation of the Horned God; a mix of Cernunnos and Pan.

Basically though, he's come to represent a symbol of rebirth; the cycle of growth being born anew each spring.

He's usually shown as a foliate head, a face made out of leaves and vines, though he's also been portrayed as a human face with branches and vines sprouting from the face, nose or mouth. Sometimes the branches even bear fruit.

I also want to ask why on earth did Christians put his image within their churches?? what is the link? why? was it because they wanted to take over the pagans so they took aspects of their faith and Gods etc. and changed them into their faith??

The thing is, like I said, the origins of the Green Man are long lost, though obviously he would appear to be Pagan.

Like you said, we pretty much assume that the Green Man was incorporated in Christian architecture as a means of welcoming their new converts in comfort, rather than alienating them (however, I'd call it more like borrowing, rather than stealing. It's not like Christianity is the only religion to ever "borrow" from another).

Many modern Christians, however, have come to look at the Green Man as the "archetype of our oneness with earth."

I can get you some pics if you want and if you have any other questions, just let me know.

[morning-star]

Originally Posted by Circle_One

I can get you some pics if you want and if you have any other questions, just let me know.

thanks for the info. if I come accross any q's I'll ask you but some pictures would be great if you don't mind. thanks again ^.^

[Circle_One]

Originally Posted by morning-star

thanks for the info. if I come accross any q's I'll ask you but some pictures would be great if you don't mind. thanks again ^.^

No problem

Ok, here's how the Green Man is generally depicted:



Here's another:





If you need more, just let me know.

[morning-star]

thanks again. Went to a cathedral on friday and got some great pictures of the green man. ^.^ there was quite a few as well.